The Henderson, A Salamander Beach Resort and Spa Review

If you are on the fence wether to book here or not then take my advice and do a hard pass. You would think a 4 star hotel would be coordinated enough to have guests rooms ready by 4pm check-in, not this place!! Had to wait until 5:30pm for my room to be available, and there were several other guests also waiting. That was just the start to a horrible stay. They tried to justify the extra wait time by saying they had to disinfect the rooms after the cleaning and then have them inspected by a manager. Then why was the room still so dirty?

They don't allow your own food or drinks at the pool nor the private beach, since they want to rip you off with their insane food and drink prices. I wouldn't mind this if the service wasn't so terrible. The waiters had a horrible attitude, and were forgetful.

The self parking is $15 a day and down a hill so have fun hiking. That's if you can find parking, at night it is always full. Also the beach is about a 10 minute walk, lots of steps, and no ramp available. The room was small, outdated and had no privacy for the bathroom. You can hear everything as the door has slats in it.

They posted signs at places were they said masks are mandatory for guests however they do not enforce this. I'd say 75% of the guests did not wear masks, and the staff wouldn't tell them anything.

I would give it a 10 plus!!! Customer service was over the top. From the concierge to the restaurants. I had a memorable experience.

This is a newer resort property in Destin. I am not from this area originally and had never been to Destin before. I absolutely fell in love with the area and this property. My husband and I plan to go back again soon.

We found this property and spa at the last minute as a back up honeymoon location. We were booked into a vineyard and spa in GA for our honeymoon and were mislead about the renovations underway the GA property. Luckily, I checked the GA spa website 2 weeks before we were scheduled to go and found out the entire property was undergoing a huge renovation which would have ruined our honeymoon which we had delayed until our first anniversary due to work and travel schedules.

I did some quick research and had always heard positive things about Destin from my colleagues and friends. I saw the reviews on the Henderson resort and Spa and I also noticed it was a Salamander Property which, from my prior travels, I have had a positive experience with. I rolled the dice and booked our last-minute honeymoon at the resort and spa. When we arrived, the property looked just as I expected, it was impeccable. Unfortunately, there was a slight mix up with the room reservation, but the on-duty manager Nicole took care of everything. She was amazing to deal with and knows her job very well. I also thought he had a great personality.

We booked 3 days of spa services. Everything was amazing and the facilities were great. Most of the lounge and extra areas (steam room, whirlpool, specialty shower) were in the separate locker rooms. They do have a Himalayan Salt Room which is coed. My only critique is I wish they had more coed spaces like a coed sauna and steam room. I noticed most people at the spa were couples. Minus that minor critique, I will say the spa is one of the best I have been to and I am well-traveled. Jennifer, who is one of the spa managers, was great. She knew we were there on our honeymoon/anniversary and went out of her way to make sure it was special. I had shared with her some of the challenges I faced to make the honeymoon happen last minute after the epic fail by the resort in GA and she was very personable and identified with me and what I had gone through.

The property itself is great, the beaches are white powder sand, the pools are great, they even have an adult only pool which we really appreciated and a lazy river which was so much fun. They also have poolside service which is where we met John the morning manager at Primrose, one of the hotel restaurants. John was great. We had lunch poolside most days, and breakfast on the balcony at Primrose most days. John made sure everything was taken care of and he also had an amazing personality, as did most of the staff we interacted with. The food at all the hotel locations was very good and I noticed everything was of impeccable quality. I am a very picky eater as is my husband and we both gave it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Clean, beautiful view, great service and delicious food. We will definitely be back!

Great family place. You have to pay to park but its worth it!

Amazing! Great place for families. Dog friendly. We brought our black lab and had a great experience. They have a dedicated dog walk area. Check- in took a little longer than we would like, especially with two toddlers and a dog. Pool area is perfect for families. Yummy adult beverages and food. Breakfast room service delicious. The kids loved the chocolate chip pancakes. I enjoyed the smoked salmon bagel. Beds are super comfy. Service is phenomenal. Highly recommend!

I love this place.. truly amazing and definitely luxurious

Staff was friendly and attentive. Rooms were nice and clean.

We had such a wonderful stay! We will definitely be back again.

We were on our second day of vacation when we decided to stay off the beach and do a spa day because I had a terrible sunburn on my feet. We ended up coming to Henderson s spa and to say the time spent there was outstanding, is an understatement. Everyone from the valet to the massage therapists were so kind. However, the one person who went above and beyond, out of her way was Natasha at the front desk of the spa. She was absolutely amazing and helped make the experience that much more. She was so kind and concerned about my sunburn and I truly believe that what she had them apply to my sunburn is what kept it from blistering. Your company is blessed to have her as apart of your team and I hope you acknowledge her for her outstanding kindness and customer service.

We went here for Thanksgiving and had an amazing time. The view from the room was incredible. We really enjoyed being able to walk to the beach. The family pool area was very clean and well maintained. There were plenty of places to sit. The staff were excellent. Everyone was very friendly and went above and beyond. The Thanksgiving week events were all done very well. Our daughter loved the cookie decorating and the smores. We had the best time here and look forward to visiting again in the future.

Best place to stay if you're in Destin. Beach access across the street, lazy river and amazing staff.

Disappointing! My now husband and I booked in January for our Weddingmoon. Everyone who worked at the resort treated us well and with respect. Management is another story Tropical Storm Cindy hit the day before our beach wedding. We were in a bit of a pickle and asked if we could RENT as in PAY for a small room where we could have the ceremony. The gentleman at the front desk was very polite and helpful and called his manager to see if that was an option. Well, it was not My husband and I could hear him yelling no over the phone. I of course, burst into tears. I couldn t believe someone could be so heartless to people staying at their resort at a very special time. We then had to call other resorts and hotels to find a room. We were on the phone during dinner with family the night before our wedding trying to find a place. We went to bed that night not knowing if we had a place for our ceremony the next day. The icing on the cake was at 1 a.m. (the day of our wedding), the resort let a very loud family of 6 check in next to us. They were very loud from 1-3 a.m. My husband notified the front desk in the morning and nothing was done about it. The next few nights weren t much better when one of the children woke up screaming throughout the night. The good news is, another very nice hotel rented us a room AND allowed us to use their beach access for pictures if the rain let up. The manager even stayed late to introduce herself and to make sure we had everything we needed. The rain let up long enough for us to get very memorable windy wedding photos. The biggest issue we had with the resort was letting people check in at 1 a.m. My husband has tried to call to discuss this issue, but there is never a manager available. He also left his number and they have not called back. Henderson Beach Resort doesn t care about YOU! They only care about your MONEY. When we visit Destin again, we will be staying at the other place because they care about people :). I feel sorry for all the kind people who work at Henderson. It doesn t seem like they get treated well by management at all.

Amazing just amazing!
The hotel is gorgeous and their private beach is just a 5 minute walk.
Their restaurants and even room service, offer a great variety for all in the family. Great food and healthy options.
Pool with lazy river, just perfect for families with kids.
Location is superb with several shops and restaurants walking distance.
Pictures in the website don't do justice.
Staff wears masks at all times.
Guests are required to wear masks in elevators and hallways.

-Hotel was very beautiful and relaxing
-Check in was a complete breeze and I felt extra special from all the attention
-The rooms were exquisite, clean, and comfortable
-The staff was friendly and accommodating
-I cannot wait to make the Henderson apart of my yearly spring break getaway!

This is a wonderful place, food is great. I sat by the pool and got a drink. $14 for a drink!!! Yikes. Up at the restaurant drinks are $10 for a bloody mary. This place has beautiful simple decor, so elegant.

Absolutely beautiful and relaxing. View from Loft 406 is amazing. Beach is so close - get there early to get front row, it s worth it. Staff is friendly and efficient. Already planning a return trip.

Absolutely lovely dinner experience. The grouper, butter mushrooms and veggies was delectable. The salads were clean and crisp with wonderful olive oil vinegrette. The desserts were outstanding. The almond shortcake and mixed berries with marshmallow tones was scrumptious. The carrot cake was exquisitely decorated with beautiful, edible flowers. Even THE BATHROOMS We're BEAUTIFUULY DECORATED With Beach WATERCOLOR landscapes. Just loved the smell of the wooden floors and the rustic, elegant furniture.

The Place was so Beautiful, All the of Staff was so Professional and Polite. Over All a Beautiful Place and we will be coming back.

Beautiful hotel and a great venue for special events. The staff is extremely friendly and outgoing.

If you can save up your money for a year just to spend a week at this location in Destin, Florida, just do it. Very pricey but well worth the money. The grounds are immaculate, the white beach sands are clean(very hot though)he water is warm, the rooms are really nice and the food is top notch.
Must take an excursion to Crab Island while you are there.

Omg, what a place to relax! Excellent food, turned down our bed, ice cold water when we came in, soft music on, lights on low, valet parking...worth every dollar, friendly staff, it was heaven on earth,at the beach! Loved it, can't wait to go back,oh, and the bathroom, omg to die for, and big soak tub, bar in your room...words can't tell how wonderful it was at Henderson's!

Very nice elegant hotel!
The rooms are spacious, the queen beds are great. Unfortunately there is no refrigerator in the room.
The staff is very friendly. There are several pools and a private beach. There is free coffee and tea in the morning and free iced tea in the afternoon. You also get two small bottles of water in your room every day.
I will definitely go there again!

Beautiful venue, amazing food. Kevin O'Rourke is phenomenal. Thank you FLRA!

I absolutely loved this place! Very high quality, very professional, very pleasant staff. I went on my honeymoon, we had such an amazing time!

A place like no other! I would describe this place as a castle on the beach with a calming atmosphere. A must see!

The room smelled bad our shower broke no cot and we thought the fridge was a safe because it has a lock on it

Neat
Polite
Patience

Wonderful experience. Well worth every penny. Everyone was super nice and very accommodating. Will go back.

Stayed with the resort for our first anniversary. The resort offers variety of activities you can enjoy within and proximities of the resort. The beach access is within walking distance which was very convenient. However, dine in choice is limited, without much diversity. Food was fantastic at primrose as well as great service. Everyone at the resort was welcoming and easy to talk to, very pleasant. I would come again! Great experience comes with high price.

Visited for a professional conference. The place is new and gorgeous! The architecture of the building and grounds fit perfectly with the landscape. Dinner was amazing; the food, atmosphere and service were impeccable. Guests and staff were very friendly, making for a relaxing, enjoyable weekend. This was altogether a fabulous experience!

New building with nice spacious rooms. Pool view overlooks the Gulf and the overlook over the park is special. Overall I'm happy with my decision to stay here.

Great amenities, staff is five star, and plenty of things to do within the resort and within the immediate vicinity. Resort is also on point with COVID precautions and measures taken including all staff wearing masks at all times. Overall amazing experience. We will definitely be back!

Went for the Craft Beer, Bourbon and Food festival. The event was a lot of fun and the hotel staff was very helpful. The pool area was perfect for the event.

AMAZING hidden gem in Destin. I wish I could give it 100 stars. The service is warm and friendly. Special shout out to Tony at the front reception. He made note that we were celebrating our first anniversary. We loved the romantic sunset from the balcony.The restaurants are perfect and there is no reason to go off property. ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!! The Spa is fabulous. Relaxing facial and massage.We loved a glass of wine by the firepit.Can't wait to return next fall.

Great place for a family vacation. Highly recommended

Very nice hotel/resort with extremely friendly staff. Spa was great and the food was very good as well.

My wife and I went to the Henderson Beach Resort for our 30th anniversary last week. From start to finish, we were very happy with our experience there. Every staff member we came in contact with reached out to us and treated us with excellence. We took advantage of the hotel perks like the private beach, complimentary bike and kayak rentals and more. The resort is worth another visit from us in the future.

The staff is beyond friendly! They have a shuttle that will take you anywhere you need within a 5 mile radius. The pool water is the perfect temperature and extremely clean. You can easily walk to the private beach access. The bathroom in the suite was so spacious and had a huge bathtub! The only reason for only 4 stars is because we had to leave at a certain time in the morning for personal reasons, but it took the staff about 30 minutes to bring a rolling luggage carrier to our room. This caused us to be very behind our schedule. Otherwise, great place!

Beautiful pool areas! We went to a beer festival at the Henderson and everything was absolutely wonderful!

The grounds are amazing some of the staff not so much. We had a bad experience with the wait staff and made sure we spoke to the front desk. The manager we ended up talking to was very apologetic and tried to make things right she deserves 5 stars.

Great location, good value, full breakfast, very helpful staff.

Our family took refuge here after Hurricane Michael! The Staff was PHENOMENALLY EXCEPTIONAL! GOD BLESS THE ENTIRE STAFF!

Beautiful property. The spa is over rated and mismanaged.

The Henderson Beach Resort is the most gorgeous resort in the Destin/30A area! It feels like a Deluxe Disney resort. Their staff is very friendly, helpful, and their passion for their jobs shows. They offer some of the best events that are open to our local community and they express their gratitude towards our support of their business. We really enjoyed their Christmas event last night seeing their gingerbread house and meeting Santa! I also had a spa day here recently and it was amazing! Don t miss the Himalayan salt room! Best massage experience I ve had. Top notch service and amenities. Food is excellent from Horizons. Beach views are stunning. Luxurious getaway spot you need to visit! Cannot wait to come back to celebrate my anniversary here at Primrose later this month. Looking forward to a staycation here in the near future too!

The hotel lost my luggage at the bell desk during a one night stay and they couldn't find it for multiple days. After finding my luggage they proceeded to ship it via GROUND shipping back to my home in California. I was without my belongings for almost two weeks and there was no attempt at remediation. Horrible customer service, organization, and conflict management. The room and the view was nice so at least there was something. I was there at the end of Feb.

Beautiful B&B just a few steps from the beach. Incredible service from wonderful staff!

We were here for a wedding. The staff was very polite and courteous to us helping us find the wedding location and showing us around.

EDIT - After a follow-up from the General Manager, we were able to successfully book a wonderful staycation/birthday trip for my wife. While there, we utilized almost all of the resort amenities. We also reserved a private Chef's Table dinner, which was out of this world. While the first attempts might not have gone well, I do appreciate the responsiveness by the General Manager and their willingness to make sure we had a great trip!

As a local we have tried many times to use your advertised discounts. We have been lied to. Treated poorly. And received horrible Customer service by reservationists and management. I would rather throw away my gift certificate at this point than to even try coming there.

They must be deleting reviews because this hotel is way below par. Here for a wedding- over $400 a night for a rude welcome, dirty room, over an hour waiting for breakfast- what? Spa was outstanding- but skip this crappy hotel.

We love the bar. The bartenders are attentive and engaging. When I requested that my car be brought around at the front desk (as I was told to do when I dropped the car off) she told me I would have to walk down and give it to valet. Very rude and unhelpful, not what you would expect from this quality of resort.

Excellent place to stay with a great view! The restaurant has great food and the bartenders serve the best specialty drinks... ask for Keith or Mandy

I only stopped there to visit a friend so I didn't have a room. But from what I saw the common area was clean and the staff was friendly.

Excellent staff and facilities. New resort from 2016 so was in great condition. Family loved it.

Disappointed on the time of carnival.
Came at 3:00pm to the front desk asked to get checked in ..your room wi be ready 4:00...its 6:00pm and the room is not ready yet...this does not go well when you have small kids and on 95 degree heat outside ..
Location is great and very ckean..

Had dinner here for the first time. We are locals. Love this place. Beautiful spaces. Great service. Great food. A must visit!

A beautiful venue, close to everything, but then again, who would want to leave the resort? A most friendly staff, good food, wonderful service. A cut above.