clear blur water at Reethi Faru Resort, Raa Atoll, Maldives
Hotels

16 Summer Beach Escapes to Book Right Now

Summer is here, but we've been dreaming about these beachy escapes, from Santa Monica to the Maldives, all year long. The time to go is NOW.

Presented by Preferred Hotels & Resorts

Senior Editor, Jetsetter | @lindseytravels | lindseytravels.com

See recent posts by Lindsey Olander

'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
guestroom at 'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
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'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

Maui has the Road to Hana, Kauai the Na Pali Coast, but Oahu is home to Honolulu, where multicultural restaurants, stellar nightlife, and iconic Waikiki Beach have made Hawaii’s capital one of America’s most exciting cities to play in. Steps from the sand, you’ll find 'Alohilani Resort, which has all the makings for a chic beachside stay. In the lobby, you can admire a colossal 280,000-gallon aquarium while grabbing a Mai Tai and pupus at O Bar, then head upstairs to one of 839 rooms, whose floor-to-ceiling windows feature views of Diamond Head for the lucky ones. There are also two Morimoto restaurants, clay tennis courts, and shops on site, but our favorite spot might be the fifth-floor infinity pool and adjacent bar—one of the best places in to take in Honolulu’s fiery sunsets.

Book 'Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach

 

Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
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Condado Vanderbilt Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Originally built in 1919, this oceanfront grande dame is as regal as ever. The lobby’s original iron staircase, red velvet settees, and new-build cigar bar transport you back to the hotel’s heyday, while guest rooms upstairs are more timeless with their tufted headboards, dark-wood furniture, and balconies or terraces with sea views. You’ll also find an infinity pool, an oceanfront promenade, and of the Caribbean’s finest restaurants. What sets Condado apart from most of San Juan’s historic properties, however, is its direct access to the beach, where personal beach butlers are on hand to deliver towels, drinks, and light bites.

Book Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
Aerial of Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, FL
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, FL
pool at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, FL
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Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, Manalapan, FL

In the quiet, seaside down of Manalapan, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa evokes all the Mediterranean glamour of its Palm Beach neighborhood to the north—without the crowds. Seven acres of secluded beachfront set the backdrop for its living room-like lobby and guest rooms, which are decked out with chaise lounges, freestanding bathtubs, and sliding doors that open out onto long balconies. There’s even an enclosed garden with a giant chessboard and hammocks begging for an afternoon snooze. Sensory treatment rooms at Eau Spa are a highlight; for more fun, head the adults-only Tranquility Pool—or better yet, rent an oceanfront cabana and have staff set up your own margarita cart for tipples made tableside.

Book Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa
Guestroom at Great Exuma, Bahamas
Pigs swimming in the ocean at Grand Isle Resort & Spa, Great Exuma, Bahamas
pig in water at Grand Isle Resort & Spa, Great Exuma, Bahamas
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Grand Isle Resort & Spa, Great Exuma, Bahamas

There’s lots to love about this 78-villa resort. There’s an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, addictive cocktails are served at the romantic Palapa Grill, ultra-spacious guest rooms come with full kitchens and their own golf carts for taking a spin around the premises, and the resort even has its own private section of Emerald Bay Beach right by the pool. There’s even a full-service spa and championship golf course right next door as well as a 24-hour gym, if you’re feeling ambitious, but the memory you’ll want to take with you is a swim with Great Exuma’s resident pigs. They’re known to paddle around the crystal-clear waters of Big Major Cay and are always looking for a pet.

Book Grand Isle Resort & Spa
Hammock Beach Resort, Palm Coast, FL
Hammock Beach Resort, Palm Coast, FL
Hammock Beach Resort, Palm Coast, FL
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Hammock Beach Resort, Palm Coast, FL

Families love this Atlantic Coast resort, and we’re not just talking about its proximity to St. Augustine and Amelia Island. You’ll find private ocean-facing balconies in most guest rooms, your room key acts as your credit card for food and drink, every activity here is included as part of your stay. We’re talking rounds of mini golf, movie nights, time on the pink shell-strewn beach, and even the 91,000-square-foot water park, complete with a lazy river, water slide, and sprawling pool complex. After hitting up the two 18-hole golf courses and spa, sign up for a “Seahorse Equestrian Adventure” along the shore.

Book Hammock Beach Resort
clear blue water at Haven Riviera Cancun, Mexico
pool and ocean view at sunset at Haven Riviera Cancun, Mexico
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Haven Riviera Cancun, Mexico

All-inclusive resorts are not new to Cancun, one of Mexico’s most popular vacation spots, but the adults-only Haven Riviera Cancun has managed to set itself apart. It starts in the open-air lobby, which looks directly out onto a cabana-lined central lagoon pool and ocean beyond. All 333 rooms, 88 of which are swim-out suites, feature terraces or balconies and aromatherapy, minibars, and pillow menus. At Agua Benita, tortillas are made by hand and guests can choose from menu items like tomahawk steaks and other authentic Mexican dishes. Let’s not forget the 17,000-square-foot spa, complete with hydrotherapy and pool circuits, and nightly entertainment at Moon’s Cabaret.

Book Haven Riviera Cancun
Aerial of Hotel Californian, Santa Barbara, CA
pool at Hotel Californian, Santa Barbara, CA
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Hotel Californian, Santa Barbara, CA

There’s a fresh dose of Hollywood glamour in Santa Barbara courtesy thanks to a meticulous eight-year overhaul of the Hotel Californian by designer-to-the-stars Martyn Lawrence Bullard. Interiors draw on the arabesques of the Santa Barbara Mission and the area’s Spanish Colonial architecture, with a heavy serving of glam: just look to the elaborate ceiling designs, intricate tile patterns and laser-cut doors inside the restaurants, gold sconces and velvet in guest rooms, and Moroccan-style spa. The black and red cocktail bar is a scene, to be sure, but the place you want to be on good-weather days is the rooftop pool, which affords 360-views of the mountains and the Pacific Ocean just a block away.

Book Hotel Californian
The pool at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, California.
The pool at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica, California.
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Hotel Casa del Mar, Santa Monica, CA

Shutters on the Beach may hold back from all that Hollywood glitz and glamour, but sister property Casa del Mar, the only other hotel on the beach, embraces it with panache. Behind the Renaissance Revival façade of this 20s-era Italian palace, you’ll find sateen drapes framing huge windows, Italian linens warming four-poster beds, and Calacatta marble bathrooms. Of course, the real showstopper here is the water views, which you can enjoy from the Italy-meets-California restaurant Terrazza Lounge, the airy lobby, and the oceanfront pool which is blissfully for guests only.

Book Hotel Casa del Mar
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Hyde Resort & Residences, Hollywood, FL

Get a taste of both Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach during a stay at Hyde Resort and Residences, a glassy high-rise overlooking Hollywood Beach that’s equidistant from both hubs. In between jaunts to South Beach and Las Olas Boulevard, there’s lots to convince you to stick around, including the all-suite rooms complete with full kitchens, modern art, and floor-to-ceiling views; the buzzy Japanese restaurant and adjacent beach club; and the palm-tree-lined infinity pool deck—a perfect spot to lay out after a treatment from the spa.

Book Hyde Resort & Residences

 

Beach at Marco Beach Ocean Resort, Marco Island, FL
Aerial view of Marco Beach Ocean Resort, Marco Island, FL
drinks at Aerial view of Marco Beach Ocean Resort, Marco Island, FL
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Marco Beach Ocean Resort®, Marco Island, FL

For those looking for room to spread out, March Beach Ocean Resort® is a no-fuss getaway on the Gulf comprised only of suites. Whether you need one bedroom or two, you’re guaranteed views of the water and crescent-shaped pool as well as a balcony and full kitchen. Though you’ll want to book at least one reservation to experience the Italian cuisine and beachfront terrace at on-site restaurant Sale e Pepe. Whether you opt to post up in an umbrella-shaded lounger on the beach or arrange an afternoon of parasailing or deep-sea fishing with the concierge is entirely up to you—just be sure to return at sunset for the ringing of the captain’s bell, a resort tradition.

Book Marco Beach Ocean Resort
bar at Myconian Villa Collection
beach at Myconian Villa Collection
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Myconian Villa Collection, Mykonos, Greece

You need never leave the grounds of this all-villa escape in Mykonos, far from the crowds in the quiet hills above Elia Beach, on the island’s southern coast. Rooms range from “in-house” units to freestanding villas—all airy and spacious, with whitewashed walls and embroidered linens typical of the Aegean, sea views, and, in most, hot tubs or plunge pools. When people-watching is in order, you’ll find it at the lounger-lined communal infinity pool and the three restaurants including Cabbanes, where pink sofas and glass-topped tables set a romantic stage for the fish- and pasta-heavy menu. Even the spa is its own kind of oasis, with four thalassotherapy pools. When the need to explore does strike, private shuttles are on hand to whisk guests to the private beach or Mykonos Town proper and its famous beach parties.

Book Myconian Villa Collection
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Oceans Edge Resort & Marina, Key West, FL

You’ll be far from the buzz of downtown Key West at Oceans Edge Resort, on serene Stock Island. Here, every one of the 175 ultra-spacious rooms have porches or balconies that look out at the ocean. The theme continues indoors in the form of driftwood lamps, navy blue and white linens, and framed tropical prints, and, despite not being directly on the water, guests can choose from a whopping six swimming pools lined by loungers and canopy beds to get their tan on. If you’d rather arrive by yacht, the resort has its own private marina, where charters leave for fishing and diving excursions in the Dry Tortugas. You can also rent paddle-boards or kayaks for the day’s adventures.

Book Oceans Edge Resort & Marina
paddle boarders in the water at Reethi Faru Resort, Raa Atoll, Maldives
Woman walking down a tropical path at Reethi Faru Resort
Over water bungalow at Reethi Faru Resort, Raa Atoll, Maldives
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Reethi Faru Resort, Raa Atoll, Maldives

The overwater bungalow of your dreams is waiting at Reethi Faru Resort, a 150-villa retreat built around a lush oval island in the Raa Atoll. The 44 overwater bungalows are luxuriously minimal, instead keeping the focus on those dazzling views from their private terraces, where ladders lead directly into the water. The rest of the land-bound villas aren’t bad either, with their Jacuzzi tubs, rain showers, and tranquil beach or garden views. Boredom here is impossible thanks to six restaurants and just as many bars, not to mention a Balinese-inspired spa to soothe tired muscles after afternoons spent catamaran sailing, diving, and snorkeling the house reef just offshore, which swirls with tropical fish, rays, and turtles.

Book Reethi Faru Resort
Restaurant at Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica, CA
Sunset at Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica, CA
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Shutters on the Beach, Santa Monica, CA

It might come as a surprise, but there are only two hotels in all of Santa Monica that are set on the sand. Shutters on the Beach, one of California’s most iconic hideouts, is one of them. Far from the Euroglam vibes of Casa del Mar down the beach, Shutters brings the East Coast west with its shingled, whitewashed façade, Juliet balconies, needlepoint pillows and lithographs in guest rooms, and museum-worthy art collection that includes the likes of Hockney and Lichtenstein. The three restaurants exude a low-key elegance, from Coast’s patio seating to the market-driven menu at One Pico. When it’s time for some sun, check in with the Activities Center, where you can pick up everything you need for swimming, picnicking, surfing, and tanning.

Book Shutters on the Beach
Guestroom at SLS South Beach, Miami Beach, FL
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SLS South Beach, Miami Beach, FL

You have no end of options when it comes to choosing where to stay in Miami Beach—but if it’s a high-energy crowd you’ve come to see and be seen in, look no further than the SLS. This glitzy homage to South Beach comes with its own star-studded pool scene, Hyde Beach, where an 8,000-square-foot pool by Philippe Starck comes with its own 700-pound rubber duck and spinning DJs every weekend. After a dip, retreat to The Bazaar by José Andrés for inventive tapas like yuca churros and tacos stuffed with Iberico ham and caviar, then sleep it off in one of the hotel’s 140 rooms, some of which come with mirrored ceilings (*wink wink*) while the penthouse suites were designed by Lenny Kravitz.

Book SLS South Beach
16

Trump International Beach Resort, Sunny Isles Beach, FL

This no-fuss getaway overlooking Sunny Isles Beach, near Bal Harbour, has everything you need for a relaxing weekend away: roomy guest rooms come with floor-to-ceiling Atlantic views, Gili’s Beach Club serves seafood-centric plates right on the sand, in addition to clubby sushi spot Fusion Lounge and more casual Neomi’s, where ArtSea Evenings showcase local artists. Sumptuous treatments are offered at the 8,000-square-foot spa, and there are plenty of distractions to make the time fly, from jet skiing to kayak and catamaran rentals. For those with little ones in tow, this summer’s new Planet Kids program is hosting cooking demos with chefs, a marine touch tank, eco adventures, and more.

Book Trump International Beach Resort

What to Wear on Your Beach Vacation

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