The Best East Coast Beach Resorts for a Luxury Getaway

From Maine to Florida, the East Coast is packed with amazing beach resorts, whether you’re looking for upscale luxury, a family-friendly atmosphere or simply someplace where everything you could ever need is right at your fingertips. After all, if you decided to stay at a resort versus a typical hotel, you probably did so with convenience in mind. You want to be able to sleep, play, relax, dine and more, all in one spot, without ever leaving the property.

These are the best East Coast beach resorts that offer all that and more.

Ponte Vedra Beach Resorts technically encompasses two properties: the historic Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, originally established in the 1920s, and the newer Lodge & Club Ponte Vedra Beach. The former has more of a classic, upscale beach resort vibe, while the latter is a bit more modern and every room and suite offer beach and ocean views. Both have received numerous hospitality awards and are AAA four-diamond properties; additionally, guests at both enjoy shared amenities.

A short drive away from the Jacksonville airport, the resorts provide near-endless activities and ways to keep yourself entertained (and I can confirm this based on personal experience).

To start, there are the renowned two, 18-hole golf courses. If tennis is more-so your thing, then you’ll enjoy the complimentary shuttle service to the nearby Racquet Club, the Official Tennis Club of the ATP World Tour, where guests enjoy exclusive playing privileges. An expansive spa offers more than a hundred services across its 30,000 square feet. Meanwhile, when it comes to food, you have more than a dozen options.

Obviously, of course, there’s also the beach and heated pools (including an adults-only pool), as well as children’s activities and similar programming.

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Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina may offer an excellent location right in the heart of Bar Harbor, giving you easy walking access to shops, dining, and attractions, but it also provides lots of appreciable amenities on-site. 

The recently renovated property boasts a wide selection of guestrooms and suites decked out in a classic nautical style that just feels like Maine. As you peruse your options, you’ll come across suites with private balconies, full kitchens, fireplaces, hot tubs, and more—and I’d personally recommend one of the rooms with a private hot tub overlooking the water.

Multiple on-site restaurants likewise offer ocean views. Choose between a harbor-view pool and an oceanfront pool. The marina is open to guests with their own vessels, and the spa provides ample treatment options. All the while, you’re just a short drive away from Acadia National Park.

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A highly decorated and historic property, Wequassett exudes Cape Cod charm and offers amenities aplenty. There are multiple golf courses and pools, tennis and pickleball courts, a private beach, and a range of accommodation options. Choose a modern and yet-still-cozy suite, or opt for a cottage or villa for family stays. 

The property also takes guest care to the next level. Just about everything you could want from a stay, it’s probably available. Private sailing or fishing charter for the day? You got it. Private kayaking tour? Sure. Plus, the property has a partnership with BMW that allows guests access to three BMW vehicles during their stays, for chauffeured service around the area (though you can reserve one of the vehicles for your own private use, too).

Oh, and the 5-star dining and wellness offerings? Not too shabby either.

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This Outer Banks favorite is routinely named one of the best beach resorts in the entire South. The Sanderling provides guests with an environment that distinctly feels southern, too, in all the best ways— from the coastal-meets-discerning-Southern-hostess décor to the hospitality to the regional cuisine (shrimp and grits souffle, anyone?).

Enjoy access to a private beach, spa, and plentiful activities on offer. Join in on a coastal yoga class. Rent a bike and paddle into town. Book a wild horses tour or a fishing charter. 

In addition to typical guestrooms, the property also offers luxury suites and residences that can accommodate up to 16 guests.

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Wild Dunes Resort in South Carolina encompasses multiple accommodations options, myriad dining experiences, 2.5 miles of beach, two golf courses, tennis and pickleball courts, a spa, multiple pools, and more. Why would you ever need to go off-site?

Families might want to pick one of the property’s vacation rentals, or one of the Residences at Sweetgrass, which are outfitted with one, two or three bedrooms. The two Boardwalk and Sweetgrass Inns are also options.

In addition to the more than 10 restaurants within the resort, you’ll also find retail outlets ranging from clothing boutiques to pro sports shops. There’s likewise a family center with games, and guests enjoy access to bookable activities at the marina that’s less than two miles away.

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Less than an hour’s drive from Newport, Rhode Island, and all of its historic opulence, you’ll find a New England luxury beach resort worth your consideration: Ocean House. With its Forbes 5-Star accommodations, dining and spa, the property is the only one of its kind in the entire state.

Originally opened in the 1860s, Ocean House became a favorite with discerning travelers summering on the Atlantic Coast. Though it would eventually fall into neglect, today, the revitalized hotel’s new structure reflects the original property while catering to modern guests (the original structure’s nearly 250 windows appear to be in their same spots, when viewed from the exterior, and the property houses more than 5,000 artifacts from the original hotel as well).

With fewer than 100 guestrooms and suites, the resort has an air of exclusivity about it, but just because there are relatively few guestrooms, that doesn’t mean you’ll be lacking for services and amenities. There are six restaurants, plus further culinary experiences; a spa, fitness center and salon; and beach cabanas on the sands.

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