Inn Named One of the Top 100 Hotels in the US and Canada
Santa Rosa Beach, FL (July 23, 2008) - The readers of Travel + Leisure chose WaterColor Inn and Resort as one of the “Top 100 Hotels in the Continental U.S. and Canada” in the magazine’s 2008 World’s Best Awards survey. This is the third consecutive year the 60-room, luxury beachfront hotel on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast has been named to this prestigious list.
To qualify for the World’s Best Awards, readers of Travel + Leisure and TravelandLeisure.com judged hotels on five criteria: rooms/facilities, location, services, restaurants/food and value. They were also asked to rate the hotel’s appeal for business travelers and families. Out of a total 100 points, WaterColor Inn and Resort earned 84.75, ranking higher than other illustrious hotels such as the famed Greenbrier and several Ritz-Carltons.
This distinction adds to WaterColor’s ever-increasing collection of awards and accolades. Forbes.com recently listed the property as one of its 2008 “Ultimate U.S. Vacation Spots,” and the Inn was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s coveted 2008 Gold List, which revealed its readers’ choices for “The World’s Best Places to Stay.”
As Northwest Florida’s only AAA Four Diamond hotel, WaterColor has consistently maintained the highest standards of service, providing an unparalleled number of amenities for guests of all ages and tastes. The 499-acre resort’s white sand beach, coastal dune lake, lush parks and woodland trails are a scenic playground for all sorts of leisure activities, from biking, kayaking and canoeing to body boarding and fishing.
WaterColor also boasts a state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service spa, gourmet dining at its acclaimed Fish Out of Water restaurant, and a host of kid-friendly activities at its popular Camp WaterColor. In addition, guests enjoy privileged access to three exclusive golf courses – Camp Creek Golf Club (by Tom Fazio), Shark’s Tooth Golf Club (by Greg Norman) and Origins (by Davis Love III).
The resort also offers several experiential programs that highlight the natural beauty of Northwest Florida, including eco-tours and unique culinary programs like the Foraging the Forgotten Coast Tour, where guests accompany a chef to learn how food gets from the farm and sea to their plate by meeting local purveyors and working alongside them to forage for their own meals.
WaterColor also holds special appeal for art enthusiasts thanks to the July 2008 opening of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art @ WaterColor in the resort’s Town Center. This first satellite branch of the famous Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans showcases changing exhibitions of noted Southern and local artists’ works.