Family Fun at Margaritaville Resort Video Review #DestinationParadise
Just as a margarita is the perfect mixture of salt and sweet, the Margaritaville resort in Hollywood Beach is the ideal combination of classy and casual…comfy and chic. To be perfectly honest, if there was ever a hotel I’d like to make into my own home, this would be it.
Maragaritaville pays tribute to singer, songwriter and author Jimmy Buffet, but you don’t have to be a Parrothead like me to appreciate its beauty. There are touches of Buffett throughout, and it’s really tough to walk anywhere in the resort without starting to sing one of his tunes. The lyrics are subliminal in some ways, and boldly in your face in others, and it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling other than totally laid back, just as Buffett would be. But even if you’ve never heard a note of his music (impossible, I believe), you’d still enjoy what the resort offers—a comfortable place to play, eat, and stay right on Hollywood Beach’s famed ‘Broadwalk’—or boardwalk—that buffers the beach.
While on a recent ‘lobsters and lighthouses’ trip down the coast with my daughter, my friend, and her daughters, we spent the night at this resort and really didn’t want to leave. It would have been fine with us if we’d spent the entire week right here, dining on ‘cheeseburgers in paradise’ at his Margaritaville restaurant (though I would love to try the JWB Prime Steak and Seafood on my next trip).
Our room overlooked the pools below, along with the Landshark Bar and Grill, and the Hollywood bandshell, where we heard live music playing while kicking back on our private balcony.
You can see a video of our stay here, along with the details below.
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We stayed in a two bedroom/2 bathroom suite that I truly would duplicate in a home design of my own. We had a living room area, dining area, mini-frig and bar. The balcony was massive—meaning it stretched almost the entire length of the suite. The décor was a beach lover’s dream, complete with pillows that pay tribute to Buffett’s ‘Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes’ hit.
And the lobby. Oh, that lobby. I’m typically one to get in and out of a hotel lobby as quickly as possible, but the Margaritaville Resort lobby is the kind of place where you could kick back and talk with friends for hours. It’s like a fun living room, with chandeliers of margarita glasses and a massive statue of a ‘busted out flip flop’. Buffett fans will understand its significance, but others can read the sign next to it if they need an explanation.
The Margaritaville coffee shop and gift shops downstairs were perfect for grabbing a bite to eat and a small souvenir, but we spent most of our time at the pool and slide, and using the free bicycle loan program to ride up and down the broadwalk (they don’t have smaller bikes, for little ones, but you can rent one at a nearby bike shop).
There’s also a FlowRider surfing simulator on property that you can pay extra to try if you’re up to the challenge. Or, you can rent a kayak or paddleboard and then kick back in the St. Somewhere Spa on property.
Kids can take part in the Parakeets kids club, which has activities throughout the day, or just jump in with the pool side fun that the resort organizes.
Rates range depending on which room you select (there are some with ocean views and balconies, and some with intracoastal views), how many beds and how many rooms you prefer, along with the time of year. You can look for dates and rates by clicking here—and know there’s a current special for 1 night free if you pay for three. I’m all for more time at Margaritaville!
The sunrise was beautiful…and the sky around sunset…stunning.
(Note to readers: We paid a media rate for our room and were provided with a free meal at the Margaritaville restaurant. We were not otherwise compensated for this review. #DestinationParadise)
We took the entire trip in a 2017 Toyota Sienna. If you want to read more about that, click here.