The Henderson, A Salamander Beach Resort and Spa Review

We attended a wedding at this location and it was perfect. The staff was more that courteous and attentive. The place was absolutely gorgeous with every detail attended to.

Great resort. The room was fantastic. I had a king overlooking the gulf. The beds were comfy. The room was spacious. Honestly one of the best rooms I have ever had.

I stayed in December so only got to use the hot tub, but the pool looked nice! The hot tub was fantastic, perfect temperature.

The spa was also fantastic. I had a massage and spent a couple hours in the sauna/hot tub/salt room. Very relaxing. The staff was good.

Why four stars and not five? Food and beverage. While the staff was great. The options and quality of the food was lacking. Especially for how expensive it was. Ended up leaving the property after two days to eat. The Whole Foods Market had better food. Additionally the housekeeping was okay. Very inconsistent.

A beautiful experience from the staff to the surroundings. We will be back

Very nice hotel. Still ironing out some kinks but overall very nice. The food at Horizons is great! Need more food options at "Sea Level", the outside bar. A couple more draft beer options would be nice and a couple more appetizers, like nachos perhaps or at least chips and salsa. Staff very friendly, all around.

Beatiful grounds and pool with lazy river, gorgeous interior decor, views of Henderson State Park and the Gulf are awesome, just a short walk to the beach, and one of the best spas in the area. My face felt the softest it's ever felt after a facial there!

The best sushi I've ever eaten, my chef was David and he made a customized sushi for me, the best ever

Wonderful service from start to finish! Massage was phenomenal and was by far my favorite gift for my 40th birthday!

After attending many events at The Henderson Beach Resort I have to say the food that they serve is terrible. I would expect so much more from a place like this. The Chef (if you can call him/her that) lacks any skill as reflected in horrid food he/she prepares. Seriously Henderson do better.

Was a guest at beachside wedding and reception inside-- good time

Beautiful place. Was there for a wedding & everything was fantastic. Employees are so helpful.

Stunningly beautiful spa! I had a massage and facial, both were prefect! Great 40th birthday gift from my husband.

Amazing resort with great staff. We had a great ocean view room and the private beach has amazing pristine white sand. The grounds are well maintained and the rooms are wonderful. I don't swing by the area too often but The Henderson has made me want to visit Destin every year

Accomodations are excellent. Beautiful rooms, gorgeous salt water pool (includes awesome lazy river), nice spa, clean grounds. I especially liked the bedding in the rooms and spacious bathroom with soaking tub. We had dinner a couple of nights at Horizon's and food and service was great. My husband is a big foodie, so for him to give a thumbs-up is significant. Overall, I give 3.5 - 4 stars because we spent a lot of time at pool and the service was not what I expected...1 bar tender who was slammed and lost patience when guests were irritated with the wait. One day for lunch the waitress for our area of the pool flat out said she was too busy to get to us when I said nicely (realizing she was busy, but getting hungry) "could you please swing by here when you can?" She passed us three times or more without ever making eye contact or stopping. I finally had to go up to the bar and order food and encountered a stressed-out bartender. Complimentary coffee ran out every morning. Spa was nice. Fyi - they automatically charge 20% tip. I am generally a very gracious tipper and often tip a great massage therapist over 20%. The therapist I had spoke too much during the massage about himself and this did not make for the best experience for me personally. I probably would have tipped anyway, because I do, but for it be automatically added was a bit irritating when I felt a little jipped with a massage. We stayed 5 nights and overall had a very nice time and would come back. I believe the hotel could improve guest experience by hiring more qualified staff for the pool, especially since busy months are ahead to accommodate all of the guests. If they were to come up with a better system for taking orders and having runners to bring orders to guests, it would make it more efficient and probably allow servers to make more tips. The actual hotel is in line with a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton as far as the accommodations, but the service is not quite up to par.

Excellent Resort with outstanding service. We stayed with the kids in one of the condos. Beach access just on the other side of the street.
Service at the pool and the beach are extraordinary good.
The massage at their spa was super relaxing. Spa is nice as well.
We enjoyed a yoga class at the beach.
The workout was good in the two gyms.

There is nothing what we missed. They provided perfect vacation memories.

Thanks you! We will come back and highly recommend to visit the Henderson.

The hotel was beautiful. The breakfast at the main resturant was good. But we will not return. We don't use elevators, so we must have open access to stairs or be on the first floor. We are always very, very clear about that when making reservations. We were assured it wouldn't be a problem. It was. We were given a second floor room. That is not a problem, per se. But none of the staff had a clue where the stairs were, if they were always open, etc. We were finally able to get access, but it was a bad start. Made worse by the concierge. We called down for a simple request. It took 3 calls before anyone answered. Then we were told they don't have a simple antacid. Don't think this was a late night arrival issue (it was around 9pm, but that's not an excuse). The next morning continued the horrible customer service. After 4 unanswered calls, we finally got someone to ask for our car to check out. 45 minutes later, my wife had checked us out and paid, but no one had come to our room to get bags. And the car had not come around. Another 30 minutes and a maintenance man came to our room to get the bags. He gave a different excuse than the front desk did as to why no one had come up yet. By that time we had requested a manager. None where available. Eventually the manager called us and gave us a refund on some of the extra fees.

Very accommodating, super friendly staff, luxurious rooms, everything you need for a getaway.

It's simply gorgeous - courteous staff - great location, and sand & water - who knew!

Nice pac to stay. Incredible views and close to stores and attractions......

My wife and I were looking forward to celebrating our anniversary at the Henderson Resort. This was our first time in Destin. The hotel is beautiful. The grounds are well kept and the staff is super friendly, but we had serious issues with housekeeping during our stay! The room was dirty. The staff was completely overwhelmed and ill prepared for its guests. Our room wasn t cleaned until at least 6 pm each night. I say cleaned as it was clear they hadn t cleaned the floor in the bathroom (beach sand on floor from the prior day) and the floor in the living area wasn t vacuumed, They didn t empty the trash can on two instances and they NEVER left washcloths (I had to call the front desk every day). In one instance I was provided a washcloth that had gum stuck inside of it. I needed to request new pillow cases upon check in because they still smelled of perfume from the previous guest. We also had issues with the facilities not being able to support the number of guests at the pool (no chairs available 2 of the 5 days we were there), but we were able to enjoy the beach, which is beautiful and again the staff was very attentive and friendly. The 2 star rating is almost completely due to the issues with the cleanliness of the resort. I Want to feel comfortable when I m on vacation and it was very hard to fully relax when I knew that the room I was staying in was not clean. I m sorry that we chose to stay at the Henderson for our anniversary and I would not recommend this hotel.

Lovely hotel and Beautiful Spa with incredible amenities. Check out the salt room! Had a wonderful massage. A definite "must" when you are in Destin!

If you want a safe, friendly family oriented getaway, the Henderson Beach Resort is your place. Beautiful beaches, adult pool area, great food and amazing staff. This place is unforgettable!

We stayed here after Hurricane Michael. The staff were so friendly and considerate. Very thankful for them and allowing all of us to stay there.

My stay was awesome,staff was great everything super loved our visit

Attended the Women's Council of realtors district meeting at this lovely resort. Upscale, elegant, posh - all the luxury you would expect in a Destin resort.

Beautiful place to vacation. Friendly staff, wonderful spa services and beautiful beach.

The Henderson is a beautiful resort! Went to a wreath making class two Saturdays in December. Hannah and Becky were awesome hosts! I must say the staff is so friendly and the resort is absolutely beautiful! Stop in and visit or participate in an one of there activities!

Very nice building and grounds. The tile, brick and stone work throughout the hotel is well done. I install that for part of my job so I noticed. The staff is very nice too. Liked the therapy dog.

Excellent! Was there for wedding and reception. They did a spectacular job. Service was excellent and the place is very nice. Good breakfast buffet.

The words fall short if I should describe my time at The Henderson. It is undoubtedly a resort of unparalleled quality, with beautiful spaces and first class care.

The service of the restaurant is at the hands of splendid people, with a really good efficiency and a weekly menu that deserves the best rating, in addition to having indoor and outdoor spaces to enjoy it and make a great journey. The pool area is beautiful and perfectly maintained like the rest of the green areas of the resort.

The staff is really excellent and they are dedicated to making your stay the best, both the management and those in charge of cleaning. No doubt about the destinations that I would love to visit as many times as I can.

Beautiful facility. Amazing service and fantastic amenities.. We will be back.

This place is very classy... just have money to go. It's not cheap but I can say that u pay for what you get. Definitely tends to a high class crowd

One of the cleanest hotel rooms I have ever been in. Very friendly staff as well.

Fantastic experience. All the ladies need to try the Nickilatini Martini that was created for my girlfriend by Nicholas the Bartender. Mandy was Great too. Pours a MEAN Jameson

Just got to see the pool area as that is where the event was held. Beautiful area and the outside decor of the resort reminds me of a mountain cabin lodge. Parking is terrible however. Only valet available. To self park it was either at a church or bowling alley.

Brand new. Loved the lunch we had. Don't like the location as most other Salamander resorts are tucked back and away from everything.

The Henderson is a great resort with a great pool and a beachfront that is breathtaking. You pay a premium to stay per night, plus parking, plus resort fees but that normal.

I was disappointed that at check in the front desk agent did not share what amenities of the hotel and what the resort fees included. (water sports, bikes..) others experienced the same.
Additionally there was no mention that coolers were not allowed on beach. Our first day at the beach I packed only 4 bottles of water on ice and was informed by staff I could not take water in a cooler. They offered me a $69.00 a day option which included 2 chairs, an umbrella and a yeti cooler with a few bottles of water.

Dear Henderson, thank you for allowing me to carry my cooler with 4 bottles of water as a one time courtesy. You should probably look improving the customer experience by improving your menu options beyond pre-made sandwiches instead of trying to restrict families from drinking water.

Great place to stay in Destin, will definately stay here again.

This establishment is amazing!! I wish I could give them 10 stars . Everything was on-point from accommodations to the staff. Rooms are gorgeous, staff is friendly and always there to open doors and assist in any manner possible. Spa is relaxing, had a couples massage and Brie and Marissa were absolutely amazing! The best weekend of my life....Thank you Henderson and Staff for making me feel like a rock star

An amazing time and experience! The resort is beautiful. Staff was very friendly and conscience of safety measures. Valet parking was quick. I cannot stress enough how beautiful the beach is. Pools are beautiful too. Bike rentals were quick and easy to enjoy the town. Overall this is the place to stay.

The Henderson Resort was really a nice place to stay , with mostly a helpful staff. But you need to tell me why a quest couldn't check in a few hours early, especially if their flight puts them here at that time. And the guest departing early will loose hours during departure. In the resort the rooms had what they called a cooler , not a refrigerator. Not very useful for the guest, and forces guest to bare additional cost for food. I can kind of understand no microwave (promotes extra cleaning for the rooms), but not the refrigerator.

Stayed here for 4 nights. The check in was at 4pm, but our rooms were not ready and I had two very cranky kids that were tired from the long drive. Resort was nice, and had all the amenities one can wish for. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Paid thru the nose but loved location and amenities

Great stay, great staff and beautiful views. Stayed here as part of a company event and thoroughly enjoyed it! Friendly, helpful staff and comfortable, clean rooms. The beach is great, white sand and green water. Would definitely recommend this hotel.

Outstanding resort. An adults only pool and a family pool with a lazy river. Beautifully landscaped and meticulous detail given to all areas of the resort. Great meals served at Primrose Restaurant and good drinks and small eats at Horizons. While chillin poolside, enjoy great food and drinks from the Sea Level cafe. Multiple activities and excursions available; just see the concierge. Private beach is only a short walk away. This is a great place to vacation.

We haven't even stayed at the Henderson yet, however just with the customer service alone so far, we are so excited. We are planning our honeymoon there in August, I had a ton of questions and Sam who I spoke with not only answered all of them, but was so friendly and kind! We cant wait for our stay and really appreciate the great service so far! Thanks again!

Absolutely amazing! We did a small private beach wedding at the Henderson on the 4th of July. Kathryn was fantastic, keeping in touch the days leading up, getting us early check in, and driving us to the wedding location (to the beach). We were upgraded from garden to gulf view and the view and the room was stunning! ! The beach was perfect, private, and beautiful. After the ceremony, we arrived back to our room to find champaign, chocolate covered strawberries, and a card. It was fantastic. We did ask to be picked up from the beach and after waiting 20 min, we gave up and walked back. The only other complaint was that when we ordered room service, one of our two sides wasnt with it and we had to call to be told they were out. The main dish itself was decent, though a bit over cooked (ordered two rare steaks, got two medium steaks). We were offered a replacement for the missing side though, and the crab cake starter was fantastic. All in all, amazing service, the staff was outstanding and the room was just perfect. We definitely would love to come back in the future and recommend it.

Beautiful place. however checkin was 4. our room was not ready till 5:30. Went to bar and set outside. No service for 25min. We got up and left. Had dinner reservations at 8pm at restaurants on site. 1.5 hours later our food had not come out. I talked to mgr twice. we got up and walked out. Totally unexpected for such a nice place

This Hotel, Inn and grounds are simply beautiful. The pools, 3, are well maintained and separated - adult pool, family pool and a lazy river style pool. There is a nice, groomed area for dog walking, and areas for other activities. Rooms are nicely laid out, and comfortable

From the amazing adults only pools to the prestine white sand beaches this place is absolutely amazing. Located right next to the state park it's the only area in Destin where you don't feel surrounded by tons of people. They do charge a resort fee daily and parking. It ended up being an extra $50/day but it was worth it!

Very nice and clean! We love this place so much! The private beach is very nice! I definitely recommend this place!

Great customer service! Everyone was so friendly and attentive. Hotel & grounds were beautiful. White sand private beach a block away. Large well appointed room.

Do you want to spend an unforgettable moment? If you are in Destin or close do not hesitate to visit this hotel. Either to stay or simply a romantic dinner, business, among friends or with yourself. First class hotel and first class service! Its cozy areas, with good taste and elegance will make you spend a different time, surrounded by people who will ensure that your stay is simply perfect. Excellent food and the bar a dream!
The best educated and helpful employees.
Victoria is a lovely server, Skyler and Dulce at the bar, Geomar in the kitchen, along with her manager! pending that each detail is up to its visitors

Very beautiful resort! The staff is excellent, the food is excellent, and the entire resort is super clean! The location and views are next to none. The spa is great and worth the trip by itself!

Very nice place. Staff is super friendly, plenary to do here with out having to leave.

Wainting on my tee time .then a wedding for my young son .retirement is near .water close by and safe neighborhood to walk or beach walking distance

This resort is AMAZING! The staff was friendly and helpful. I absolutely loved my room. I have to visit again when the weather is warmer.

Beautiful place to get away and relax for a few days.

Great place to stay. Rooms are a bit small but very nice.

The staff here is very friendly and respond quickly to your needs and requests. Food is delicious! The rooms are beautiful. The pool area is clean and relaxing; plenty of space to lounge. The reason I can't give 5 stars is because the house keeping staff was very inconsistent. My first day the housekeeping set up my towels, soaps, and coffee stations so nicely. Everything was in place and in order. The second day they set up the towels but didnt give me any condiments for coffee and took the glass coffee cups away completely. Third day, nothing was set up right. The towels were tossed in the room, not even in the bathroom. They threw the towels on the little counter when you step in the room. No refills on soap, no toilet tissue, no soap, shampoo or conditioner...no refills. They even took the mat out the bathroom you step on when getting out the shower. So long story short, the housekeeping is very inconsistent with their service. Also, the reason I can't leave a 5 atar review is because the resort put a family of 5 or 6 next to us. My husband and I are celebrating our 10 year anniversary. We are placed on the highest floor, second to the last room at the end of the hall and we're thinking we will get peace and quiet and we did on night one. But on the second night a family checked in that last room on the same hall right next to us. I feel its pretty careless and thoughtless to put a large family in a room next to couples, especially couples celebrating anniversaries for obvious reasons. This family was up at 11:45pm screaming, banging the walls, playing karaoke. Totally killed my vibe. Sadly, we had to call security to calm things down. Security came within 30 seconds. Very responsive and cared about our concerns. They are only noisy during the daytime hours now, which is fine. Nights got better after the one time security intervention. My suggestion to the resort is house families separately from couples the best you can. Really kills the romantic vibe. Also, I would have liked a few complimentary eating options. Everything is charged plus 20% tip every order. That's a little rough for the not so rich guests. But other than that I am having a great time! We check out tomorrow. With the knowledge we have acquired during our stay, we would be happy to have another visit here in the future.

Wonderful rooms and staff. Wish there were more food options at night though.

Went to a wedding, the whole place was wonderful and the staff were a delight.

This is a beautiful resort! The location is great, right across from the beach and near shopping and restaurants. The staff is incredibly friendly and goes out of their way to help with anything you need. Really enjoyed my stay here!

My husband and I visited the Henderson in February 2020 for our babymoon & loved it! The property was beautiful, the rooms were exquisite, and the private beach area was wonderful. Sadly, we didn't have great weather for enjoying the enticing pools, but still enjoyed some time on the beautiful "white sugar beach."
We booked their spa package and ended up running into a billing error/miscommunication when checking out...but thankfully, Laura & Wendy were patient and helped us out! I am glad we didn't just take their word for it and really tried to understand the billing so we were sure to get the deal/package we had booked with. So grateful they were able to fix the problem!
Since we visited during the slow season, not all of the restaurants were open, but Horizons was and we enjoyed their taco night...as well as a takeout order to enjoy on the beach! (The fish sandwich was delicious!)
The spa was a nice experience, but disappointing that their relaxation areas are separate. the only time my husband and I could spend together was during our couples massage & in their salt cave, which isn't where I'd like to spend my spa time. We would have liked to lounge in the spa area together, but you only have that option if you book one of their upgraded packages for a couples suite. Regardless, it was still nice, just would have liked to enjoy it together. Also- their robes are to die for comfy! My husband ended up buying one for me after the fact because we both loved them so much! haha
Last note & Not on the property- but check out the restaurant "the back porch"- it's DELICIOUS and has a great atmosphere & patio seating with a beach view. We ate there twice because we lived it so much!

Beautiful accomodations! Want to go back for another wafflewhich

Expensive...hotel, grounds and pools are amazing, food was okay. Salamander Spa massage with Cara was excellent.

Top notch. Not one rude or unfriendly employee. They take very good care of you.

Dulce and Iryna were fantastic at the Horizon Bar. They really went out of their way to make our evening memorable.

Horrible experience. The staff are rude and careless. When we checked in there were a couple customers complaining to the front desk. One had her air conditioning broken the night before. Not a good way to start our vacation. Service was non existent. We went to rooftop bar and no one came to take our order for 15 minutes. There was 1 bartender with more than 8 people in line waiting on drinks so we left. The beach is not very close but like a 5 minute walk which is a drag with kids and beach toys. We finally had to call for housekeeping to come clean our room since it hadn't been cleaned still at 4:30 PM! The rooms are not sound proof at all. You can hear the next rooms and top rooms footsteps. Not sure how this place gets any good reviews.

Loved the Toes in the Sand experience. Dinners were wonderful as was happy hour and it was so nice being able to sit and relax on the private beach area. Thank you for helping my husband pull off a wonderful surprise second wedding!