Earlier this month we soaked up the last bit of summer vacation with a stay at The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, the largest barrier island in Georgia’s beautiful Golden Isles.

The King and Prince offers the best of everything – gorgeous views from the oceanfront rooms and swimming pools, a luxurious but cozy common area, delicious food, and rich history. The hotel is over 80 years old and is part of the Historic Hotels of America. One of my favorite things about the resort was that the lobby and common area had a luxurious/old world feel, but our room reminded me more of a laid-back (but beautifully decorated) beach condo.

We’ve previously stayed on Jekyll Island (another one of the Golden Isles), but this was our first visit to St. Simons. We loved the bustling beach, the unique shops in the villages, and the vast dining options. I had no idea there were so many restaurants on the island! We wanted to try several of them, but after our first delicious meal at the hotel restaurant, ECHO, we didn’t want to go anywhere else. ECHO is open to the public and is the only oceanfront restaurant on the island! If you go, we recommend the cheese plate and the seafood paella!

One afternoon we explored the island villages then grabbed lunch at Palmer’s Village Cafe, before heading to the St. Simons Lighthouse. We could just barely see the lighthouse from our balcony at night, and Kingston was dying to go check it out. But once we started climbing the 129 steps, he wasn’t so sure about the adventure. It was a slow climb, but we made it to the top, and I was so proud of him. 🙂 The gorgeous views of Jekyll Island, the mainland, and the south end of St. Simons Island were absolutely worth it.

A few other highlights:

We spent a lot of time during our stay at the resort’s 3 oceanfront swimming pools and met some of the nicest people. One family has been vacationing at The King and Prince for over 30 years, starting with the parents’ honeymoon!

Anderson rented a paddle board one day, and to the entertainment of everyone on the beach, we all 3 rode it!

A big storm rolled in one evening, so we sat on our balcony to watch it. We thought we were alone until a huge streak of lightning lit up the sky and a collective scream rang out across the courtyard. We realized all the other guests were on their balconies watching the show!

We enjoyed listening to the live music and relaxing by the fire in the living room style common area after dinner. And on our last day we found some beautiful, hidden courtyards around the resort!

Now that we’ve stayed on two of the beautiful Golden Isles, I think it’s time to make a bucket list and plan trips to the other 3 locations! What tips do you Golden Isles experts have for us? What should we see and do next?!