The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach Review
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach is the perfect place for a beach getaway! Check out my review of our stay at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Fort Walton Beach, Florida that’s right on the beach and has tons of fun amenities, then you’ll love The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach!
I enjoyed staying at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach, and I recommend it for anyone who wants a beachfront hotel with amenities like a swim-up bar and multiple on-site dining options. Read on for my full review of The Island Resort.
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach Overview
- Beachfront hotel, walk right onto the beach
- 2 pools, plus a hot tub
- The only swim-up bar on the Emerald Coast
- 5 spots for on-site dining and bars
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach Review
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach is a boutique beachfront hotel in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
The hotel began in 1966 as the Ramada Inn with all of the same amenities it has today: the Grotto Pool with swim-up bar, creative on-site dining, and a laid-back beach house feel. In 2018, the hotel went through a remodel and a rebrand to The Island Resort.
With 333 hotel rooms, a lush 6-acre property, 600 feet of private beachfront property, 2 pools, a hot tub, and 5 on-site dining and bar options, The Island Resort is the perfect place to stay in Fort Walton Beach.
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The Guest Room
The Island Resort has Standard Rooms, Gulf View Rooms, Gulf Front Rooms, Pool View Rooms, Suites, and Accessible Rooms. Some rooms come with balconies, while others allow you to literally step right into the Grotto Pool from your very own pool deck.
We stayed in a Standard King Room, accessed from an exterior corridor that overlooks the tropical courtyard surrounding the pools.
This 210 square foot room has a king sized bed, a desk, a chest of drawers, a mini fridge, a microwave, a coffee and tea maker, HDTV, and a couple arm chairs. The bathroom has a long vanity and a walk-in shower.
Because the room overlooks the courtyard, the view isn’t anything special. But it was pretty quite and well removed from the pools, so it felt like being in a tropical oasis. These rooms are an easy walk to the parking lot, the pool, and the beach, so it’s a win all around.
The Pools & Amenities
The Island Resort has a ton of great amenities.
The resort has direct beach access so you can immediately step onto the sugar-white sands and dive into the warm Gulf of Mexico. You can rent beach chairs and beach umbrellas for a perfect day at the beach, or bring your own spread. Plus, you can grab a drink from the beach bar right on the beach.
Their pools are so much fun. Their signature Grotto Pool is the main attraction with its 5-story waterfall, behind which is their swim-up bar (the only swim-up bar on the Emerald Coast). Their second pool is more relaxed, surrounded by daybeds that you can rent. They’ll also have some games and events around the second pool. Plus, there’s a hot tub hidden away in the trees.
Their calendar is full of fun events for both kids and adults. You can meet pirates or Misty the Mermaid, dance to live music, do some beachside yoga, or enjoy a dive-in movie. There’s something happening every day.
The resort also has a fitness center, a laundry room, a business center, and a gift shop all on-site.
The Restaurants & Bars
You don’t even have to leave The Island Resort to get some great food.
Coastal Kitchen is their signature restaurant, serving up island-inspired favorites. Get fresh seafood, sandwiches, pizza, and happy hour specials. This is also where you’ll find breakfast daily.
The Island Grille is their poolside option for burgers, pizza, and even breakfast. Dine under shady umbrellas and palm trees just steps from the pool.
Island Food Truck is close to the beach and a great spot to grab tacos and margaritas to enjoy on the beach. You’ll find the food truck on the Beach Patio.
Tripp Tide Beach Bar is the beachfront bar just a step away from the sand. Grab a cocktail, order a slice of pizza, and enjoy live music.
Grotto Bar is the only swim-up bar on the Emerald Coast (they also have a walk-up option). Hidden behind the waterfall inside the Grotto Pool, this bar is the best spot in the resort to grab a cocktail.
The resort also has a daily happy hour where you can save on snacks at Coastal Kitchen, as well as on beer, wine, and spirits at all the bars. Happy hour is daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
And if you get worn out of their restaurants, you can easily walk to other top Fort Walton Beach restaurants nearby at The Boardwalk.
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Benefits of Staying at The Island Resort
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach is the perfect beachfront stay in Fort Walton Beach!
The hotel has an amazing beachfront location that you just can’t beat, it’s super close to some of the best local restaurants, and it’s nearby all the best things to do in Fort Walton Beach.
Their pools and bars are unmatched. The Grotto Pool is famous, and with good reason; it’s exceptionally fun to dive under the waterfall to grab a drink (and then try to figure out how to get out without getting your drink wet lol).
And with so many activities and daily events, it’s hard to be bored. This is a great family-friendly spot to bring the kids on a family vacation.
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What I didn’t love
While we had a great stay at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach, there were a few drawbacks I wanted to mention.
Because the hotel was built in the 60s and remodeled in 2018, some of the updates seem like they just slapped a new coat of paint on things, so the rooms can feel a little dated.
I feel like this is most noticeable in the bathroom. Our toilet seemed like it was not updated, and the door didn’t close properly. The shower only has a half door, so it’s drafty in there, and it feels like you’re splashing water all over the floor.
I would like all hotels in general to provide more towel hooks. But especially a beach hotel where guests have a lot of wet things that need dried. We didn’t have a private balcony, so we didn’t want to hang up our bathing suites on the railing outside. I’m not a huge fan of hanging things on the railing anyway, so just put more hooks please!
Probably my biggest complaint is that the AC didn’t work properly. It worked fine for the first night, but at some point it switched itself off and then we couldn’t get it to go cooler than 69°. Definitely not what you want in the height of summer in Florida!
Good to Know
- The hotel charges a resort fee, as well as a parking fee and a credit card fee
- There is free Wi-Fi
- Year-round outdoor pools
My Experience at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach
Overall, we had a wonderful stay at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach!
I loved how much there was to do without leaving the property. My family and I spent a lot of time at the Grotto Pool and Grotto Bar; we really had a blast with the concept of the swim-up bar hidden behind a waterfall!
We loved being right on the beach and we rented beach chairs and umbrellas every day for our stay.
It was also nice being so close to The Boardwalk so that we could walk over there for lunch and dinner. The traffic on Miracle Strip Parkway can be a headache, so it was nice to have the option to walk to dinner when we wanted to eat off-site.
Who Should Stay at The Island Resort
The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach is perfect for families. With all of the daily activities and events, the kids will never be bored. If you’re an all-adult family like us, just the bars and pools are enough to keep you occupied!
If you’re looking for a place right on the beach, you can’t get much better than The Island Resort. It really is right on the beach, not even a long boardwalk to get to the sand. Plus, they have a bar and food just off the beach so you don’t have to go far for lunch.
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Top Fort Walton Beach/Destin Tours
A guided tour is always a good idea to get to know a new city! Check out these top tours:
- Destin Tikis 3hr Crab Island Sandbar Adventure
- Hydrojet Dolphin Cruise in Destin FL
- Experience Parasailing Just Chute Me Destin
Where to Stay in Fort Walton Beach
Find the best place to rest your head in Fort Walton Beach.
- Where We Stayed: The Island Resort Fort Walton Beach
- Top Hotel: Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
- Great Value: La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Fort Walton Beach
- Unique Stay: Old Florida Cottage
More Florida Itineraries
Discover more exciting things to do in Florida:
- 12 Fun Things to Do in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- 4 Days in Fort Walton Beach, FL: Long Weekend Itinerary
- 5 Delicious Restaurants in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- 5 Days in Fernandina Beach Itinerary
- 15 Fantastic Things To Do In Key West, FL
- 13 Fun Things to Do in Fernandina Beach, FL
- Why You Should Visit the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
- 5 Romantic Things to Do in Jacksonville, FL
- How to Spend a Weekend in Gainesville, FL
- 2 Days on Florida’s Space Coast: A Fun Itinerary
- Why Kennedy Space Center is Worth It for Adults, Too
- Visiting the Coral Castle in Miami, FL
Ready to visit Fort Walton Beach, Florida? Plan your trip with these tips.
- Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
- Find Accommodation: You can find top beach rentals in Fort Walton Beach on VRBO.
- Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
Cheers!
Paige
Would you stay at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach, Florida? Let me know what you think of this boutique beachfront hotel in the comments!
