Elegant Beachfront Hotel on St. Simons Island

Located on the shores of St. Simons Island, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort has been a fashionable destination ever since it opened as a private dance club in 1935. Back then, well-heeled crowds would gather here on the club's beachfront patio to dance the night away under the stars. In 1941, the property reopened as a Mediterranean-style resort replete with a beachfront boardwalk and guest rooms with unobstructed ocean views—and it’s enjoyed a reputation as one of the best resorts on the coast ever since. A member of the Historic Hotels of America, the property recalls its glamorous roots with vintage photographs and stained-glass windows that date back to 1938. Modern additions include three oceanfront restaurants and a 30,000-square-foot beachfront pool deck.

The dining scene at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort is also steeped in Southern tradition, from the low-country cuisine to the elegant decor. At The King’s Tavern, a casual spot with award-winning ocean views, sample signature dishes such as shrimp and grits in a tasso cream sauce and hot dessert soufflés. Adorned with chandeliers, wall paintings, and original stained glass murals, the Delegal Room is the historic centerpiece of the hotel. The oceanfront dining room hosts a daily breakfast buffet and a Sunday brunch stocked with fried meats and sweet Georgia pies.

During your stay, enjoy privileges and discounted rates at the resort’s award-winning King and Prince Golf Course, located 12 miles from the hotel. Set on a historic antebellum plantation, the 18-hole track comprises a gorgeous landscape hemmed with ancient oak trees and tranquil lagoons. When designing the course more than 20 years ago, renowned golf architect Joe Lee carved a set of greens from a series of small marsh islands—these “island holes” remain the course’s standout feature today.

There’s plenty of activity back at the hotel, as well. Take a sunset cruise along the beachfront bike trails, or warm up in the heated indoor pool. The resort’s two-bedroom beachfront villas feature balconies with partial ocean views, and standard guest rooms are adorned with elegant wood furnishings.

St. Simons Island, Georgia: Coastal Marshlands and Historic Lighthouses

The largest of Georgia’s famed “golden isles,” St. Simons Island has raked in some impressive awards in recent years: AOL Travel named it one of America’s 10 Best Islands for its picturesque, marshland setting; Budget Travel cited its historical landmarks and white-sand beaches in its list of the country’s 10 best winter beach retreats; and in 2010, Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards ranked the 18-square-mile hideaway the fifth-best island in the United States. Despite these accolades, St. Simons Island remains a quiet vacation destination, one where seafood shacks and Mediterranean mansions share the same oceanfront avenue.

St. Simons is dotted with verdant marshlands, maritime forests, and scenic waterways. An extensive network of scenic biking trails picks up just outside the resort, and fishing charters and shrimp boats offer excursions year-round. You’ll get a different view of the island from the top of St. Simons Lighthouse, located a mile from the hotel. Built in 1872, this Victorian-style tower stands 104 feet tall and features exhibits relating to Coast Guard history.

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