TGIF, yo! It’s fall, it’s Friday, and I’m back in our casa with the hubs + cats after a few days frolicking on the beach in Florida. (How many f’s can we get in that sentence??? Anyone keeping count? Ha!) Taylor and I just got back from a hot sec at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, in Miramar Beach, Florida! We wanted/needed one last little getaway before I’m on no fly mode (because hi baby), and a quick trip for some sand + sun to close out summer officially felt like just the thing. The beach is actually closer to 30A than Destin apparently – either way, the area was *beautiful*. We were technically there on “off season,” so it was great seeing the property + area in a little quieter light.

THE RESORT:

Some hot highlights of the resort to note:

Pool hours. Yannno how sometimes you JUST NEED a quick late night hot tub dip to unwind before bed? Their indoor pool + hot tub stays open late (+ opens early – we were there shooting pics at 6 am!), so you feel relaxed without feeling rushed.
Overall pool space. With two outdoor pools, an outdoor AND indoor hot tub, + an indoor pool, we always felt like we could find our own little private nook to hang out. You never felt like you were cramping anyone else’s style; families there with kids + floaties could peacefully coexist with young couples or retired folks at a conference.
Speaking of kids, the rooms in the Emerald Tower (where we were staying) all have bunk beds in addition to their regular bed getups! Totally fun addition for kids, since they get their own little section of the room with bunks + a little TV.
ALSO speaking of kids, the Hilton Sandestin has a cool program in place for a sorta “daycare” option if parents are at the hotel for a conference, etc (or heck, just wanna hit up the pool bar without a five-year-old in tow – ha!). Their Kids Krew is a program for watching + entertaining kids, where parents can drop their kids off and trust they’re good to go for a few hours. They’ve also got a theater where they show different movies (think Moana) and just keep things moving smoothly.
Speaking of conferences, for any conference-planners in da house, the Hilton Sandestin would be *clutch* for it. While we were there, I think 2-3 different conferences were happening – and for good reason! They have a TON of meeting room space, the hotel restaurant/bar areas are so classy + easy for bigger gatherings, and who wouldn’t wanna have some time off at the beach between meetings or sessions?!

WHAT WE DID:

It was rainy/stormy on-and-off for most of our time, but we were able to sneak in some time for…

Serenity by the Sea Spa – the Hilton Sandestin’s spa! Before our massages, we spent some ~solid~ time in the spa’s different lounge areas and really took to their Zero Gravity chairs – basically, recliners that go back a weeeee bit farther, so you get a unique, relaxing experience that’s *clutch* for reading a good book + unwinding before a service.
The Hilton Sandestin is close to a few shopping centers, outlets, + a movie theater, so on our last day, we hit up the movies to see A Simple Favor (Have you seen??? Thoughts? We’re suuuuper torn…) + pick up a few goodies at Anthropologie + Blue Mercury.
DA BEACH. More deets on the actual beaches below, but when there was sunshine, this was the place to be. Totally picturesque + peacful.

WHAT WE ATE:

Was V IMPRESSED with each of the Hilton Sandestin’s dining areas: Sandcastles + Hadashi Sushi Bar. Neither Taylor nor I are seafood people (fish are friends, not food), but I was *so* pleasantly surprised at the diversity of Hadashi’s menu beyond fish! Two nights in a row we shared a whoppin’ bowl of edamame; I also got a cold noodle bowl tht was *loaded* with yummy fresh veggies on top, and had my eye on pork potstickers, too. They also have an upscale steakhouse for finer dining – Seagar’s – although it was closed while we were there.
Sandcastles was surprisingly upscale (compared to what we were expecting for casual dining) – T had a phenomenal steak, and I had phenomenal honey lime chicken with sweet potato puree + asparagus, and the BEST orange creme brulee for dessert. Sandcastles also does a full breakfast buffet every morning, which was ~great~ – lovelovelove when places have full selections of everything from continental carbs + fruit to hot food, and they even had some southern staples (hello, biscuits + gravy).
Picnix is their grab n’ go market right before the outdoor pool area, where you can grab gourmet hot dogs + ice cream. Besides my hot dog, I tried a strawberry cheesecake soft serve justbecause. 😉
There’s a full-service little coffee shop on property, too, that serves Starbucks + a whole lineup of freshly made pastries (the hotel has their own in-house pastry chef, so HOLLAH).
Barefoot’s is their poolside bar/grill space, and obvi the nachos + fries did NOT disappoint. 😉

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

The virgin drink selections. I’m obvi off alcohol for a hot sec, and Taylor doesn’t drink pointblankperiod, so we were those girls always on the hunt for the best rum-free mojito…and we found it at the Hilton Sandestin’s bars. Sometimes virgin drinks can end up tasting like straight up sugar (blech), but we were both thoroughly impressed with theirs!
The WATER!!! Not resort-specific, but area-specific fosho; WOWEE, the water in the ocean here is absolutely perfect. It’s crystal clear and almost as warm as a bathtub (while still being refreshing). I’m so used to Jersey shore water that’s near-brown with sharp rocks + shells on every step – ha!
The beach’s cleanliness is also something important to point out here. We didn’t see a SPOT of trash anywhere. Like…anywhere. The sand is powder soft + white, you’d think it was fake! It’s one of the best beaches I’ve ever seen, hands down.