Travelers Guide to the Top 10 Hotels in Destin, Florida

Destin, Florida, is an incredible place to spend your vacation — especially if you get a hotel that exceeds all your expectations. Across this beautiful city, there are endless resorts and hotels that each offer a unique lodging experience. By looking at what they are all about, you can ensure you’ll get all you want out of your travels. To help you find the very best one, here’s a look at the top 10 hotels in this region.  

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

Location: 9300 Emerald Coast Parkway West, Sandestin, Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

Nestled between Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf Coast is the 2,400 acre Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. This resort is divided up between multiple resort areas, including:

  • Hotel Effie
  • Osprey Pointe
  • Bayside Villas
  • Lakeside Cottages

While staying in any of their vacation rentals or hotel, you’ll have access to gorgeous beaches and their three public golf courses right onsite. You can also sign up for a membership to their private Burnt Pine Golf Course.

While staying here, you can also enjoy their 15 tennis courts, fitness center, spa, and four shopping centers. If you want to hit the water, they make that easy, too, by offering jet ski, kayak, and pontoon boat rentals. They even extend the opportunity to go snorkeling and scuba diving.

You’ll also love all their onsite restaurants, like the Ara Rooftop Pool and Lounge. You can go there to rent a private cabana, enjoy a dip in the heated pool, and order all the food and drinks you could want. Marina Bar and Grill is rather popular as well, especially with Maryann the Macaw greeting everyone with a hearty hello.

Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village

Location: 10 Harbor Boulevard, Destin, Florida 32541

At the Emerald Grande at Harborwalk Village, you get spectacular views of the dazzling green waterways and white, sandy beaches. You can scoot on down to their private beach at your leisure to lounge in the sun and delight in all the waterside activities. Boogie boarding, jet skiing, and snorkeling are just moments away while staying at this delightful hotel.

When you can break away from the beaches, you’re also within minutes of the Harborwalk Village for the ultimate shopping and dining experience. Their restaurants serve all the best flavors of the Gulf, while the boutiques give you a chance to a piece of Destin home with you. There’s also tons of activities, like a chance to ride the Buccaneer Pirate Ship and ziplines, freefalls, and much more at HarborWalk Adventures.

If you’d rather stay onsite, you can visit the Grande Vista Bar & Grill for every meal instead. You can also spend your time playing in their 2,500 square foot heated pool and visiting their spa for massages, wraps, and masks.

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa

Location: 4000 Sandestin Boulevard South, Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

Whether you want to spend your time indoors getting pampered or want to lounge beachside your whole trip, it doesn’t get better than the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. You get your choice of guest rooms, family parlor suites, and presidential suites, all of which come with comfortable bedding and beautiful views.

Although your room offers a chance to live in the lap of luxury, you’ll find yourself gravitating to their award-winning spa more often than not. You’ll also undoubtedly enjoy visiting their private beach and engage in outdoor adventures of all kinds, including paddle boarding and fishing.

When hunger calls, you don’t have to leave the resort to get your fill because you have nine restaurants right onsite. They have a steakhouse, beachside bar and grill, and many other eateries plus offer in-room dining.

The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa

Location: 200 Henderson Resort Way, Destin, Florida 32541

The suites at The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa will have you feeling like royalty from the second you walk through the doors. From there, your stay will just get better and better as you discover their spa, restaurants, and activities galore.

At the spa, you can grab a private treatment room for massages and more or go to the wet area to use the whirlpool tub, experiential shower, or Himalayan Salt Suite. When you’re done there and feeling your best, you can explore all the resort activities available here, like the private beach, pools, and fitness center.

All throughout the day, you can visit any of their onsite bars, restaurants, and dessert stops to fill your belly with good eats and delicious drinks. When you just want small bites and cocktails, Horizons is your eatery of choice. But if it’s sweet treats you’re after, go to Sprinkles instead.

Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Location: 325 Grand Boulevard Destin, Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

The Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard lets you choose between 84 rooms designed with your comfort in mind. Each one offers breathtaking views, cozy furniture, and huge flatscreen TVs.

Free breakfast is included with your stay and you can grab the rest of your meals at the onsite restaurant. They also have a full-service market filled with grab and go items you can take on all your adventures.

With its location in the center of the Grand Boulevard Town Center, you also have direct access to all the most popular entertainment, dining, and shopping venues in the area. If you arrive at the right time, you might even catch concerts and festivals in full swing. There’s tons of beautiful outdoor attractions nearby as well, like the Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Eden Gardens State Park.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin- Miramar Beach

Location: 570 Scenic Gulf Drive, Destin, Florida 32550

Photo Source

When you stay at Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin-Miramar Beach, you get a luxe suite with a comfy bed, 37-inch HDTV, and all the other creature comforts you need for a fantastic stay. You also get tons of freebies, starting with breakfast each day. They also free parking, Wi-Fi, and evening reception.

When you’re not enjoying all those complimentary goods, you can stop in at their Calypso Café for food and drinks. For those times when you’re rather stay in and relax in your room, you can order in at your leisure.

If you’re more in the mood for something fun to do, just turn your attention to the fitness center and outdoor pool. You can even go to the business center when you need to knock some work out of the way before you can go have a blast. 

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Miramar Beach

Location: 12839 Emerald Coast Parkway, Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

Photo Source

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Miramar Beach is a low-key hotel with suites that promise to keep you comfortable day after day. The rooms have flatscreen TVs, coffeemakers, and all the other gear you need for an awesome stay.

A daily free Bright Side Breakfast is a part of the experience, as is access to tons of awesome onsite amenities. During your visit, you can go swim in the outdoor pool at your leisure or just lounge on the deck and use the complimentary Wi-Fi.  You get open access to the fitness center as well, which is full of quality equipment that’ll give you an incredible workout.

When you need refreshments or want to boost your energy stores, you can stop in at the onsite Lounge Bar for whatever suits your fancy. There are also tons of fun things to do and fantastic restaurants to visit within just a couple miles of this inn.

Hampton Inn & Suites Destin

Location: 1625 Scenic Highway 98 East, Destin, Florida 32541

Although Hampton Inn & Suites Destin is not right on the beach, they are close enough to smell the salt in the air and feel the cool breeze off the water. This hotel is also a lot more lowkey and relaxing since it doesn’t have the flurry of activity found at waterfront inns.

Whenever you want to get away from it all, you can wade into the zero-entry saltwater pool and lounge on the deck while enjoying the pleasant sounds of silence. The fitness center provides an excellent place to blow off steam and start feeling your best. You can even get all you work done fast at the business center before heading out on town.

While they provide free breakfast every morning, you’re on your own for your other meals. Thankfully, that’s easy with the Destin Commons just a few miles away. Beyond restaurants, the Commons offers tons of shopping opportunities and activities of all kinds, including the AMC movie theater. The beach is about five minutes down the road on foot if you would rather simply spend your day surrounded by the beauty of the Gulf.

Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Location: 100 Grand Boulevard Destin, Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

When you book a room at the Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, you’ll get a flatscreen TV with all the movie channels, wireless internet, and truly comfortable furniture throughout. The rooms are definitely built to provide all you need, but the experience definitely doesn’t end there.

While staying at this hotel, you also get access to The Bistro, their phenomenal onsite restaurant. They serve specialty coffee beverages all day plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner. To work off all that energy, you have many excellent amenities to enjoy, like their outdoor pool and whirlpool. They also have a fitness center with state of the art equipment and free weights.

If you want to visit the beach, go shopping, or check out local attractions, you’re just a few minutes away from having the time of your life. The Village of Baytowne Wharf and tons of sandy beaches are just a short drive away, as is the Silver Sand Premium Outlets.

Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard

Location: 300 Grand Boulevard Destin, Miramar Beach, Florida 32550

When only the most stylish accommodations will do, get on over to the Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard. Their studio and bedroom suites are built to impress, featuring pillowtop mattresses, large workstations, and smart TVs.

When you need to work off your energy, you can head down to the 24/7 fitness center at your convenience. They have tons of cardiovascular equipment to get your heartbeat into the target range plus free weights for all your strength training needs.

After that, you can take a dip in their whirlpool or swim laps in the outdoor pool. The pool deck is a great place to relax when you want to unwind but are not yet ready to go back to the comfort of your room.

Although they do not have an onsite restaurant, they provide free breakfast every day and you can have food delivered by local restaurants. Plus, they host mixers three nights per week to help you meet new friends and try appetizers, food truck sensations, and grilled treats.

Once you have the perfect accommodations in mind, make sure to book your stay right away. If you wait too long, the rooms could fill up, forcing you to look beyond your first choice. So, get your name on the books and rest assured that your ideal Destin vacation experience awaits.