The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach

The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach occupies one of the widest stretches of beachfront on Okaloosa Island, and it has been drawing families to this stretch of the Emerald Coast since 1966, when founder Fred Tolbert opened a 100-room hotel here with a simple goal: build an affordable, family-friendly beach getaway. Decades of expansion turned that original building into a sprawling resort of more than 450 rooms across several wings, and the property has hosted concerts by acts including Heart and the Beach Boys over the years. In 2018, owners Tripp Tolbert and developer Jay Odom launched a $15 million renovation that touched nearly every corner of the resort, from guest rooms to the pool deck, and the modernized property reopened in 2020 while keeping its family-first character intact.

The signature feature remains the Grotto, a swim-up pool built around a rock waterfall that functions as the social hub of the resort. Guests wade up to the submerged bar stools for a drink without ever leaving the water, and the surrounding pool area includes a performance stage used for the resort’s live entertainment. A separate year-round heated pool gives guests a warm-water option even in the cooler months, when the Gulf itself can feel too chilly for a swim. The resort fronts roughly 600 feet of private beach, so getting from a poolside lounger to the sand takes only a short walk across the dune walkover.

Accommodations span nine room categories, from Standard Rooms and Gulf View units to Island Suites and specialty rooms like the Swim-Up Pool Deck Room, where guests can step directly from their patio into the pool, and the Gulf Front Cabana Room. ADA-accessible Standard Rooms are also available for guests who need them. Rooms carry updated furniture, carpeting, and bathroom fixtures from the 2018 to 2020 renovation, giving the resort a cleaner, more contemporary feel than its 1960s origins would suggest.

Six on-site dining and drink venues cover a full day of eating without requiring a single trip off property. Sea Oats serves Gulf seafood, Cabana Cantina & Tequileria handles Mexican fare and margaritas, and quick-service options like Frosty Palm and the Sizzle & Smash food truck cover casual cravings. The Beach Bar and the Grotto Bar keep drinks flowing poolside and oceanside throughout the day.

Families traveling with kids benefit from the on-site Kids Club, known as Neverland Island, which runs supervised activities so parents can get pool time of their own. The resort’s weekly event calendar includes Aqua Zumba classes in the pool, live music, and the Island Concert Series, which pairs performances with fireworks displays over the water. Younger guests can also meet the resort’s mascot, Misty the Mermaid, during scheduled appearances.

The location puts guests within walking distance of two of Okaloosa Island’s biggest draws: the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, a marine life park that has operated on the island for decades, and the shops and restaurants along the Fort Walton Beach side of the island. For groups planning a wedding or a corporate gathering, the resort offers more than 17,000 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor event space, much of it with Gulf views.

Visitors should book well ahead of spring break and the June through August peak season, when the Grotto pool area and beachfront rooms fill first. Reach the resort directly at 800-874-8962, or find full details, including current room rates and the event calendar, at theislandfl.com. The address is 1500 Miracle Strip Parkway Southeast, Fort Walton Beach, right on Okaloosa Island’s main drag, an easy drive from both the Fort Walton Beach and Destin sides of the Emerald Coast.