On Florida’s east coast, just north of the Space Coast, lies a hidden vacation gem. Until recently I had no idea this vacation haven for families, golfers, and couples alike existed just an hour drive from my house. Now that I have visited Hammock Beach Resort, I can’t wait to return.

Tucked away off the beaten path, Hammock Beach Resort is surrounded by the lush greens of its rolling golf course that surrounds the resort property. A beautiful golf community provides a picturesque backdrop for a relaxing vacation for the whole family.

Golf vacation, check. Beach vacation, check. Spa vacation, check. Water park vacation, check. This place has it all. Plus (and this is a big plus in my book) the rooms are affordable, especially if you are traveling with others and can take advantage of one of the gorgeous and huge multi-bedroom options. And and for those who can visit in the “off-season,” you can really maximize the savings.

From the moment we arrived, we were impressed by not only the location and natural beauty but also the attention to detail in the resort design. Eliminating the traditional concierge desk, guests are invited to sit down at individual desks to receive their keys and resort details. And one of the details we were excited to learn about is that Hammock Beach is a “cashless” resort. This means no tipping of the bellhop and everything is charged to the room. Yes, charging to the room can be trouble if you don’t watch your charging habits, but frankly we like the freedom of no cash.

After checking into our room, we took a tour to get a lay of the land. Amenities at Hammock Beach include:

• A day spa
• Two, 18-hole golf courses (designed by Jack Nicklaus)
• Five restaurants – Italian, American, Sushi, Pub-style and Poolside
• A private beach – with chairs, umbrellas and towels provided
• A kids’ club – complete with a drop-off program so mom and dad can have some down time and poolside activities kids can enjoy with mom and dad
• A water park – with family pool with slide, zero-entry pool, adult-only pool, lazy river and poolside restaurant
• Additional pool reserved for adults away from the water park
• An indoor pool
• And much more

In addition to enjoying all of the amenities we could squeeze into our stay, we also took advantage of a few of the more unique opportunities. Since our daughter is really into picnics right now (she has them all over the house, however, she had never been on a real picnic before), one of the very cool options we took advantage of during our stay was an old-fashion picnic on the beach. Guests can order a picnic meal (with several menu options), pick up their picnic basket at the concierge desk and enjoy a picnic anywhere on (or off) property they want. The meal comes in a traditional picnic basket, everything you need for the meal and even a red-and-white-checkered picnic blanket. We choose to have our picnic on the beach under an umbrella, and our daughter was in heaven. One thing to note is that the basket is full, and very heavy.

Another unique dining experience we embarked upon was a brunch cruise (sunset also available) on board the resort’s Yacht – the Sundancer - located at the marina. In addition to a yummy meal, we enjoyed a relaxing trip up and down the channel way spotting dolphins and other wildlife along the way. A very cool way to dine!

Hammock Beach Resort offers so many things for families (and couples) to do that we will just have to go back to try to enjoy them all. One thing we didn’t have a chance to take part in, because it was after a tired little girl’s bed time, is a family movie on the lawn. There is also putt-putt golf and so many fun Kids Crew activities that we just didn’t have time for. There really is no reason to ever leave the property since there is so much to do. My family was perfectly happy hanging out at the pool and beach. Of course, dad enjoyed his golf time and mom enjoyed a spa treatment too.

Want to see some of the fun, check out our resort video.

I highly recommend this resort for a weekend (or week-long) getaway. For those of you local Floridians, it is always fun to find such a gem in our own backyard, and I hope now that you have learned about everything this place has to offer you will check it out too. My big plan will be to go back with a couple of other families because I think it this is a phenomenal place for a group trip!

Learn more at www.HammockBeachResort.com and like Hammock Beach Resort on Facebook to hear about the latest resort specials.

Disclosure - I was provided a stay at the resort to facilitate this review, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.