The Best Beach Hotels to Book Near Orlando, Florida

After a long day of queuing for the crowded Magic Kingdom rides, retreat to your own personal oceanfront sanctuary at Kimpton. Less than two hours from Mickey’s doorstep, you’ll forget all about your sore feet after a healing arnica pedicure that relieves pain in your feet and legs. You’ll be walking on air, and feeling as light as a feather as you float back to your lanai suite right beside the expansive pool deck.

Hungry for more after eating your way around the world at Epcot? Costa d’Este has a wave of locally sourced meals for you. Sunday brunch at Wave is an exercise in balance – well, balancing a bellini in one hand and a heavily garnished bloody mary in the other. You’ll always smell the day’s fresh catch grilling in the kitchen and you’ll always find us at the Cabana Bar, deciding which gelato flavor pairs best with flourless chocolate cake and oceanfront views.

Trust the kids to know what makes the best beach hotel in Orlando. A clue? Location, location, location. This chic beachside Hilton has that part nailed. It’s across the street from the Daytona Lagoon water park and only a sandy skip away from the Daytona Beach Main Street Pier. Get down there quicker with a bike rental from the hotel, or a boogie board rental if the kids would rather skim their way down the shore.

Whether you’re riding the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Universal Studios or Hollywood Studios, you’ll be in good company at Hard Rock Hotel in Daytona Beach. Just over an hour from Universal Orlando Resort, you can spend your time rocking out on the ocean. Ask your roadies – erm, we mean the staff, of course – to bring up a Fender guitar and a record player for you to play along with your idols. Who knows? Maybe one of the live musicians will hear your tunes and ask you to join them for a performance.

Does an oceanfront resort like the Daytona Grande really need an infinity pool? Absolutely, and it’s the only one in the city – which is just one of the reasons why this property is one of the best beach hotels near Orlando. They’ve also got a calorie-crushing fitness center in full view of America’s most famous beach. You’ll find panoramic ocean views from virtually every suite, but we can guarantee that the beach cabana has full visibility of the sun, sand and surf in every direction.

Get from the actual ocean to SeaWorld in an hour when you stay at DoubleTree in Cocoa Beach. This oceanfront abode will give you more than a fresh cookie as a sweet treat when you arrive. Let them roll your bags up to a balcony suite while you make dinner reservations at Dunes Restaurant. The Sand Break Pool Bar is a fine place to wait out your appetite, particularly with a piña colada in hand.

See another side of Florida that most newcomers to O-town miss when you book a room at the Lodge and Club at Ponte Vedra Beach. The only thing more effortless than making day trips to Jacksonville and St Augustine is hanging out at the resort. The kids will have loads of fun in the splash park and on the waterslide, while the adults enjoy the pool and jacuzzi all to themselves.

Sure, Universal’s Islands of Adventure has wizards, superheroes and dinosaurs, but Ponte Vedra Inn & Club has 36 holes of golf right on the ocean. Add in 15 tennis courts, four heated swimming pools and nearly a dozen restaurants, and you’ll wonder why Doctor Seuss didn’t choose this beachfront location for his landing. The kids won’t be bothered being so far from the parks, either; they’ll have their own private playground and nursery to keep them busy.