There’s no need to splurge on a luxury beach hotel for this year’s summer vacation, thanks to a wave of relatively new — and affordable — beach hotels. Our favorites span the shores of six countries, boast smart design, prime waterfront real estate, all the conveniences you’d expect from a high-end resort, and, best of all, nightly rates that typically go for less than $250 (and, a few for less than $150!).
The cherry on top: Our 10 luxury beach hotels for less are practically brand-new; all but one have opened within the past two years! Sprawl out in your own oceanfront suite in Mexico, test out the surf at an all-inclusive Costa Rican gem, or people-watch from your boardwalk-view balcony in Venice Beach, Calif. Waking up to the sound of crashing waves? Yes, please. Salty sea air and soft sand? Must have. Having extra cash for endless piña coladas served beachside in your private cabana? Well, that’s just smart planning.
1. Hotel Erwin, Calif.
With quintessential SoCal surf and a carnivalesque boardwalk (overrun with a colorful cast of local characters) at your doorstep, plus a hipster-magnet, party-hearty rooftop lounge just overhead, Venice Beach’s hip Hotel Erwin, part of the Calif.-based Joie de Vivre chain, offers a home base that showcases a different face to Los Angeles. Primed for gawking at the funky and festive spectacle that’s come to define the nabe, guests can get in some bona fide beach time and a cultural fix, to boot. Revamped and rebranded in June 2009 (it was formerly a Best Western), most of the now luxury beach hotel's 119 modern guestrooms offer private balconies (opt for one on the top floors for the best boardwalk and ocean views), colorful design schemes etched with eclectic art and California kitsch, and modern touches like iPod sound systems and comped Wi-Fi. The laid-back and artsy Hash restaurant offers seasonal, market-fresh dishes, while the rooftop lounge, High, is primed for Pacific sunsets — both have inspired a local following. Summer rates start from $229/night; kids under 18 stay free. Look for fun packages that bundle accommodations with tattoo vouchers or surf lessons.
2. Hotel Riu Guanacaste, Costa Rica
With the azure Pacific surf on one side and lush, green woodlands on the other, Hotel Riu Guanacaste showcases Costa Rica’s stunning coastline. The first Costa Rica hotel in the beach-focused Riu chain, this 701-room all-inclusive resort opened in November 2009 on Playa de Matapalo in Guanacaste, a region known for its lower humidity and dry forests. Although Costa Rica’s western beaches are naturally more rugged than its Caribbean shores, the region’s ecological diversity and the Riu’s impressive list of amenities easily overcome any white-sand envy. The luxury beach hotel's all-inclusive price covers all meals, snacks and drinks (both alcoholic and non), plus a handful of outdoor sports like windsurfing and kayaking. And for an extra charge, the hotel will arrange excursions like hiking to nearby volcanoes, diving to explore underwater volcanic rock formations, and sportfishing for massive sailfish and roosterfish. Guests who want to learn to dive get to test the waters with one complimentary intro course in the hotel pool. Those who just want to relax can easily do so on property, thanks to two swimming pools, five bars (including one swim-up option), four restaurants, beachside lounge chairs, and a Jacuzzi and steam bath. All-inclusive rates start from $197/night, based on double occupancy, through October 2011.
3. Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, Curaçao
Sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea and Spanish Waters Bay, the Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina boasts prime, white-sand real estate on an island that’s known more for cosmopolitan Willemstad than smooth, sandy oceanfront. The 350-room property (including standard rooms with plasma-screen TVs and balconies and upgraded "Sea Traditions" units that offer perks like butler service and access to a separate pool) opened in late April 2010 and promises to sate almost any traveler’s itinerary on Curaçao. Families should come for the resort’s Camp Arawak, a partnership with National Geographic Kids, that brings the littlest vacationers to some of the island’s top environmental and historical attractions — think archeological expeditions, cave hikes and a sea-creature petting zoo. For grown-up adventure, everything from windsurfing to scuba diving to golfing on the resort's namesake 18-hole Pete Dye championship course is up for grabs. Local influence and culture also seeps into the luxury beach resort's dining and amenities. SHOR, one of three resort restaurants, collaborates with island farmers to serve American fare from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, while the Atabei Spa infuses its treatments and house-made products with native plants and herbs. Summer rates start from $199/night (or from $139/night with advance purchase).
4. La Amada, Mexico
Laid-back Playa Mujeres has one up over its party-hearty neighbor Cancun: La Amada Hotel, one of only three resorts in Playa Mujeres, which comes with two miles of private, sparkling-white beach. Opened in February 2009, the luxury beach hotel’s 109 suites all come furnished with private terraces or balconies, Jacuzzis and free Wi-Fi. After soaking in some sun on the sand, guests can lay out on a poolside lounge bed or sample casual Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine at the beachfront Isla Grill. La Amada’s water sports options range from sailing to snorkeling, while cruises and deep-sea fishing voyages leave from the on-site marina. Keep the little ones entertained at the complimentary Kids Club (activities include beach soccer and treasure hunts) or invite them along for a day at the 35,000 square-foot spa (kids under 17 must be accompanied by an adult), which boasts a variety of massages and other treatments for adults, teens and even kids. Summer rates start at $165/night.
5. Lifestyle Resort Danang, Vietnam
One of the newest properties on Vietnam’s prized central coast, the 158-room Lifestyle Resort Danang opened in April 2010, and boasts nearly 10 acres of unspoiled sand on Bac My An beach — not to mention a swimming pool with swim-up bar and full-service restaurant and lounge overlooking the South China Sea. Accommodations run the gamut from petite rooms with two twin-sized beds to private, two-bedroom villas; all come stocked with bathrobes and slippers, in-room minibars and private balconies. On property, guests can choose from a hearty roster of activities like biking along Da Nang’s nearly 20 miles of coastline, playing tennis on one of two courts, and kayaking the sea’s challenging, wavy waters. The luxury beach hotel is close enough to the ancient town of Hoi An (about 20 miles away) for guests to spend the day exploring the UNESCO World Heritage village with its crumbling bridges, historic homes and vibrant infusion of French culture, and be back at the resort in time for an evening dip and dinner. Summer room rates start from $210/night.
6. Rancho Pescadero, Mexico
Situated on the sandy Pacific shores of Baja California (1.5 hours north of Cabo’s San Juan International Airport), Rancho Pescadero, opened in November 2009, comes with just 12 oceanfront suites and all the delightful luxuries of a small luxury beach hotel: canopied beds, private patios, coffee delivered to your room each morning. The hotel’s 2.5-mile stretch of beach is technically public, but the secluded location means you’re not likely to find more than half a dozen people on the sand at one time. Rancho Pescadero supplies all the beach essentials and then some, from beach bags and sunscreen to bar service and binoculars for whale-watching to curtained siesta beds with individual fire pits. There’s plenty to do on the water, too, including kayaking and fishing, and you’ll be hanging ten in no time with on-site surf lessons ($75 for 1 hour, $120 for 2 hours). Free daily yoga sessions and a two-room spa round out the experience. Kids must be 14 or older to stay at the hotel. Summer rates start from $185/night.
7. The Seagate Hotel & Spa, Fla.
Delray’s Seagate Hotel & Spa made a splash when it opened in November 2009 — it’s already racked up numerous accolades and we’re joining the bandwagon. This Florida property (about 15 miles from Palm Beach) scores big points in our book for its sophisticated boutique-hotel feel (think 162 rooms done up in mahogany woodwork with marble-and-stone bathrooms and private bars, and a beachy-chic lobby with 5,000-gallon aquarium). While the actual hotel is not technically on the beach (it’s a block away in Delray Beach town), the hotel offers complimentary trolley service to and from its own private beach club, located just a few clicks down Atlantic Avenue. The Seagate Beach Club reminds us of a casual country club, what with its own oceanfront pool, cabana rentals, two oceanview restaurants, clubhouse and exclusive privileges like private beach access, towel and chair service, beverage service, water sports rentals and complimentary Wi-Fi. When you’re not whiling away the hours sipping cocktails beachside (or poolside), try out the green-certified spa, complete with a Bikram Yoga studio, back at the hotel and dine at the on-site Atlantic Grille for fresh New American fare like Maine lobster pot pie and rib pork chop with balsamic-grainy mustard glaze and parmesan polenta cake. Summer rates start from $159/night.
8. Sheraton Rhodes, Greece
Formerly the Imperial Rhodes, the 401-room Sheraton Rhodes opened in 2010 after an extensive makeover. Pillow-top mattresses and marble bathrooms are some of the slick room features; many also have private balconies overlooking the Aegean Sea. Located on the largest of the Dodecanese isles in the eastern Greek islands chain, the Sheraton enjoys a few football fields worth of prime beach property, albeit pebbly, with complimentary cushioned sun beds and umbrellas. Guests can order refreshing drinks and snacks right from the sand. Those feeling active can hit the surf á la Jet Ski, windsurfer or pedal boat. The luxury beach hotel’s four pools (three outdoor, one indoor) include a dedicated children’s pool, while tennis, squash, a playground and a game room are also available. Take your pick from Mediterranean or Asian cuisine at the hotel’s several restaurants, then head for an après-dinner drink at the piano bar. Special summer starting rates from $174/night.
9. Solé East Resort, N.Y.
Montauk — situated on the easternmost tip of the South Fork in Long Island — was long a fringe destination, overlooked by the chic Hamptons crowd, known more for surfers and fishermen than celebrity sightings and summering Manhattanites. The stylish Solé East Resort is a sign of change: Poolside DJs, a property-wide sound system and mimosa-fueled weekend brunches define the hotel. Even so, accommodations are appropriately laid-back. The refashioned American Tudor home contains 69 bungalow-style rooms, each outfitted with stark white furnishings, 300 thread-count linens and Aveda bath products; hammocks set up in the gardens offer daytime respite. Montauk’s beach and village center are accessible via a speedy bike ride (a fleet of on-site “beach cruisers” are available for rent) or a five-minute walk, though sun-seekers need not travel far to catch rays, chow down or party on: Oversized beds surround a heated outdoor pool; the poolside lounge and restaurant, Backyard, dishes locally caught seafood and farmers' market-fresh veggies; and weekend pool parties (in season) bring out guest DJs, summery cocktails and barbecued treats. Rooms from $249/night.
10. Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, Hawaii
Trump’s expanding hotel empire extend to the shores of happening Waikiki Beach on Oahu. His 38-story Hawaiian high rise, Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk, debuted in November 2009 with interiors that blend organic elements and Hawaiian motifs in an understated, sophisticated way. The lobby features wood paneling with granite and stone finishes and the pool area on the sixth floor comes with a cascading waterfall and impressive ocean views. Accommodations, 462 in total, range from studios with kitchenettes to suites of up to three bedrooms. All feature floor-to-ceiling windows with ocean or Waikiki views, private lanais, travertine floors and kitchen appliances by Wolf, Sub-Zero and Bosch. Guests can stroll right over to famed Waikiki Beach, just steps away, while Trump’s Beach Attaché can facilitate beach and water sports activities. This luxury beach hotel also touts the notable steakhouse chain, BLT Steak. Trump's outpost features fresh local fish and produce in addition to the usual prime cuts, and patrons can savor sunsets while dining on the restaurant’s trellised outdoor lanais. Summer promotional rates start from $245/night, when booking four nights or more (special expires on June 15).
This story, originally appeared on ShermansTravel.com.
