Watercolor Inn & Resort

As a local, this is where we come for a staycation. I. Love. It.
Yes, it is expensive and starting to get a little dated but it is also so serene. Get a top floor room and enjoy the views, the location on the Gulf couldn’t be any better.
How much you enjoy your stay is dependent on what you choose to do. Take advantage of the bicycles and go for a ride around Seaside. Enjoy the pool or the beach. Eat the waffles with fresh blueberries in the restaurant near the lobby, they are phenomenal. Take in a sunset and a sunrise… If it’s the weekend go to the farmers market. Rent a kayak and explore the nearby waterways. This place amazing, just enjoy the simple things. Like the turndown service that includes cookies, really good cookies.

This was a very cosy, quaint resort, and we loved the amenities. It was a great idea on their part to have a separate pool for the families, that way your children don’t have to swim with the drunk middle aged folks. They also have a very nice portion of the beach, and their lobby Coffee is even worth drinking.

I did not stay at the Inn however my family and I rented a house in the Watercolor community. We were given access to all areas the Inn provides (pool, beach, gym, etc).
Upon going to the beach, if you do not pay to use chair service (we have done so in the past however, were provided chairs with the house so we did not this time) they expect you to sit behind their 3 rows of chairs or in the wet sand. That was no problem with us– we decided to sit our 3 chairs and 2 bags in the wet sand! However, they do not tell the people who pay money for the front row of chairs that this is allowed. One family covered all our shoes and bags with sand. The supervisor on duty that day was neutral and tried to please everyone. Needless to say, we voluntarily moved, we were exposed to their profanity and it ruined the beginning of our stay.

What an incredible place! Unfortunately every single day we have been here, five days, one family is allowed their toddler to defecate in the pool. That has cause the pool to be closed every day we’ve been here. I feel very sorry for the folks who work here and earn their living here, and one family has ruined vacations for hundreds of people.

My girl friend and I were having a girls weekend in Sea Grove recently and booked the hot stone massage at the Watercolor Spa. Best decision ever! It was fabulous and even though we had different technicians our massages were both excellent! Very friendly staff at the spa and a delicious watermelon salad afterwards at the restaurant at the Inn! We will definitely be back next year during our getaway weekend!

My family and I stayed here last week and we loved it. The customer service was great though out the entire resort. My children rode bikes all over the little city, used the paddleboards and kayaks. We rode bikes to dinner in Seaside and just had a great time being active in such beautiful surroundings. The beaches are so clean and the water just the perfect temp. My children have been talking about how much fun they had. I believe it is because the place was set up and safe enough for them to have some freedom running around on their own. We will be back.

Our room must have been designed & decorated by an expert designer. Everyone that worked there had natural friendliness. The bellhop that helped us to our room took delight in introducing us to our room. The nightly turndown service was special w/​the wonderful homemade cookies. The cold bottled water was also appreciated. We plan to return for our wedding anniversary.

A nice hotel with great service on a beautiful beach. I still think this place is a bit expensive for what it is. The rooms are nice of course and the staff is good. but it’s a very expensive room given that you’re merely on the Florida Gulf Coast. That and the fact that even if you are a guest and want to use beach chairs and towels, you need to fork over extra money. .. which varies depending upon your location. I really did not appreciate that. I think a flat resort fee would make more sense. I was there for a weekend only but had I needed to spend multiple days of fees for a beach chair and towels, I’d have been upset. They also did not, during my stay, have wait service on the beach which I would have expected.

Decent massage at the spa. You’d think there were more amenities than just a bottle of water – for the price!

Mind-​blowing. Well-​appointed rooms with balconies overlooking the breaking surf. Service so attentive, even obsequious. Restaurants with wide selections, prepared as well as anything I’ve experienced. Seafood seared to perfection and artfully presented. Pricey, but good value.

Simply stunning slice of heaven … oceanfront rooms are spacious & lovely. Bikes come with your room, so take yourself on a gentle ride to Seaside to get breakfast & fresh juice at Raw & Juicy. Derek Music took great care to get all set with just the seat height & a basket for our Saturday Farmer’s Market delights. Stroll to dinner … walk on the beach. Indulgent huge dual use shower with natural light windows. Balconies with elevated chairs for unobstructed beautiful views. Ocean lullabies from the waves … stay as long as you can …

I am checking out of the Watercolor Inn & Resort this morning and really don’t want to go home!
Overall this place is absolutely fantastic! the resort itself is very beautiful with many amenities. The adult pool was quite and relaxing. they have towels at the pool and also moist mango scented towels to cool off with. They provide fresh lemon water by the pool as well. At the entrance of the resort they have fresh iced tea outside as you enter along with a mounted chalk board giving weather, sunrise and sunset times as well as other information.
As with any place they do have a few issues. The wifi is terrible, especially out by the pool and even depending on where you are inside. This seems like it would be a simple problem to fix, but it is currently an issue.
While most of the staff was fantastic and friendly there was a bellman that seemed to be really angry and mad all the time. Seemed he did not enjoy his job or the people he had to came in contact with. I know in any business those employees are present.
The rooms where very comfortable and the cleaning crew was fantastic! The cleaning crew cleans the room twice a day with turn down services at night including cookies and a nice note for their guest.
My wife’s only two complaints was no bathtub and microwave in the room. Having no bathtub is no issue for me as i am a shower person and the shower was increadible!
The only reason I didn’t give 4 stars is due to the wifi and microwave, other than that this place is increadible!

Watercolor Inn is a very nice place if your there for the view and enjoying nearby seaside. $ 300-​$ 400 a night nice during the off season? Depends on what your into I guess.
My experience was just ok.
The front desk staff was extremely aloof my entire stay. Every time I came downstairs they would pick up the phone and act very busy even though the resort was pretty slow. When I did finally get their attention I always felt a tinge of annoyance. Im just going to chalk this one up to the clerks being 20 somethings who wanted to be somewhere else.
The lobby bar is about a decade out of date in décor and drink selection. What decent bar in America does not carry at least one IPA or craft beer?

We have come here almost annually since 2008. Since the recession, they have been raising prices consistently. However, in an apparent attempt to increase profits, they’ve cut back on both the services and the amenities that they provide guests. So a downgrade is in order.

We arrive here for a week stay with the family. The resort looks great for a AAA Four Diamond rated resort. When we booked the room, reservation said it came with two beach chairs everyday at the beach for free. We found out, the free chairs are in water sound beach, 6 miles away! Really?!! The room we stayed in is $ 600+ a night and no microwave. That’s not standard?
Everything else is perfect, you can bike to everywhere. You can eat in the resort or go out. So many choices here. The beach is great. Clear water and white sand. If you want quiet and secluded though, this is not the place. It is very crowded at this time of the year, (July). The staff are friendly but gets overwhelmed with so many people needing service.

While I didn’t get to stay at the hotel itself, I was on property for the day to shoot a wedding and whoa this place is nice!
Everyone that worked there that I came into contact with was very friendly and helpful and they actually looked like they ENJOYED being at work, which is very rare these days it seems.
The rehearsal dinner was held in the Boat House and it was a great big beautiful location that could be transformed for any kind of party!
The wedding itself was on the beach and the reception was surrounded by the boardwalks and it was another really awesome location. And while there were people peering in, it looked like everyone at the reception felt as though they were the only people in the area, which was amazing!

Absolutely incredible resort. Right on the beach. Very clean rooms and comfy beds (which is important to me). Lots of amenities included in price of stay. There’s an adult only pool that is great if you’re traveling without your kids. Nothing huge, just quiet with nice cushioned chairs. Parking included at resort. Walking distance to a lot of shops and restaurants. They even give you cookies at the turn down service every night. Highly recommend.

How to begin on this review.
Well, from the moment we checked in, to the moment we checked out,
This place makes you feel like you never want to go back home.
The condo was attractive, comfortable and clean.
The free bicycles were a plus, the amenities were ample.
The breakfast at Fish out of Water, was tasty, but the service was once again, impeccable.
Dinner, at Fish Out Of Water, was ASWESOME!
I had the Pâté, which was smooth, creamy, while still light and fluffy.
My wife had the Calamari, which also was light, crunchy, and very fresh tasting.
I will go into the dining experience in another review, but suffice to say here, it
Is worth it.
Babysitter services are available, you make the calls, but they are attentive, and affordable.
I would encourage the Condo as this was my experience,
Down the road, is a Publix Supermarket, with great deals, and great food.
If you are looking for a Florida vacation, and want to try something other than Destin, give
Watercolor Resorts a try.

Fabulous eclectic, creative accommodations with a rare view of the beach on 30A.
The spa, though small, had fabulous services and the experience on the porch overlooking the pool and beach were relaxing and fun.
Fish out of Water next door wow!!!
The beach access was cumbersome — however, everything else worth the experience and the price.

Wow. This is the place to stay if you want the panhandle. We’ve never been to the area and wanted to give it a try. I researched the area thoroughly and ended up deciding to stay here. We rented a one bedroom townhome in the Beach District.
This is more than an Inn or Resort it is a community. One that you can feel very safe with your family. It is beautiful and high end and you pay for it. Is it worth it? Yes!
We rode our bikes every day. Beaches are incredible. Bring your own chairs to avoid having to rent some. The beautiful and very family oriented town of Seaside is a short walk or ride away. Great little shops and restaurants. With all the amenities so close by one could easily park their car for a week and never have to use it because there is so much so close. Destin is a car ride away and we went shopping and caught a movie at the Commons on a rainy day. We’ll be back.
2011 Conde Nast Traveler’s — #12 in the «Reader’s Choice Award Top 150 US Resorts»
2011 Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report «Reader Survey Top 20 Family Resort»
2011 Florida Travel + Life «Resorts You Can’t Resist — Pick of the Northwest — Ultimate Experience»
2011 WaterColor Inn & Resort Travel + Leisure #26 «America’s Best Beach Hotels»
2011 – 2007 WaterColor Inn awarded the coveted Four Diamond rating by AAA
2011 – 2007 Fish Out of Water awarded the coveted Four Diamond rating by AAA
2011 – 2008 Conde Nast Traveler’s «Gold List»
2011 – 2009 Travel + Leisure’s Top 500 «World’s Best Hotels»
AAA Four Diamond Award winning resort and have been for several years. WaterColor Inn & Resort has been one of Travel & Leisure’s Top 500 «World’s Best Hotels» and recently named #26 in «America’s Best Beach Hotels».
Fish Out Of Water restaurant has also been the recipient of several awards — including the coveted AAA Four Diamond Award.
Sharks Tooth and Camp Creek are both championship golf courses that locals and professionals love to play.