It is summertime in Florida and while we have a large population of Floridians going North to the North Carolina mountains and visiting family, more and more Floridians are exploring hotels within the state.   Summer is also the time that the Panhandle and North Florida resorts have warm water and more activities.

I suggest people explore around the entire state of Florida for you will be amazed at the diversity and quality of Florida resorts, which many people have never visited.

Do you want a family vacation in a recreational Disney World atmosphere minus the theme park crowds?  Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort on South Walton Beach will astound you: four resort areas with 30 neighborhoods with every kind of accommodation at varying price ranges.  From hotel rooms to condos to villas and town houses, all visitors get to use the seven miles of beach, four golf courses, and marinas.

Sandestin Resembles A Resort City

If you want to stay in South Florida, your family might enjoy Hammock Beach Resort at Palm Coast.  The 311-unit upscale family recreation resort has two golf courses, tennis courts, five restaurants, a private beach, and my favorite relaxation spot: a lazy river.

If you are a couple and want an urban experience with great shopping and attractions, you might want to book a weekend at The Alford Inn in Winter Park.    Located in a classy Orlando area town with the lakefront Rollins Collins, this hotel is surrounded by shops and quality restaurants, several shockingly good art museums, and a must-take boat tour through the winding canals connecting all the lakes.

Just Outside The Alford is downtown Winter Park

Saint Augustine is always a different vacation place and the Casa Monica Hotel on a Square near the Cathedral is one of the last Victorian resorts once owned by Henry Flagler.  Beside a great restaurant, you will be in a location between the historic district and the wonderful residential area south of the downtown Square.

Return to Victorian Florida at the Casa Monica

If you want to vacation by the beach this summer and try an area you have never seen, you might look up The Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, with its wild architecture and top-rated facilities and four star restaurant.  This area has some of Florida’s best outdoor attractions.

The Pearl Combines Modern and Eclectic Architecture

Another choice is the Water Color Inn and Resort on Santa Rosa Beach.  It is a water sports paradise with a Water Camp for kids. There are three golf courses, restaurants, spas, and some of Florida’s nicest beach-side dunes.

The Water Color Inn has beach and dune scenery.

Here in the Tampa Bay area, I have friends who like to go over to Saint Petersburg Beach but are not sun-worshippers.  They stay at the Hotel Zamora, a fancy retreat on the Intracoastal Waterway just minutes from the shops and restaurants.

For people who want more traditional choices in familiar places, take a look at the Ocean Key Resort and Spa on Key West and the Palms Hotel on Miami Beach.  Not as famous as nearby resorts but great oceanfront rooms and suites match anything in the area.  At the Palms you can have a five course meal in the privacy of a romantic garden.

The Palms in Miami Beach Is Very Tropical At the Beach