Four Points by Sheraton Destin- Ft Walton Beach

From the landscaped, spouting fountain at the entrance to the contemporary carpet designs, leather couches, and wooden furniture, the Four Points Sheraton Destin - Ft. Walton Beach has managed to avoid looking like your typical Florida beach hotel. Instead, the hotel has contrasted soft beach colors against darker black, red, and gray accents (but the decor does incorporate the obligatory seashell here and there). Reception is behind a sleek wooden desk with frosted glass and dark gray extended shelf (seashells float in glass jars atop old catalog drawers in the background) while slate floors stretch between modern, white walls. The hallways, despite a contemporary strip of striped carpeting, look a bit bland compared to the lobby. However, overall, the hotel's March 2014 renovation has given it a slight upper-hand in terms of decor relative to competitors such as the nearby Hampton Inn and Suites.Outside, the hotel grounds look meticulously planned, with various plants, quiet rock waterfalls, and towering palm trees. Between the two older buildings, a bright green, grassy courtyard surrounds the kids' splash pool; it provides a nice view for those not wishing to upgrade all the way to a beachfront room. The hotel's large grounds are easy to navigate and give guests a sense of space -- important during the busy season.

Built along the Florida panhandle's Emerald Coast, the Four Points Sheraton Destin - Ft. Walton provides guests with direct access to the hotel's private beach. The hotel is also ideally situated across from the Emerald Coast Convention Center and is within walking distance to the Okaloosa fishing pier, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Lost Lagoon mini-golf course, a plethora of shops and restaurants, and the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, where visitors can get up-close and personal with some aquatic life. Convenient for active guests, the hotel is also near kayaking, wake-boarding, and other water sport rentals as well as tennis courts and golf courses.

Newer rooms can be found within the six-story tower facing the beach, where higher corner suites have wrap-around balconies and the best views. Two original two-story buildings surround the courtyard and have nice views of the grassy space below or blue waters of the pool. The stylish, modern rooms all have sandalwood-colored knotted carpet, varying shades of blue and white decor, and brown wood furniture. Beachfront rooms have a lighter color scheme, casually elegant vibe, semi-separated dining area, full-size refrigerators, and microwaves. Most beachfront rooms come with beach views and some have balconies. King Suites have sofas, mini-fridges and microwaves. All rooms include free bottled water and beach towels. Bathrooms are clean, modern, but fairly standard in style.

With two heated outdoor pools, a shallow kid-dedicated splash pool, free on-site games such as ping-pong and beach volleyball, and direct access to the beach, this hotel is well-equipped to handle family members big and small. Bonus for summertime guests: the hotel has daily kid activities (magic shows, face painting, and more) every Tuesday through Friday. The beach area is a bit smaller than at competing hotels, but it's still wide and sandy.Business guests can take advantage of the free Wi-Fi, business center, and handful of meeting and event spaces found throughout the hotel, or head across the street to the Emerald Coast Convention Center for business events.If anyone feels the need to burn off calories from the poolside tiki bar or any of the three casual restaurants (featuring indoor, outdoor, poolside, and beachfront dining), they can sweat it out in the hotel's impressive 24-hour fitness room.