Slip into cruise control and pitstop at these sandside places to stay in the birthplace of Nascar racing.
LessConvenience and comfort won’t cost you a cent extra at the Holiday Inn in Daytona. Just 1mi (1.6km) away from the Boardwalk and Main Street Pier, you’re never far from fun. The hotel’s onsite H2O Daytona Bar & Grill is an excellent spot to laze over breakfast burritos. Afterwards, right outside your suite, visit the large swimming pool on the beach, complete with a splash pad for kids, a cozy hot tub and a fire pit.
Daytona Beach Regency is the perfect sandside escape, but there’s more to its prime location than aquatic pursuits. After you’ve snorkeled, fished and ridden the waves on a jet ski, you can dry off for a few hours on the nearby golf course. If a summer storm looks set to stop play for the afternoon, you can always kill time in the hotel’s game room.
You only need to pack light for a stay at Fountain Beach Resort, as there’s no call for much more than flip-flops and sunscreen. Smart dressing, you’ll realize, is certainly not required in the sauna while you idle among serene steam clouds. The ocean views make for relaxed viewing from your balcony. And it’s strictly casual at the beachfront Oasis Tiki Bar & Grill, where you can enjoy a big fruity cocktail and a bite to eat.
You can live the rock-star life at this Hard Rock Hotel. Disrupt the sound of silence as you wail on a Fender sent up from the lobby, or make everything Zen with a little Rock Om yoga in your suite. Even young ones can take center stage at the Roxity Youth Club, while you and your partner relax in the Rock Spa & Salon with the Wrapture Body Treatment, featuring seaweed.
Upscale doesn’t mean uptight at the Shores Resort and Spa, where chic luxe meets cool and casual. De-stress completely in a private oceanfront cabana, where you can idle the day away, occasionally ordering snacks and refreshing drinks from the waiter. Alternatively, enjoy a signature ritual bath at the divine spa. Afterwards, work your way through crispy calamari and Caribbean chicken wings at oceanfront Azure restaurant.
The Maverick Resort delivers an old-school Florida vacation that doesn’t stint on modern perks. Technically, it’s in Ormond Beach, but you’re still just a quick drive from the Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Main Street Pier. When you’re not exploring the surrounding area, you can float about in the resort pool, play games of shuffleboard while grilling outdoors, then chill in your room, complete with board games and a DVD player.
Just because you’re on a beach vacation doesn’t mean you can’t spend most of your time at the spa. That’s the order of the day at The Plaza Resort – pure indulgence from sunup to sundown. Among the 30-plus body treatments, you can choose mani-pedis, massages and facials – the perfect precursors to a relaxing soak in the Utopia Room’s Jacuzzi, sipping your way through a bottle of wine. Whenever you decide to leave tranquility behind, the pool and fire pit are ready and waiting.
Season your trip with a dash of Caribbean flavor at El Caribe Resort. Spreading island vibes on the Atlantic Coast, this property is a little off the main strip of sand, making it a quiet place to kick back, still with Daytona’s hotspots in proximity. As the afternoon subsides, join the game of beach volleyball that will undoubtedly be underway, just a few steps from your suite.
For many Daytona devotees, it would be inconceivable to visit "the World’s Most Famous Beach" and not stay right on the sand. Enter, the Grand Seas, where the constant salty sea breeze on your skin is a reminder of the ocean’s proximity. Here, it’s easy to get up and spend your entire day on the beach. However, the resort also has three pools and a minigolf course. After dark, retreat to your oceanfront suite, and whip up something for dinner in your full kitchen, then soak in the jetted tub.
This Delta Hotels’ spot has the vitamin sea you need for a relaxing, recharging getaway. Start the morning with fresh coffee in the lobby to energize your workout in the fitness center, or go for a run on the beach before cooling off in the waves. Dive into a good book by the oceanfront pool, breaking to eat fresh fish at OceanView Terrace Bar & Grill. Afterwards, relax in the hot tub, and take in the views from your private balcony before snuggling into bed and doing it all over again next day.