It's not often you can gather the brood to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic over breakfast, then watch it set from the balcony of your hotel room later that night. Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla., is one of those rare places. Here at this sprawling, full-service enclave just over the Intracoastal Waterway, every family member will find a memory to take home.
Daytona Beach Airport is the closest major air hub to Hammock Beach, a 40-minute drive from door to door. But the two-hour ride from Orlando is also within reach, if there are theme parks or other attractions on the agenda. After crossing the toll bridge, clients will find themselves in quiet, residential surroundings before reaching the resort. The roads are lined with palmetto, and if you stop and listen, you can hear the Atlantic waves crashing just a few blocks away.
Multigenerational travelers will find plenty to love about Hammock Beach Resort, starting with its variety of guestrooms. Couples and small families will do just fine in a 700-square-foot, oceanfront one-bedroom. Bathrooms include a standing shower and garden soaking tub, perfect for washing off sand after a beach romp. The oceanfront guestrooms were recently spruced up with coastal-chic furnishings and colors that mimic the hotel's pastel exterior. Multibedroom suites, some reaching 2,350 square feet, are fit for large families.
Hurricane Matthew hit the area around Palm Coast and Flagler Beach hard in 2016, and vestiges of the storm are still apparent. The Jack Nicklaus-designed championship Ocean Course was under water after the hurricane but was renovated with new, saltwater-resistant platinum paspalum turf this spring. Beach restoration is also underway and will continue through 2018.
The "hotel-within-a-hotel" concept is trending for many resorts right now, and the Hammock Beach Resort flaunts its own luxury boutique property, with access to the main resort's amenities. The Lodge is made up of 20 rooms in a separate building closer to the ocean. The rooms have recently been updated and boast floor-to-ceiling windows with views of either the golf course, the ocean or both. Each room has a king-size bed, private balcony, marble entry and bathroom clad in granite.
A guestroom at the Lodge boutique hotel within the resort.
Every guest of the Lodge also receives a $25 daily breakfast credit, personal check-in with Champagne toast, access to the Lodge club lounge and advance reservations at restaurants throughout the resort. On the second floor of the Lodge near the pro shop, the menu at Atlantic Grille is full of upscale dishes including she-crab soup and seared tuna salade nicoise.
While the resort is rather hidden away from much of Florida's Atlantic Coast action, there's still plenty to do, should guests decide to explore the area. Small-wave surfing is tops here, as Palm Coast sits between two major Florida surfing hubs: Jacksonville Beach and Cocoa Beach. Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking are also popular, especially in the mangroves of the Intracoastal Waterway, where ecotours and wildlife watching are popular activities.
The resort also offers plenty of activities on land. Play nine holes of putt-putt golf, light up and wind down in the cigar lounge or pedal through the resort on complimentary beach cruiser bikes. In the fall and winter, fire pits and s'mores stations are set up on the main lawn for chatting and snacking over a crackling flame.
Hammock Beach has contracted with Equestrian Adventures of Florida in Ormond Beach to lead guests on 45-minute shoreline rides on their "sea horses." The tour operator also leads trail rides through Volusia and Flagler county state parks.
The resort boasts seven pools. That means the little ones can splash in a different spot every day of the week. The 91,000-square-foot fantasy water pavilion is probably where they'll want to spend most of their time, though, as the area includes a lazy river, waterslide and sand pit for pint-size sandcastle architects. The pavilion also features full-service food and beverages, so there's no need to put the kibosh on the fun when lunch time rolls around.
A short drive from the main resort, an early morning tennis session at the resort's Tennis Club is a must. Sidle up to tennis director Gene Paul Lascano for a high-intensity cardio tennis class, blending technique drills with heart-pumping exercise. The eight clay courts, which overlook the Intracoastal, will satisfy anyone's need to channel their inner Serena Williams or Rafael Nadal.
Even farther outside the resort, guests can head to America's first permanent settlement, St. Augustine. The shopping, history and nightlife are enough to keep families having fun for an entire day. A visit to the Castillo de San Marcos is a must, especially for the re-enactments featuring actors in 1600s Spanish military regalia, carrying bayonets and standing at the ready to fire the fort's cannons. After touring the fort, kids will love searching the coquina beach sand for shark's teeth.
Marineland Dolphin Adventure is one of several nearby options besides the beach for guests at the resort.
For a little taste of midcentury Florida, guests should head to Marineland, 15 minutes north of the resort, to swim with dolphins. The park is celebrating its 80th birthday this year and will mark the occasion with a major renovation and restoration project. Matanzas State Forest is ideal for hiking, biking, boating and, surprisingly, eating. Guests won't want to miss a lunch at Captain's BBQ, but while the pulled pork is perfection, it's the cheesecake that'll have everyone talking for weeks afterward. The 10-plus varieties include lemon-coconut, pecan pie and devil's food.
To the south of Hammock Beach Resort, Daytona Beach is experiencing its own renaissance. The home of the Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, underwent a massive rebuild project a few years ago. The open-air tram tour of the speedway is a fun way to see some of Nascar history and ends at the Motorsports Hall of Fame. Those with the need for speed can take a ride-along lap on the track during the Nascar Racing Experience or drive themselves for three laps around the legendary track.
Suite rates start at $179 per night. See www.hammockbeach.com.