10 best beach resorts in the USA

Not far from the pleasures of Portland is the Inn by the Sea. It’s located on a mile of sandy beach on Maine’s beautiful Atlantic coastline, replete with Instagrammable lighthouse. The rooms have water views, a patio or deck, and a gas-burning fireplace, and the hotel’s expanse of green lawn includes a private boardwalk that leads right to the calm shore through a wildlife sanctuary and dunes lined with beach roses. The beach is crescent-shaped to break the waves and make for a safer swim and kayak experience. The inn’s oceanview restaurant Sea Glass received an award from Wine Spectator this year for its outstanding wine cellar, so you know there’s a reward at the end of a happy day in the waves.

The backstory of this hotel is incredible: the original 1905 resort (alas, no longer with us) was designed to showcase the then-new marvel of electricity. It shone so brightly that sailors navigated by it! Today’s resort is reimagined to evoke that spirit of brightness and welcome. Every room has an ocean or harbor view, and most have balconies. There’s direct beach access as well as three pools, a hammock garden, and a beachfront fitness center—plus excellent dining and cocktails and brews. It’s said that some of the best surfing in the world is here at Wrightsville Beach, as well as a waterbird sanctuary and great shopping.

With Gilded Age beauty and grand public spaces, this is an old gem from the era of people coming to stay for the season in opulent quarters. The lobby ceiling paintings that stretch for 200 feet were created by 75 Italian artisans flown in for the job in the 1920s, and over the years celebrities, presidents and royalty have chosen to stay here. And best of all is the white sandy beach for the perfect day of playing in the surf.

Enjoy 22 acres of lush greenery nestled between two beautiful crescent sand beaches. And to pump up your adrenaline, this resort has the longest resort waterslide in Hawai’i! There are four pools as well, plus a dazzling array of cultural experiences, such as Hawaiian outrigger canoeing, poi (taro) pounding, ulu maika (bowling), ohe kapala (bamboo stamping) and ukulele lessons—along with whale watching, kayak snorkel turtle tours and more ways to enjoy the warm Hawaiian waters.

This secluded barrier island resort sits on 13 miles of unspoiled shorelines in north Florida, close to state parks, nature preserves, and more than 40 bike paths to explore the island. Enjoy the warm waters and take an ecology field trip with an on-site naturalist to learn about wildlife like sea turtles and gopher tortoises. The resort offers a Heaven in a Hammock massage; just don’t tip out when you bliss out. The chance to dine at the onsite AAA five-diamond restaurant Salt doesn’t hurt, either.

In this unique building shaped like a flying seagull with spread wings designed by architect Ralph Anderson in 1969, you will catch beautiful ocean views of the Chance A La Mer State Park Beach. Take a quarter-mile saunter under a canopy of trees to the dunes from the hotel’s backyard. Each room has a fireplace here to warm up after a brisk swim and a private west-facing balcony. There’s also a kitchen or kitchenette, depending on what size unit you book, to prepare your beach picnic and have a great dinner afterward. There’s also a pool, spa and dry sauna.

Here on Florida’s Treasure Coast, this luxurious oceanfront property is both part of the quaintness of Hutchinson Island and the awesome road trippability of historic, scenic Route A1A. It’s the first to be built on the island in almost 20 years and sits on Jensen Sea Turtle Beach. If you visit during turtle nesting season, you can take part in the resort’s educational programming to watch the nests being excavated after the hatchlings have left and learn turtle facts, such as that only one in 10,000 loggerheads make it to adulthood. At the beach, there’s a waterfront café, volleyball courts, chair and umbrella rentals, and free beach wheelchair rentals for visitors with mobility challenges.

Explore for yourself this gorgeous historic property, instantly recognizable from many travel inspo photos with its sprawling white spread with many gables and towers and a distinctive red roof. It’s perched right on the edge of the Pacific (but with pools and hot tubs if the water proves too cold). If you’re a runner or want a sturdy stroll, a six-mile loop starts at the hotel and goes past the golf course, under the Coronado Bridge and into Tidelands Park and the ferry landing.

These residences operate like a five-star resort with unobstructed ocean views, floor-to-ceiling windows and lanais offered in every room or suite. It’s the largest of the Ritz-Carlton Residences in the world with 552 residencies, and the only Waikiki resort with two infinity pools. You’ll have the beautiful beach on one side, and a vibrant city on the other, edged by green mountains.

Located about 20 miles outside of Charleston, this beachfront resort brims with Southern charm and elegance. It may feel like a cozy colonial mansion but this sprawling property is stacked with modern amenities, from a state-of-the-art spa to multiple pools (indoor and outdoor) and five championship golf courses. Plus, there's a balcony in every one of the 255 guestrooms should you want to take the relaxing back to your private space.