10 Best Beach Honeymoons in the U.S.

Beach resorts are some of the most popular honeymoon destinations; after all the stress of a wedding, many couples just want to relax in the sun. Most people think you have to head to the Caribbean or further abroad for the perfect beach honeymoon experience, but there are plenty of gorgeous beach resorts in the United States that can deliver the honeymoon of your dreams.

There are lots of benefits to a beach honeymoon in the U.S.: you don’t need a passport, you can get there quickly, and you’ll probably save money on travel expenses. You might even be able to drive there, avoiding all the hassle of flying.

So, where is the most romantic honeymoon beach resort in the U.S.? There are quite a few to choose from. In this article we’ll give you our choices for the 10 best beach honeymoon destinations in the USA so you can decide which one is right for you.

(FYI, these are the best beach honeymoons in the U.S. mainland; if you’re interested in a beach honeymoon in Hawaii, check out our articles Top 10 Hawaii Honeymoon Resorts & Planning Guide, Top 10 Hawaii Honeymoon Packages, and Maui Honeymoons.)

The Lodge on Little St. Simons, Georgia

This idyllic retreat nestled in 11,000 acres of wilderness is only accessible by boat and offers luxurious accommodations for just 32 guests at a time. The Lodge on Little St. Simons is the perfect choice for a tranquil all-inclusive beach honeymoon in the U.S. and is one of the only options for a private island for honeymoon in the U.S.A.

Rates here include boat transfers to and from the island; 3 delicious gourmet meals daily plus snacks and beverages; amenities including a saltwater pool, the beach, and recreational equipment; activities such as biking, hiking, and kayaking; excursions guided by naturalists; and more.

The service here is top-notch; you’ll feel as if you were a guest at a private lodge (which opened in 1917). A unique aspect of this peaceful paradise is the wildlife and vast array of bird types, making this beach honeymoon resort a top pick for birdwatching and nature enthusiasts.

Google Rating: 4.8

TripAdvisor Rating: 5

Henderson Park Inn, Destin, Florida

Enjoy privacy and luxury at this gorgeous U.S. adults-only beach honeymoon resort nestled next to pristine Henderson Beach State Park on the stunning sugar-white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. This uber-romantic, sophisticated sanctuary is the only all-inclusive resort in Destin and is only open to guests 25 and older, making it perfect for romantic honeymoons. Charming rooms and suites in the intimate inn feature ocean views, balconies, whirlpool tubs, and plush furnishings.

The award-winning fine dining restaurant has Gulf views from tables inside or on the veranda—or reserve the VIP Toes in the Sand candlelight dinner on the beach. There’s also a beachfront grill that serves lunch and cocktails.

Your stay at Henderson Park Inn includes breakfast and lunch, snacks and nonalcoholic beverages, daily happy hour, beach cruiser bicycles, beach chairs and umbrella, and access to the amenities at neighboring Henderson Beach Resort including an adults-only pool, a fitness center, and a spa. You can also add extras with the Romance or Celebrate by the Sea Package.

Google Rating: 4.7
TripAdvisor Rating: 5

Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California

The former Monarch Beach Resort, this elegant California beach honeymoon resort is set on 175 acres overlooking the ocean. Now the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach, it is conveniently located between Los Angeles and San Diego and has several packages that make it a nearly all-inclusive California resort.

Stylish rooms and suites have plush bedding, spacious living areas, and private terraces with gorgeous views. There’s a huge main pool with two infinity edge hot tubs plus a family pool and an adults-only lap pool, an oceanfront golf course, and a swanky spa. The private beach club offers a vast stretch of pristine sand, an oceanfront restaurant and bar, chairs and umbrellas, and watersports equipment and instruction.

Complimentary fitness activities include tennis, yoga, meditation, beach hikes, and exercise classes. You can also walk or bike around the resort to enjoy beautiful views and see Monarch butterflies. Multiple restaurants and bars give you a choice of gourmet cuisine, fresh seafood, and more in oceanfront, oceanview, and open-air settings.

Google Rating: 4.7

TripAdvisor Rating: 5

The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, Florida

The ultra-luxurious oceanfront Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is a dream destination for beach honeymoons in the U.S. Set on 13 miles of pristine natural beach on a barrier island off Florida’s Atlantic coast, the resort features championship golf, tennis, a spa, wellness classes, a fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools with private cabanas, and even a Sandcastle Concierge. Guests can also explore the island’s waterways by boat, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, as well as bike around the area.

All rooms and suites have ocean views and a private balcony, as well as marble bathrooms. Suites offer large living spaces and soaking tubs, and club-level accommodations include access to an exclusive lounge with breakfast, snacks, desserts, wine, beer, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as personal concierge service. Dining options include an elegant restaurant overlooking the ocean, coastal cuisine with an outdoor terrace, oceanfront seafood, and Lowcountry cuisine. There are two bars plus a coffee shop and café.

While the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island is not all-inclusive, it does offer a variety of packages that include breakfast and resort credits that you can use toward meals to make it pretty darn close.

Google Rating: 4.7

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Faena Hotel Miami Beach, Florida

This romantic Art Deco-inspired hotel is a swanky oasis with a glamorous pool and gorgeous beach, as well as unique amenities like a breathtaking gilded theater that offers original productions and cabaret shows. The entire property is designed to amaze and impress. The 22,000-square-foot Tierra Santa Healing House offers unique restorative treatments and spa services, there are live DJs every Tuesday night in The Living Room cocktail bar, and there’s a full fitness center as well.

Oceanfront rooms and suites have private balconies, elegant furnishings, marble bathrooms, and walk-in showers; suites also have separate living rooms with full dining tables plus soaking tubs in the spacious bathroom. Choose from an Argentinian fine dining experience, modern Asian cuisine with ocean views, an intimate sushi speakeasy, and two outdoor casual dining options.

Faena Hotel Miami Beach becomes a nearly all-inclusive hotel in Florida when you book a suite and get the “Suite Dreams” package which includes 2 50-minute spa treatments, daily breakfast for two, a $200 resort credit, nonalcoholic minibar beverages, early check-in and late check-out, valet parking, a 1-hour personal shopping experience, 20% off tickets to the Faena Theater’s latest show, and butler service (for suites above a certain level).

Google Rating: 4.6

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, California

This beach honeymoon resort in the Los Angeles area has a stunning setting, on more than 100 acres of the Palos Verdes Peninsula along the Pacific coast. Go hiking on the nature trails, relax on the private beach, enjoy watersports, or take a complimentary shuttle to play tennis.

The spacious accommodations offer amazing ocean views, elegant furnishings, and private balconies. Your stay here becomes almost all-inclusive with the Ocean Oasis package, which gets you a daily $500 resort credit and free parking when you stay 3 or more nights in a bungalow, casita, or villa.

Just 30 minutes southwest of Los Angeles, Terranea Resort features 8 restaurants (each with an outdoor area offering incredible views), a beautiful spa with an oceanfront yoga studio, a fitness center, an oceanfront golf course, and 4 fabulous heated pools—not to mention literally hundreds of fire pits—for a super-romantic beach honeymoon in the U.S.

Google Rating: 4.6
TripAdvisor Rating: 4

Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Florida

The only private island for honeymoons in the U.S.A., the adults-only Florida resort Little Palm Island delivers barefoot luxury in a breathtaking setting. Just off the coast of the Florida Keys, Little Palm Island features thatched roof bungalows, lush tropical landscaping, and an indoor-outdoor Balinese-inspired spa.

You can choose all-inclusive packages here with a 2-night minimum stay; the Culinary Paradise Package includes a bottle of champagne and a $100 spa credit per person per night, plus daily breakfast, 3-course lunch, and a 4-course dinner for two.

Your island beach honeymoon in the U.S. begins at the Shore Station, where you enjoy a cocktail, then board the classic antique motor-yacht for a short ride over sparkling water. Each romantic bungalow is furnished in British West Indies décor and features ocean views, a private furnished deck, a separate living area, a soaking tub, and indoor and outdoor showers. Island Romance Suites also offer outdoor soaking tubs and an exclusive sand beach with a fire pit, for the ultimate privacy.

Savor water views along with delicious fresh cuisine at the beautiful restaurant, then head to one of the waterfront lounge areas to enjoy a peaceful evening by fire and under the stars. You won’t be surprised that Little Palm Island was named one of the best new hotels in the world and one of the top ten resort hotels in Florida.

Google Rating: 4.5

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Nestled on the coast in the middle of a 6,000-acre state park in Gulf Shores, Alabama, this unique Hilton resort is an oasis with a serene and soothing vibe. The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel is the perfect beach honeymoon resort, especially for couples who support eco-conscious travel.

The resort features several low-rise buildings that blend into the landscape, part of the thoughtful and eco-friendly design. There are peaceful spots to relax and gaze at the Gulf all over the resort, including a long front porch with rockers on the main building, two floors of outdoor seating at the restaurants, loungers and hammocks around the pool, and public covered balcony areas on each floor of the accommodations buildings.

A raised walkway leads over the sand dunes to the pristine beach. With no other hotels nearby, you have plenty of space to stretch out and enjoy the natural beauty. The Lodge at Gulf State Park truly feels like your own private beach retreat.

Enjoy an infinity pool overlooking the Gulf, as well as the opportunity to explore nearby trails and lake activities. Rooms are spacious and contemporary, and come with furnished balconies and either Gulf or lake views.

Two restaurants serve locally sourced, inventive, and delicious dishes plus craft cocktails, wine, and beer, all with incredible beach views. There is plenty of outdoor seating on two levels so you can enjoy the sea breezes. Either restaurant is the perfect spot for romantic dinners with sunset views.

Or, start your day in the most relaxing way with breakfast al fresco by the ocean. You can also enjoy room service, as well as the Roasted Oak Coffee and Wine Bar and the open-air Dragonfly Pool Bar & Grill.

Google Rating: 4.4

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

The Don CeSar Resort, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida

This iconic U.S. beach honeymoon resort sits on the sugar white sands of the Gulf Coast and has been fully renovated, offering elegant rooms and suites with ocean-view balconies in its storied “Pink Palace.”

Enjoy two outdoor pools or the glorious beach. Choose from a fine dining restaurant, casual café, coffee and ice cream shop, a sophisticated beach bar, a glamorous lobby bar, and a poolside bar and grill that offers a “lookout deck” for stunning sunsets. Indulge at the huge spa with customized treatments, whirlpool baths, a steam room, and a rooftop oceanview terrace. Golf is nearby.

The Don CeSar Resort’s Life Rewards package turns this into a practically all-inclusive hotel in Florida by giving you luxury accommodations, a daily $150 food and beverage credit, a $250 recreation credit, bike rentals, WiFi, beach chairs, nonmotorized watersports, daily fitness classes, valet parking, and 2 $10 vouchers to a local brewery.

Google Rating: 4.4

TripAdvisor Rating: 4

Pier House Resort and Spa, Key West

A peaceful and luxurious honeymoon resort is the waterfront Pier House Resort & Spa. Centrally located at the foot of Duval Street, this tranquil and romantic oasis features a private white sand beach, posh accommodations, and a swanky spa (the only full-service spa in Key West), as well as a pool overlooking the water, a fitness center, and 3 restaurants and bars (including The Chart Room, a classic local dive bar and the site of Jimmy Buffett’s first gig).

Lounge on the beach, swim in the ocean, relax at the beach bar, and dine overlooking the water at the outstanding One Duval restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Oceanview Suites have separate living rooms with sofabeds plus excellent water views from private furnished balconies. The unique Dockside Suite is located on the edge of the building for incredible sunset views from the expanded infinity balcony.

When you feel like exploring America’s tropical paradise, Key West, you’ll be easy walking distance to most of the major attractions like the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. Ernest Hemingway’s House, the Southernmost Point, President Truman’s Little White House, and Sloppy Joe’s Bar. You can also book excursions at the resort, including a romantic sunset sail with champagne.

Google Rating: 4.4

TripAdvisor Rating: 4.5

Now that you’ve read our picks for 10 best beach honeymoons in the U.S., what do you think? Have you been to any of these? If not, which resort would you choose? Let us know in the comments!

And if you’re headed on a beach honeymoon, be sure to check out our ultimate packing list!