Which Florida Beach Town Is the Best Florida Beach Town?
Which Florida Beach Town Is the Best Florida Beach Town?
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https://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/florida/experiences/news/photos/the-best-florida-beach-towns
Whether you’re after powder-fine sands, turquoise seas or some solid city life for when you towel off for the day, here’s how to decide which beach destination fits your travel style.
From the Gulf of Mexico’s bright white sands to dune and boardwalk-backed stretches along the Atlantic Ocean and the coral cays strung off the tip of southern Florida, the Sunshine State can hang with any tropical destination when it comes to the diversity of beaches dished up. Whether you’re looking to don a mask and snorkel to frolic among reef fish, wade into gentle waters with the family, or just flop down under an umbrella on the sand, Florida has a stretch of beach with your name on it.
If you’re trying to decide which among them might be best for your next treatment of Vitamins Sea and D, read on for insider insights comparing a few of the fan favorites for fun in the sun—St. Pete Beach/Clearwater Beach, the Florida Keys, and Fort Lauderdale.
PHOTO: Artiom Photo/Shutterstock
St. Pete Beach/Clearwater Beach
Fly into Tampa or St. Pete and you’re within roughly a half-hour drive of what are consistently lauded among America’s best beaches. St. Pete Beach and neighboring Clearwater Beach, just north, are the stuff white sand dreams are spun of. Lapped by the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, these beaches are a perennial family favorite as the sea is often as calm as a lake–and usually clear enough, too, to see from your shoulders straight down to the sandy bottom.
I’m lucky to live close to both beach areas. When I’m craving a little more action on and off the sand, I’ll usually make Clearwater Beach my destination for the day. I like to arrive later in the afternoon, when the morning crowds have cleared out, and set up on the beach around Pier 60 Park. Every evening, from about two hours before sunset to two hours after, street performers and vendors cluster around the pier for a lively sunset celebration that’s a blast to stroll around. If you want to stay the night, I recommend the luxurious gulf front Sandpearl Resort , with its excellent sushi and seafood restaurant overlooking the beach, Caretta on the Gulf, or the new JW Marriott Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa, with a private beach and lively rooftop bar.
St. Pete Beach is one of my local go-tos living in Tampa, too. For an iconic stay on the sand at one of Florida’s Grande Dame hotels, The Don CeSar, aka the “Pink Palace,” is a family favorite that re-opened in early 2025 following a six-month renovation. Inside, with all the hotel’s 1920s history and lore, you’ll feel like you’ve walked onto the set of The Great Gatsby. At the buzzing pool bar and down on the lounge chair-dotted beach, however, it’s solid modern-era Florida beach fun, all year round.
When you’re ready for some urban entertainment in nearby downtown St. Pete, one of my favorite Florida cities, you can ride the SunRunner bus ($2.25 each way) between the beach and town. Hop off at stops along downtown’s main drag, Central Boulevard, to pop into cool coffee and wine bars like Pistil House and Bacchus Wine Bistro and stroll along the St. Pete Pier–a contemporary marvel with an inverted-pyramid design that’s topped with a great tiki bar, Pier Teaki.
PHOTO: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Fort Lauderdale Beach
Along the stretch of Fort Lauderdale beach around the famous Elbo Room beach bar, it’s a nonstop parade of bikinis and bronzed bods. But as you head north from there, more family-friendly stretches of sand come into focus and joggers and rollerbladers getting some exercise in the fresh air outpace the party crowd along the beachfront promenade that stretches along the sand for miles. It’s worth a splurge to stay at the exquisite Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale here, with its Michelin-starred restaurant, MAASS, rooftop pool and plush lounge chairs in prime position on the beach.
In Fort Lauderdale Beach’s northern reaches, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is a 180-acre green lung between the Intracoastal Waterway and the beach where you can rent a kayak or paddleboard to explore. And for off the beach dining and entertainment that offers something different from Las Olas and the beachfront, the new marina-front complex at Pier Sixty-Six comes with superyacht views, tropical cocktails at the waterfront Nectar Room and Fort Lauderdale’s coolest rooftop bar, Pier Top–0a city icon that dates to 1965 and where Champagne and caviar are served 17 floors up with views of the cruise port, downtown and the beaches all around.
PHOTO: Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock
The Florida Keys
Since the Florida Keys are actually coral cays, there are very few traditional beaches along the 113-miles of islands connected by 42 bridges between Key Largo and Key West. That said, if you’re looking to fly and flop for a spell in these parts, I can recommend Sombrero Beach on Marathon and the sugar sand beaches at Bahia Honda State Park in the Lower Keys as suitable for that.
The real appeal of a beach vacation in the Florida Keys, however, is found out on the water. That might mean taking a glass bottom tour with the family or a snorkeling excursion at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, diving incredible shipwrecks like the mid-20th century wreck of the Eagle off Islamorada, or circumnavigating Key West during Barefoot Billy’s guided jet ski tours. There are a few hotels I love in the Florida Keys with their own private beaches for some time kicking back on the sand, too, including Baker’s Cay Resort in Key Largo, The Islands of Islamorada in Islamorada, The Reach in Key West and Sunset Key Cottages, on a private island just offshore from Key West.
PHOTO: Jillian Cain Photography/Shutterstock
Which Beach Destination Is the Spot for Me?
https://hotelsmag.com/news/margin-call-hotel-profits-stabilize-but-costs-rise-in-the-americas/?
Hotel profits have steadied worldwide, but for the Americas, the story is more complicated: Growth is slowing, costs are climbing, and margins are feeling the squeeze.
HotStats data show that while the industry rebounded sharply from the pandemic lows of 2020, the latest figures reveal a clear plateau.
The Middle East currently leads the world in hotel gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) at $103.61, followed by the Americas at $92.78, Europe at $83.60 and Asia-Pacific trailing at $52.50, underscoring the uneven nature of the recovery. Although the Americas ranks second in profitability, it remains the only region yet to fully recover to 2019 levels, with growth showing clear signs of slowing.
Looking at year-to-date performance as of August 2025, both TRevPAR and GOPPAR increased across all regions and, in many cases, profitability outpaced revenue growth. The Americas, however, tell a different story, one of slowing growth and mounting costs. While total revenue rose 3.2%, GOPPAR increased by only 1.9%, with profit margins slipping 0.4 points.
The region’s year-to-date flow-through sits at 20%, meaning that for every additional dollar of revenue, only 20 cents translates into profit. Of the remaining 80 cents in expenses, 6% went to cost of sales, 53% to payroll and 21% to other expenses, including a notable 4.8% increase in utility costs.
SEGMENT TALK
A closer look at U.S. brand scales shows that most are trailing their YTD 2024 performance. The exceptions are ultra-luxury hotels (up 1.1 points in GOP margin) and luxury hotels (down just 0.1 points). These segments benefit from multiple revenue streams and facilities that attract both overnight guests and local spend.
Across the board, payroll continues to climb while occupancy slows, squeezing margins further. Even ultra luxury hotels, which reported a 7.5% increase in TRevPAR, saw payroll per available room grow 8.3%, eroding profitability gains. Hotels with smaller opportunities for ancillary revenue, such as midscale properties, are struggling the most. With limited additional revenue sources, they remain highly vulnerable to declining occupancy and rising labor costs.
Overall, the data show that while global profitability has leveled out, the Americas remain under pressure as rising costs outpace revenue growth, especially for lower-end brand scales. This raises a key question for hoteliers: How can operators rebalance cost structures, particularly labor, while finding new revenue streams to sustain profitability in a slowing market?
It’s one where data-led benchmarking can provide answers. By understanding how peer properties manage costs and capture revenue, operators can uncover strategies that directly improve margins.
The Best Wine Regions in Europe
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/the-best-wine-regions-in-europe
EyesTravelling/Shutterstock
Red, white, or rosé?
Europe pops first in mind whenever you think of wines. Its countries take the top spots in wine production—Italy, France, and Spain are the world’s biggest wine producers, accounting for almost half of the world’s vino. But it’s not just the premium bottles that make visitors heady. The lush carpets of vineyards, the beautiful food pairings, the charming villages, the family-owned wineries, and the quaint vineyard stays are pearls of the same string of experience.
But where do you start from? There are 3.2 million hectares of vineyards in the European Union, a massive variety of wines, and all sorts of wine tasting holidays. So, for the fans of merlot or barolo, we bring the top 10 regions in Europe.
This is a research conducted by Holidu, a search engine for holiday rentals. It explains, “For this study, the average price of a bottle of wine (average range), number of wine producers in the country, litres of wine consumed per capita, number of wine-growing regions (more than 120) and number of master’s degrees in oenology in the country were considered. A weight was assigned to each of these data points and a final ranking of the best regions in Europe for wine lovers was then created.”
Unsurprisingly, Italy dominates this list with five regions, and Spain and France tie with two regions each. The only outlier is Portugal’s Setúbal region.
PHOTO: Steve Allen/Shutterstock
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
In the southwest of France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the largest region in France with more than 11,000 vineyards. From Bordeaux wines to cognac and armagnac (brandy), it has soothed the palate of wine connoisseurs with premium spirits. The average price of a wine in Bordeaux is €5. Fishing villages offer succulent seafood dishes, fortified towns tell stories of their history, and all around the vineyards the vistas catch you by surprise every time you look up.
PHOTO: Pandora Pictures/Shutterstock
Sicily
PHOTO: David Blazquez Cea/Shutterstock
Castilla la Mancha
PHOTO: Barmalini/Dreamstime
Campania
PHOTO: Canadastock/Shutterstock
Umbria
PHOTO: Région Pays de la Loire/ J. Sarago
Pays de la Loire
PHOTO: Ana del Castillo/Shutterstock
Comunidad Valenciana
PHOTO: LianeM/Shutterstock
Tuscany
PHOTO: Alexandre Rotenberg/Shutterstock
Setúbal
PHOTO: StevanZZ/Shutterstock
Piedmont
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