The Henderson, A Salamander Beach Resort and Spa Review

I was blown away by our experience from beginning to end! From the first person you encounter when you pull up to the the last person you see, every single person had a smile on their face and pleasant attitude. In this day and age that alone is remarkable. The room was beautiful, truly top notch. I request a view of the pool but would up with a view of the ocean also. It was clean and super nice. I'm a clean freak at home so I notice every single spec of dirt or grime - none of which I encountered anywhere here. The temperature in the room and whole resort was so comfortable, I want hot once and I tend to run hot. The food was delicious in Primrose, even though our steaks were overcooked. They quickly rectified that for us! The adult pool was wonderful. And the spa was just incredible. I highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone! You definitely get what you pay for here, and I cannot wait to book again!

Best housekeeping services, amazing onsite facilities and wonderful staffs

Finest hotel in the area, great view from rooftop terrace

We fell in love with this place, I highly recommended to visit, the chef is an artist and all their people are so friendly.

It was really nice, however there was a charge for EVERYTHING. We booked using Hotwire, then there was a "mysterious" Resort Fee of $29 per day added to our bill. What the heck! We had a lot of fun with the popcorn and movie night. I was just really surprised by all the fees and how expensive everything was. I would suggest stayi g at a 3-3.5 star hotel from now on. This hotel is definitely 4-starz, at a 5-star price. We won't be staying here again. Bring your money to a Holiday inn or best Western for Free Breakfast, etc.

Will be back for sure.
Great atmosphere.
Amazing Food.
Fantastic facility.
Perfect Gym.
Fabulous pool and beach.
Wife and kids loved it.

We booked tickets for the New Year's Eve party that The Henderson was hosting, and also booked a room for the night. The resort itself is beautiful; we loved the heated pool and the room was lovely. The two issues keeping me from leaving a five star review are as follows: (1) The party was NOT what I would expect from a hotel of the caliber of The Henderson. They held it out in the lobby, which we found quite awkward. My husband kept looking around to see if we were missing something. A staff member eventually confirmed that "this was it". We are avid ballroom dancers and one of the main reasons that I booked the venue was that the Facebook ad promoting the event promised a "DJ to dance the night away". There was a DJ; there was just nowhere to dance. Whoever had planned the event put a giant, plush rug in front of the DJ. It is difficult (and dangerous) to dance on a rug like that in heels. I was shocked that they did NOT have a dance floor! At $49 a ticket, I expected more than an event held out in the lobby without so much as a dance floor. Very disappointing. (2) Staff was friendly enough (even the maids say a cheery "hello" to you as you walk by), but didn't relay pertinent information such as check out time, where the party was, what time breakfast started and ended, etc. Whenever I had a question they directed me to ask someone else...I work in the vacation rental industry and when a guest has a question, we don't tell them to go ask another staff member; if we don't know the answer, we personally go and ask whatever co-worker has the answer and then relay that information back to the guest. I didn't see any sort of pamphlet in the room with general information; if I had I wouldn't have had questions to ask staff in the first place. We would consider staying at The Henderson again but I hesitate to attend another event there.

We have stayed here several times and it is always amazing!.The staff is wonderful and always so helpful. We stayed at the lofts and enjoyed all the amenities of a hotel but with a little more room to spread out! We can't wait to return.

I thought this place was beautiful. I loved the fact that there was an adult pool and a family pool with a lazy river both serving adult beverages. The resort was a short walk to the beach where you were able to kayak, paddleboard, or boogie board inclusive with your resort fee. I paddled. And the beach is quiet and pristine!

Great resort. Covid-19 friendly and courteous staff Social distancing strictly followed. Very clean

Staff wouldn't let Uber pick me up at the front door for "security" reasons. This is so unprofessional. I had to walk all the way down by the road to be picked up.

Elegant beach access resort. Perfect for a romantic wedding or romantic getaway. First class accommodations with first class prices. Beautiful spa. Equisite dining areas and roof top views of beaches.

Have been to the spa multiple times. Amazing amenities and staff.

This place is AMAZING. Pricey, but worth the money. Highly recommend!

Lovely Place to spend a few days ! Plenty of light for working ;-)

Had an hour massage at Salamander Spa at The Henderson in Destin Fl. today. Due to the virus, all amenities at the spa were closed, which is totally understandable. No access to the jacuzzi, showers, salt room, Lavender room, lockers....... Because of this, I assumed that they would have reduced the $160 price tag. I inquired at the desk when I was done and planned to add to the tip, the difference between reduced and regular price. Much to my surprise, no discount was offered and the explanation was because they had to buy hand sanitizer and masks. They did however add ten minutes to the massage making it a complete 60 minute massage. I thought it was greedy and appalling that this was the case. I have had a couple of large spa parties there, and usually bring any guests who visit me there for a special experience. Never again!!!

My husband took me for birthday weekend. My husband is 6 7 I m 5 11. Claw foot tub too small (no bath together) the bath scale was broken. Our room faced the front of Resort (construction going on). No ocean view. I made reservation. 1 year prior.Ice machine broke. Had to go to another floor . Too expensive for all of the above. We should have stayed at Wyndham

The poolside area was amazing and the staff was very friendly

Where do i start? For the price you expect to have a clean room. this was not the case. the walls were dirty, the shower door was broken, the tub had sand in it, and yes, there was pubic hair in the fridge. You heard that right, PUBIC HAIR! Oh, and we found out it s not a fridge. Its a cooler , which you can t keep any food or drink. Basically, you have to spend piles of money for everything on top of the huge price for the room. I convinced my wife to give it a chance after we made the initial complaint. So we went to the pool area and had some food. My daughter (18 years old) had some chicken fingers. Within 20 minutes she was in the bathroom. Yes, and it just kept getting better. I will cut it short by saying there were bugs biting my ankles when we finally laid down for the night. The staff was nice, that s about it. Save your money. Seriously, go elsewhere.

A beautiful hotel that backs up to an unspoiled park and beach.

Amazing service style and great price compared to other resorts in the area! Here's a photo from the side rooms balcony upper floor!

Our stay was without a doubt one of the most memorable and enjoyable anniversary weekends my wife and i have ever had. We thoroughly enjoyed everything about our weekend there last weekend. From the kind and courteous staff, to the five star accomodations and ammenities, it was awesome. My wife and I can't wait to go back!

If you are looking for an adult oriented location to get away to, this place is awesome and should be on you list to consider. They even let you bring your fur babies. They have spacious rooms with refrigerators, casual bar and upscale restaurant on the premises. One adult pool and another extra large pool complete with a lazy river. The complex borders a state park, so you don't feel confined. Big plus is you get free beach chairs with your room and towels. Just show up and they take care of the rest. Well worth the money.

This hotel is amazing. Check in was a breeze. It has lovely well maintained landscape and nice clean rooms with beautiful view of the gulf. There s an adult pool and family pool with a lazy river which is my favorite. The spa is top notch. It is pricey but I will definite stay here again next time I visit Destin.

My husband and I have had 3 kids in 3 yrs and haven't had a break since. This was our getaway weekend even though we only live 15 mins away. I am so glad we picked this slice of heaven as our destination! It was Pretty much paradise! We also experienced the Salamander Spa. There was a miscommunication with scheduling but Aimee compensated with a complimentary Couples Play date which made up for the hiccup! Thank you Henderson staff for everything you did to make us feel special and make our weekend unforgettable!

Great experience. New, clean, and outstanding customer service.

Gave me no information about age restrictions left me with no place to stay.

Arrived early and was put on a priority list for check in. Was given access to the facilities while we waited for a room. An hour before check in time I checked the status of our room and still not ready but was told it shouldn t be much longer. Then at check in time went to get our room and still nothing available and no ETA could be given. Nobody at the front desk acted like they cared. 20 minutes after check in time, tried again, no room available still. In the meantime I saw several other groups get checked in and given a room. Nobody had an explanation other than the room type we were getting wasn t ready. While talking to the lady, she tells me they can offer an accommodation when these types of things happened and asked if we had dinner reservations and how we parked (assumed I d be given some sort of concession here). Then 30 minutes after check in time finally have a room ready. Nothing offered for the inconvenience, barely a care or an apology. Expensive parking, resort fees, and on site food and drinks. Don t allow you to bring your own food or drinks to the pool or private beach. The room was decent, the view was the best part. Shower soaked the floor, toilet ran, terrible hand soap. Minimal TV channels. Comfy beds. The resort itself was really nice and convenient. Nice pool and gym. Games for the kids. Quick walk to the beach. Pool service staff, valet staff, and housekeeping staff all really friendly and helpful. Last day took my daughter to the boutique and she found a toy and wanted to buy it with her own money and the boutique doesn t take cash. So we didn t buy it and my daughter came to tears over it. And this while they were working to allow another customer to buy something with cash. The experience of the resort was fine but in my opinion not worth what you pay for. I would expect better service from the registration staff and more reasonably priced food and drink on site for guests.

Pros: Beautiful hotel with great scenery, nice pools, top notch equipment at the fitness facility, close to all of the attractions.



Our family stays in many nice hotels, and we stay there for a reason. To us, paying a premium is worth it because we know what we can expect in terms of service, food, and overall experience. Unfortunately, The Henderson delivers on a great facility but they fall very short on food and service when compared to chain hotels like 4 Seasons, the Omni, and the W. We will be staying at the Hilton Sandestin next time we are in town.

Beautiful, upscale facility, close to beach, all the staff were super friendly and pleasant. Spa service was fantastic and very relaxing. And valet staff very efficient and great restaurant suggestions (thanks Greg and Peter!)

The service was amazing and the hotel is beautiful. The overall experience was very relaxing and I am looking forward to going back again soon.

My new husband and I stayed here this past week for our honeymoon. I have to say The Henderson is the best place we could ve chosen. The staff is so friendly and accommodating. They offer excellent room service, fine dining, casual dining, and even poolside and beachside dining! They have literally something for everyone. We took advantage of all amenities including the spa and everything was wonderful. If you haven t decided on a place to stay in Destin, pick The Henderson!

Very nice place. Beautiful, clean, and very friendly staff

We were extremely happy about our choice to stay here! We stayed in a 1bedroom 2 bath condo for 5 nights that was very accommodating for 2 adults and 2 kids. The customer service from every single employee on site from the front desk to house keeping and maintenance was amazing. Everything was clean, food was good and there was plenty to do to keep our 6 year old occupied. We will be coming back again soon!

Never been to a hotel, let alone a resort, that didn't offer a taxi service to the airport. Missed my flight because they could not get a taxi for an early morning flight.

Henderson Beach Resort adds more than a touch of glamour to your Destin vacation. The grounds are dotted with palm trees, and there s a selection of swimming pools to enjoy, as well as a full-service spa for indulgent treatments.

The rooms at this hotel boast beautiful views of the coastline and are decorated in a subtle blue and yellow colour palette, reflecting the surrounding nature. Onsite, there are several dining options, including Primrose, which serves up fresh seafood with ocean views.

Location: Henderson Beach Resort is located five miles away from Harbor Walk Village, and just a mile away from Kelly Plantation Golf Club. The hotel is adjacent to Henderson Beach State Park and boasts beach access.

It's was almost great. It was fairly new when I stayed so minor issues will likely be resolved. Quick hint: it looks like the lazy river becomes all adult after about 5:30 when parents get the kiddies ready for dinner. 5 min walk to the beach, it is not even a block just not a straight shot.

No real complaints except food at confrence wasn't as good as prior meets there.

Outstanding service and quality everything! I got charged for several items when I checked out that I didn't use but I didn't bother to fight it because they really have an excellent resort here. Also the pools and outdoor amenities are really over-the-top.

Beautiful resort right near the beach in Destin, FL. And it is pet friendly which makes it that much cooler

Great resort! Coffee machines in the room leave a bit to be desired but they have a big pot in the lobby. Beach is a bit farther than originally believed. Extremely friendly staff!

Beautiful wedding venue!
The staff is very nice and helpful!

Very nice resort, super expensive. Nothing is included in your room price.

Was an amazing vacation. The hotel and grounds are well maintained and tasteful. The staff is great, was so nice to see the regular staff (everyone had face masks). Highly recommend a room with a Gulf view. Highly recommend the lazy river pool - incredibly family friendly!!

Great location- this was a perfect home base. We intended not to leave the property, but ended up having such a fun time riding bikes, grabbing ice cream and waterfront lunch from the many restaurants, and driving pretty much the expanse of 30A.

Only downside - we were there for a week and by day 2 it felt like we had exhausted the resort menu. Our family is diverse in what we eat and the offerings while tasty were pretty limited (100% yes to the cauliflower and prawns). Maybe this is a scaled back Covid menu? Didn t ask.

Also daily yoga was great. Some instructors are better than others and I would NOT recommend doing it on the beach.

Overall, a 5 out of 5 and I can t wait to be back!

One of the most un user friendly websites that I have ever see. They don t even have an option to email a gift card...are they living in the dark ages?

We'll definitely be back! Awesome place, kid friendly, nice rooms, clean, and close to the beach. Can't get much better than that!

This place is amazing. Awesome and very helpful staff, amazing food and top shelf location. Highly recommended.

Room wasn't ready. We were given keys to s room that someone was still occupying....the list goes on and on. The Manager was very nice and tried to compensate for the Resorts lack of quality.

Gorgeous resort! Beautiful spa! The food was amazing and the service was top notch! I would definitely recommend this resort.

The best of the best resorts in the Destin area doesn t even describe the amazing staff at The Henderson. As a wedding photographer I get to venture to numerous parts of the property and delighted with amount of photo opportunities there are.

The chef and kitchen food is excellent in the restaurant as well as the catering. Beach access is easy private which makes more private than locations further west up the beach-easier to photograph couples and families with less people or no one in the back ground.

I was sitting down at Horizons enjoying my view of the emerald coast, and being served what looked like a half eaten plate of shrimp cocktail that was probably taken from another table - when I witnessed several people jumping off the side of the building. Completely perfect experience...5 Stars!

Facilities are really clean and staff were fantastic. Really close to the beach and tons of activities, wish I could have stayed longer.

I only say 4 stars because there was construction going on right next door and it did ruin the view a lot. ALSO things are very pricey all around and very little food/water included.

Still, this place is incredibly beautiful and fancy. The staff make you feel like royalty! Thank you so much! We stayed in a queen bed room and had no complaints with our room.

The nearby pools are perfectly clean and refreshing. We did walk to the beach every day as well which is very close nearby. We had a wonderful anniversary stay!

No words can describe what a beautiful place this is. Service was out of this world. Simple put Perfect.

We loved this resort and will for sure be back! Super nice! Has a very exclusive private feel to it. We stayed and compared this Resort to the Hilton Sandestin and we preferred The Henderson way over the Hilton Sandestin.

Wow, truly beautiful. We go to the beach several times a year and was not familiar with this property. Stayed here for a business conference. They do charge a daily resort fee, but waved mine because I was there less than a day. Wish I could have stayed longer. A great property to bring the family with lots of planned events, direct access to the beach, modern, and extremely clean. Look forward to staying again!

I love this hotel....I wish I could stay longer. This hotel is worth of your money. I will be back .