So you are planning a trip to Destin, Florida with kids and need help finding the right hotel? Well high-five, because you landed in the right place!
This article will help you choose the perfect kid-friendly hotel in Destin, FL for your family, whether it’s a desire for:
- bunk beds
- connecting rooms
- large family suites
- a family pool area
- on-site restaurants
- easy beach access, etc
Whatever you need, our list likely has you covered!
Hot tip: Located on the Florida Panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico, Destin is known as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.” However, thanks to its beautiful beaches, nature trails in Henderson State Park, and world-class golfing, Destin has become a popular family vacation destination.
Ok, so we begin this article with a set of answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). I recommend you start here if you are just beginning your research on Destin hotels for families.
As an alternative, you can jump straight ahead to our list of Destin’s Best Family Hotels. It’s your choice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Destin hotels with direct beach access is The Henderson and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin. However, Emerald Grande does have a complimentary boat shuttle to a private beach and The Palms of Destin Resort has a complimentary beach shuttle.
The Destin family hotels with the largest family suites are the Emerald Grande, The Palms of Destin and The Henderson, which sleep 6 to 10. The Best Western Sugar Sands and Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin also have spacious family rooms.
Yes. The Destin family hotels with complimentary breakfast are the Best Western Sugar Sands Inn and Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin.
The Destin hotels with on-site restaurants are The Henderson, The Palms of Destin Resort, Emerald Grande and Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin.
The hotel in Destin for families that has a kids’ club is The Henderson.
The Destin family hotels that have awesome family pools are The Henderson, The Palms of Destin Resort and Emerald Grande. However, Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin and Best Western Sugar Sands Inn also have pools.
Top Family Hotels in Destin
Pin’able Comparison Chart:
The Henderson Resort & Spa
4-star hotel | 200 Henderson Resort Way Destin, F 32541
Editor’s Pick: Best all-around choice
Key features
Here’s why you will love it
It was a hard choice, but Henderson Resort & Spa is my top overall pick as the best family hotel in Destin, because of how much it offers in combination with its sheer beauty. Reminiscent of a luxury seaside manor, The Henderson oozes with class. Although elegant, The Henderson is very family-friendly offering a ton of activities and amenities for family travelers. Starting with the plush luxury accommodations, some of the rooms can sleep up to 6. All rooms have views of either beach and/or nature preserve with mini-fridges. On-site there are several fabulous dining options, including Primrose their signature restaurant serving up excellent seafood and steaks. The atmosphere is casual yet elegant and is where guests can eat breakfast in the morning. Horizons is an octagon shaped bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the Gulf. This is a great spot to enjoy some small plates or sushi with a delicious cocktail. On Taco & Tequila Thursdays, Horizons has live music and $2 tacos and margaritas. Sea Level is the poolside restaurant and Beach Cantina located by the beach and offers grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, snacks as well as fun mocktails and cocktails.
On the property you and your kids will love the family pool complete with a lazy river. In addition to a number family activities, games, crafts and recreation rentals, there is the Poppy’s Kids Club. For an additional charge, Poppy’s offers meals, activities and crafts for the kids. There are two sessions, a day time block from 9:00am to 1:00pm and an evening block from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. If you are looking for ultimate relaxation with your little ones, the spa offers a mommy and me spa treatment. Your stay also includes a family pass to Henderson State Park.
Best Western Sugar Sands Inn & Suites
3-star hotel | 4415 Commons Drive E Destin, Florida 32541
Top Budget Friendly Choice
Key features
Here’s why you will love it
Best Westerns are always a solid choice when looking for a comfortable and affordable family hotel in any destination. The Best Western Sugar Sands Inn made my list, because we love the spacious rooms, featuring two queens and a sofa bed and mini-fridge and complimentary breakfast. Any hotel that offers complimentary breakfast scores major points in my book.
Kids will enjoy the outdoor pool and game room after a fun day at the beach. There is no on-site restaurant, but since The Best Western Sugar Sands is centrally located, you are just walking distance from a ton of great family restaurants in Destin. Back at the hotel, there is a laundry facility, which makes it great for preventing sandy beach suitcases when it is time to go home.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Destin Miramar Beach
3-star hotel | 570 Scenic Gulf Dr, Destin, FL 32550
Key features
Here’s why you will love it
The Embassy Suites in Destin is a good option for families, because of its location to many area attractions like Silver Sands Premium outlet, Baytowne Wharf, Big Kahuna’s Waterpark and world-class golfing at The Links. Plus they have private beach access in addition to an outdoor pool. The rooms are spacious for families and include pull out sofa beds for additional sleeping space. There are also connecting rooms, cribs and/or pack n plays, and mini-fridges available.
For your convenience, the Embassy Suites offers complimentary made-to-order hot breakfast and a complimentary evening reception with drinks and snacks. On the property there is an on-site restaurant, Calypso Cafe, which is Caribbean-themed and offers fresh seafood and other Caribbean specialties.
Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village
4-star hotel | 10 Harbor Blvd, Destin, FL 32541
Key features
Here’s why you will love it
This hotel is a great pick for traveling families to Destin, because it has an amazing location on HarborWalk Village that puts you and your family just steps from tons of entertainment, restaurants and activities. Even though Emerald Grande does have an on-site restaurant, Grande Vista Bar & Grill, you will be surrounded by a variety of other exciting dining options as well.
The rooms are huge too, sleeping up to 10. Some rooms even have bunk beds, which kids will love! The rooms have kitchens and laundry facilities, making family travel a breeze. In addition, there are cribs, pack n plays and other baby essentials available for rent. There are both indoor and outdoor pools available, so fun never stops due to weather. If you want to hit the beach, the Emerald Grande has a complimentary boat shuttle that takes you to an awesome private beach with beach chair setup.
The Palms of Destin Resort
3-star hotel | 4201 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin, FL 32541
Key features
Here’s why you will love it
This resort is actually a collection of vacation rental apartments. The cool thing about this is that it functions in many ways as a resort, with maintained grounds, sports courts, playground, a beautiful lagoon style pool and front desk services. The apartments have full kitchens and are large enough to accomodate large families, some sleeping up to 8 people.
When you want to get the beach, the Palms of Destin Resort offers a complimentary beach shuttle. The shuttle also makes 15 other optional stops, which is great if you want to explore more of Destin without driving around yourself. On-site the Palms of Destin has The Palms Bistro and the Poolside Tiki Bar.
That’s a Wrap!
Well there you have it. Destin is a wonderful beach community and your family is sure to have a great time on a kid-friendly trip to Destin. Hope you found this information useful and that you found the right family hotel for your next family beach vacation to Destin!
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4 Comments
I always wait for your articles as they are so informative and effective. Thank you for always sharing the correct information. Keep posting.
Thank you!!
Great article. I’m interested in the Henderson, but I wondered if you’ve compared it to the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. It appears to have a lot of amenities for activities for older kids and adults.
The Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort looks great! Let me know if you stay there and what you think.