| One of the first thing’s you’ll notice upon arrival at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is how consistently nice all of the people associated with the resort seem to be. I don’t mean nice in a professional or fawning way, I mean genuinely nice and happy to be there. No wonder - Sandestin is a fabulous, self-contained property located along Destin Beach in northwest Florida.
A portion of the resort’s 2,400 acres, including the Market Shops, is located on the beach side of Emerald Coast Parkway (US 98), while the remaining property, including the golf resort and facilities, is located across the way. This means that Sandestin's 1,800 accommodations and vacation rentals are grouped into five resort areas: Beachfront, Beachside, Village, Bayside and Dockside. Each of the five Florida resorts located throughout the property offers a rate range designed to suit many accommodation preferences and travel budgets – hotel rooms, villas, condos and entire houses.
In addition to the Market Shops, the Village of Baytowne Wharf offering over 40 really unique shops ranged around a picturesque pedestrian village overlooking the Choctawatchee Bay. Stroll the Village and discover Paint n’ Place, where you can paint and fire your own pottery creation, and Frill Seekers, which offers fabulous stationary and gift ideas – most of which can be personalized with your initials or logo. Bark Place is a must for every dog owner as they stock the most amazing range of canine accessories and must haves I’ve seen anywhere. There are no chain stores here, just privately owned and operated shops, each with their owner’s distinct personality on show.
The Village of Baytowne Wharf also features a wide range of eateries. Fine dining is available at the Marlin Grill and Bijou Bistro; casual dining at the Acme Oyster House, Hammerhead’s Bar and Grille and Rumrunners, to name just a few. The Solaris Dinner Cruise offers yet another dining option and breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe is a must.
Everything you could want in a vacation is located on the Sandestin property, including nightlife. The Funky Blues Shack offers the area’s best live blues performers – local, regional and national, while Hammerhead’s Bar and Grille’s casual atmosphere is the best place at Sandestin from which to watch the sunset. There’s live music and dancing for the entire family seven days a week. John Wehner's Village Door Nightclub brings you acts direct from Bourbon Street in the “Big Easy.” This live music dance club features all the favorite hits from Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire to Motown. At Rumrunners you’ll find the "World Famous" Dueling Piano Players performing all the hits from the '50s to today each night.
There are children’s activities and play areas galore, while the adults can hit the beach, the shops, the golf course, the wide range of water sports, the marina with boat rentals and fishing charters or the spa and salon.
Offering massage and facials services, half- and full-day spa packages and salon services, the Sandestin Spa and Salon also offers the services of a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon who is onsite twice a month and offers microdermabrasion and injectable fillers. Massage therapist Shelly DeVaughn is serious about her craft – she makes of point of telling her clients that no talking is allowed and then proceeds to concentrate on eradicating every area of tension she finds. Not sure which services to select? Knowledgeable salon manager Lydia Smith will be glad to walk you through the many choices offered.
Sandestin Golf and each Resort also hosts many festivals throughout the year that focus on jazz, wine, food, art and more. Visit the Resort website to find out more about the property and their special events: www.sandestin.com. |