Robert Payne

Residing in Tampa, Florida, Robert Payne is a frequent visitor to the “Space Coast” where he reports on various hotels and accommodations in the area.

Beach Place Guesthouses

Many beach hotels promise luxury, relaxation, and an unforgettable experience you’ll cherish for a lifetime. But after you stand in line at the reception desk for what seems like forever, wield a carrier full of effects to your room, and then take the elevator down to find the pool packed with screaming kids, you’ll wonder why you’re spending a paycheck on a vapid space in a big beehive. And no, a chocolate chip cookie upon check-in doesn’t make it any better.

Even so-called luxury hotels will often feel crowded, corporate, and sprawling. I like a little personality, and preferably some originality, that provides a natural and organic experience as you flow from one space to the next. It should have a salubrious air about it that removes the common every day annoyances, and replaces them with a laid back ease.

These are some of the attributes I’ve found with Beach Place Guesthouses in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Owners Joseph and Hernando have taken special care to create an alternative to Cocoa Beach hotels that combines convenience and comfort without pomp or circumstance. It is just south of Cocoa Beach, so you remove yourself from the blur of kitschy tourist trappings and traffic, but you are still in close proximity to all the shopping, restaurants, and sightseeing you may want.

Because I travel with an insane amount of gear for parenting, beaching, surfing, and kayaking, I very much like the safe and easy access to my car that Beach Place Guesthouses provides. I can easily load and unload the car, but then at the same time forget it is even there. I prefer to stay in the bottom two rooms, in the front, where I can spill out on to the grass and the verandah whether I am striking off for the beach, taking a swing in the hammocks, or carrying some food to the grill.

The other big plus is the layout of many of the rooms. You’ll be hard pressed to find many places around Cocoa Beach, that aren’t condominiums, but do offer 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. This is ideal, of course, for splitting the cost with another couple. Want to checkout a little late on Sunday? Maybe take a long walk? Joseph and Hernando hardly seem to mind.

If you are a diehard pool person, then this place is not for you because, well, they don’t have one. For me, I hardly miss it. The warm ocean waters of Florida are all the pool I need. Even better, Beach Place Guesthouses conveniently sports a great surf break just to the north of the property.

Beach Place Guesthouses is a little home away from home. Stay a week or a weekend, either way, you’ll leave rested and ready to return.

The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of Robert Payne.