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It’s hard not to fall in love with these Sunshine State favorites, named the best in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards.
With white-sand beaches, colorful coral reefs, and laid-back charm, there are many reasons Florida is one of America’s favorite getaway destinations. And no matter where you choose to vacation in the Sunshine State, you’ll find a wealth of hotels, each unique in its own way. Every one of the picks below delivers with fun amenities and delights by the water–whether a poolside, lake-centric, or beachy setting. Curated wellness experiences, comfortable and well-decorated accommodations, and other surprises are in the mix, too.
These are Travel + Leisure readers’ favorite resorts in Florida for 2026, as voted in the World's Best Awards survey.
1. Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach
This year, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach was crowned the best resort in Florida by T+L readers—and it’s little wonder why. Located on the southern reaches of Palm Beach, the property sits along a quiet stretch of golden coastline favored by nesting sea turtles who arrive between the months of March and October. The property has 207 charming rooms and suites, decorated in soothing blues, creams, and pink—all have private balconies or spacious ground-floor terraces. While here, you can spend your day lounging poolside in a cabana or relaxing in a daybed directly on the sand. There’s a dedicated kids club for the youngest family members, too. Onsite dining ranges from an oceanfront seafood restaurant, a live-fire Mediterranean spot, a casual cafe for matchas and pastries, and private four-course oceanfront cabana dining complete with wine pairings for staging a particularly special moment.
2. Cabot Citrus Farms
Newcomer Cabot Citrus Farms opened in Jan. 2025 and quickly won over travelers. Sprawled across 1,200 acres of pristine Florida landscapes along the state’s aptly named Nature Coast, the resort (which is The Cabot Collection’s first in the U.S.) offers luxury cottages with two or four bedrooms as a base for enjoying its two championship golf courses, bass fishing on a private freshwater lake, axe-throwing, archery, pickleball, and more. On-property dining options run the gamut, from casual Mexican fare at Cantina 21, located between the driving range and the 10-hole course known as The Squeeze, to freshly made pizzas at The Porch and New York strips, New Zealand lamb, and more at The Grange.
3. The Colony Hotel
A Palm Beach landmark since opening its doors in 1947, this 89-room boutique hotel goes by the moniker “Pink Paradise.” Conveniently, it’s just a five-minute stroll from the storied couture shopping and beautiful courtyard vias of Worth Avenue (Palm Beach’s answer to Rodeo Drive). The beach, too, is a short walk away. The Colony Hotel’s maximalist guestrooms were completely redesigned in 2022 to mark the hotel’s 75th anniversary, with each floor referencing different native Florida plant and animal designs in the theme. Luxe amenities include Dyson hairdryers in the rooms and beach butlers on standby to transport you via pink golf cart down to a set-up on the sand, when your heart desires. The hotel’s centerpiece is its gorgeous, tiled pool, with plush loungers and a “magazine cabana” stocked with a variety of reads. Beach cruisers are free to borrow to pedal around town and the nearby Lake Trail.
4. Amrit Ocean Resort
South Florida got one of its favorite wellness-focused stays when Amrit Ocean Resort opened in May 2024 on a beautiful beach fringing Singer Island. With 155 guest rooms, suites, and “wellness residences” equipped with full kitchens and two bedrooms, ocean and island views abound wherever you bed down. Helping guests feel their best is a theme at every turn here, from custom-designed beds to a 103,000-square-foot, four-story spa area. Other amenities to make you feel good from the inside out include a luxury hammam, integrated health assessments with medical practitioners, and hot and cold plunge pools. Enjoy nourishing meals at the resort’s modern Indian restaurant or oceanfront eatery, Tula, serving seafood towers, free-range chicken, fresh swordfish, and more.
5. The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Located about 10 miles from both Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes is a favorite among visitors who want to extend family fun beyond the park gates. Set on 500 sprawling acres, the property feels like a nature reserve and is surrounded by 11 lakes. There’s plenty to do here, including falconry classes, kayaking, pickleball, and golf. Guests also get access to the resort’s sprawling pool (including an adults-only lap pool) as well as the lazy river and waterslides next door at sister property, the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes. For an additional fee, the Ritz Kids club provides kids nights out, half-day programs, and in-room activities that include a tent setup complete with a felt campfire and s'mores. If you plan just one meal here, make a reservation at the Michelin-recognized Knife & Spoon for dry-aged steaks and sublime seafood. With 40 treatment rooms and a private pool and cafe, the hotel’s day spa is also worth the splurge.
6. The Boca Raton
In the pantheon of Florida’s pink-hued hotels, this sprawling South Florida resort with five hotels and over 1,000 keys in Boca Raton retains legendary status, decade upon decade. With Spanish Mediterranean, Gothic, and Moorish influences, The Boca Raton was originally designed in the 1920s by renowned Palm Beach architect Addison Mizner, and has been in a constant state of evolution and improvement ever since. One of the newest additions to the property is the luxurious Beach Club with 210 transformed rooms and access to a private stretch of sand. Guests of The Boca Raton are spoiled with amenities, including a golf course (it’s currently being renovated and will reopen in fall 2026), a lazy river, waterslides, jet ski rentals, and a marina where you can charter a yacht or dock your own vessel. The resort’s many restaurants run the gamut from Italian cuisine, a Greek-inspired mezze spot, a beachfront cocktail hang, and even a burger and shake joint.
7. Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Located within Walt Disney World Resort, this sanctioned, 502-room hotel partner offers amenities that include early theme park entry (30 minutes before the masses) and luxury coach transport to all four Disney parks, making it a favorite with Orlando visitors looking to maximize time with the mouse. That said, you don’t need to leave the Waldorf Astoria Orlando for a good time. Get in a round of golf at the 18-hole championship course, book a facial, or Himalayan salt or color therapy treatment at the excellent spa, or settle in poolside at a private cabana to cool off from a day of park-hopping. Guests can also access a lazy river at the Signia by Hilton next door. A top Orlando restaurant is located on-property at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, too, Bull & Bear, known for the Chateaubriand sized for two.
8. Marquesa Hotel
It can be challenging to narrow down where to stay in a place as stacked with options as Key West. But a block off busy Duval Street (yet seemingly world’s removed), Key West’s Marquesa Hotel has beautiful and supremely comfortable accommodations within a restored Victorian residence painted a lovely shade of robin’s egg blue. With just 44 guest rooms and suites scattered among historic buildings, the property has three swimming pools landscaped with tropical foliage and is home to one of Key West’s best seafood restaurants, Café Marquesa, known for she-crab soup and shrimp and grits. Pair that with its prime location–just steps from Old Town Key West’s best shopping, dining, and entertainment–and the Marquesa Hotel is hard to top.
9. The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón
This 295-room property beckons golfers and active families with a serene Florida setting overlooking preserves and rolling golf greens. The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón caters to golfers of all abilities and enthusiasm levels with two Greg Norman-designed championship courses. Kids, on the other hand, can get their kicks at The Reservoir waterpark, with waterslides and a lazy river. Other family draws include bicycle tours and nature walks. Additionally, there are tennis courts (with private lessons and camps available for both adults and kids) and a small onsite spa that provides massages and facials. The hotel’s restaurants include a Latin American spot, Ria, as well as Lemonía, specializing in Italian fare.
10. The Alfond Inn
You’ll be situated in an ideal location at the pet-friendly Alfond Inn, which is just a few minutes' walk from Orlando’s Park Avenue, a tony street lined with boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. The 183-room hotel has an incredible collection of contemporary art that’s part of the Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College (the private university nearby that owns the hotel). Relax at the hotel’s pretty lap pool or in the lush courtyard and plan a meal or two at Hamilton’s Kitchen, known for its lively weekend brunch scene and toothsome contemporary Southern cuisine.
11. The Equestrian Hotel
Far and away the most luxurious hotel in Florida’s rolling “Horse Country,” The Equestrian Hotel at the World Equestrian Center is set on a 380-acre estate. Many of the property’s 248 rooms and suites overlook the Grand Outdoor Arena, where riding competitions and other premier equestrian events are regularly staged. Even if you’re not here for equine-related activities, come to enjoy live music at the hotel’s gastro pub, the pretty outdoor pools, a French-style patisserie known for excellent macarons, and onsite chophouse, Stirrups Restaurant. And while the beach isn’t close in this part of Central Florida, beautiful freshwater springs and state parks abound nearby.
12. Opal Sands Resort
On the southern end of oft-crowded Clearwater Beach, the Gulf-front Opal Sands Resort lets you escape most of the vacationing masses on a serene stretch of powder-fine sand. The property’s 230 contemporary rooms and suites all have spacious balconies, with one and two-bedroom options. There are two on-site swimming pools as well as beach cabanas and lounge chairs down on the sand. Settle in for a meal or shareable dishes at the rooftop Elevate Skye Bar & Lounge or SeaGuini, serving Gulf of Mexico seafood with Mediterranean flair in an upscale environment.
13. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa
This Florida Keys Relais & Chateaux property reopened in 2020 following extensive hurricane renovations and quickly reclaimed its spot as a top Florida resort for romance. With just 30 thatched-roof bungalows for accommodations, Little Palm Island Resort & Spa has a refined castaway appeal (indeed, the “mainland” can only be reached by the property’s private launch or seaplane charter). Spend your days relaxing on the private island’s white sand beach, snorkeling and diving the healthy coral pastures of Looe Key reef, or relaxing under swaying palms by the pool. Make sure to book an appointment at SpaTerre, which is surrounded by lush tropical greenery and offers treatments featuring native botanical ingredients and Dead Sea salt. Afterwards, enjoy poolside cocktails and lunch at Palapa Bar or head to the Chef’s Table, perfect for special occasions.
14. Evermore Orlando Resort
With its 20-acre white sand beach, Evermore Orlando Resort (located less than three miles from Walt Disney World) gives the Theme Park Capital of the World some serious beach cred. For accommodations, travelers can choose from multi-bedroom vacation villas, apartment-style “flats” with full kitchens of their own, or a classic hotel stay. Spend your days paddling a kayak or standup paddleboard around Evermore Bay, wading in its freshwater turquoise shallows, frolicking on the waterslides and Blue Hole rope swing, or playing a game of basketball, cornhole, or giant Connect Four with the family. Basically, the whole scene feels like summer camp for all ages. There are even two championship golf courses and 14 food and beverage options to explore, too.
15. Havana Cabana
Havana Cabana delivers water fun to Key West with the island’s largest swimming pool, the centerpiece of this 106-room boutique waterfront resort. Near Stock Island on the far east end of Key West, the Cuban-inspired property meshes with its tropical environment with colorful art and murals everywhere, Flamenco music on the air, and a traditional chickee, food truck, and pool bar to gather around to eat, drink, and be merry. DJs spin poolside on Friday and Saturday afternoons. There are bikes and Vespas to rent to get into Old Town, or you can hop on the hotel’s complimentary shuttle to reach downtown Key West and the Seaport. Other amenities included in the hotel’s resort fee range from airport pickup and in-room coffee to free onsite parking and complimentary funnel cake fries and churros served poolside in the late afternoon.
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