Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront, Tapestry Collection by Hilton [In-Depth Review]

In October 2024, I traveled with my 5- and 6-year-old kids to check out Destin, Florida. We arrived right in between hurricanes Helene and Milton, which was nothing but dumb luck. So while the weather wasn’t exactly on our side — it was rainy and cloudy during our few short days there — at least our hotel accommodations were comfortable.

Our beachfront hotel was almost perfect and right where we wanted to be as first-time visitors to the area. The hotel recently underwent a renovation and reopened to the public in May 2023. I could see where the hotel spent time on the details and appreciated the final product. Unfortunately, our room was near a noisy air conditioning unit, and the in-room refrigerator sounded like it was going to die soon, so I had to unplug it to get any sleep.

That said, I would stay there again, with the caveat that I would not be in room 201 next time.

Here’s our full review of Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

Booking Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront

We stayed in a 2 Queen Beds Gulf Front Balcony room at Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront, which could be redeemed with 40,000 Hilton Honors points per night. The semiflexible rate, which allowed you to cancel up to 7 days before arrival, was $104 per night after the Hilton Honors discount for members.

We value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents per point. At 40,000 Honors points per night, you would only get 0.26 cents per point in value for this redemption, which is half of what we value Hilton Honors points at. In this case, you’d be better off paying the lowest cash rate of $104 per night.

I booked our stay with my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and earned 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent. I also earned 9,153 Hilton Honors points for my stay.

Hot Tip:

Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns travel rewards when paying cash for a hotel. Check out our guide to the best credit cards for Hilton loyalists to use for your next Hilton hotel stay.

Location of Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront

Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront is 20 minutes from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) in Fort Walton, Florida. The easiest way to get around Fort Walton and Destin is by rental car. I was pleasantly surprised that the car rental counters were directly across from the luggage carousels at the airport, making it convenient to pick up a car before leaving the airport. Uber is also available.

The oceanfront property is a 5-minute drive to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park and the Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island. Another popular place to visit is the HarborWalk Village in Destin, which is less than 15 minutes away by car across Brooks Bridge.

Checking In

We arrived late in the evening thanks to travel from the West Coast and a layover at Dallas Forth Worth International Airport (DFW). So, I decided to try out the mobile key on the Hilton app and was pleasantly surprised to find that it worked. I was assigned room 201 and made a quicker-than-usual stop at reception just to confirm that the app worked as it said it did. The agent gave me 2 room keys just in case, but the mobile key worked to open our door just fine throughout our stay.

The lobby included several areas where people could gather and hang out. During our stay, people could be seen enjoying their takeout meals from the restaurant or elsewhere in the lobby. The entrance to the gym is to the right of the lobby, as shown in the photo below, and there is a view of the pool.

There was also a long conference table near the hotel entrance that people could hang out at.

Self-parking was available in front of the hotel and there was no valet parking. Note that there wasn’t anyone to help bring bags in, if that’s important to you.

I don’t have any Hilton Honors elite status, so we didn’t receive any status perks like a room upgrade or free breakfast.

2 Queen Beds Gulf Front Balcony Room

Our room was close to the elevator and even closer to the outdoor staircase. I would usually be concerned about noise from other guests entering and exiting the elevator, but I was instead bothered by a very loud noise coming from a door directly across from my room. I can only assume it was an air conditioner.

We had a spacious room with 2 queen beds and a balcony overlooking the pool and the Gulf of Mexico. The 408-square-foot room was more than enough for the 3 of us to spread out.

Next to the bed furthest from the front door was a chair and a small round table.

Across from the beds was a television, cabinet, and long bench. The bench served as both a place to sit and storage in lieu of a traditional dresser.

The cabinet held a microwave and refrigerator inside and an icebox with disposable cups on top.

On our first night, the refrigerator was so loud that I decided to unplug it to give us some peace. It was louder than the machine noise from outside our room.

Next to the bench storage unit sat a desk, chair, and coffee setup that included a single-cup coffee machine, regular and decaf coffee pods, to-go cups, and sugar and creamer. The desk also had a phone, a charging port with 2 standard outlets and USB-A and USB-C ports, and a lamp with an additional outlet and USB-A port.

The balcony featured a sliding glass door with a deadbolt and safety lock at the top, which I appreciated when traveling with small children. It overlooked the gulf and the pool below beyond the metal railing. There was a bistro set that included a small table and 2 chairs.

Bathroom

The bathroom and a closet were immediately to my right upon entering the room.

There was a shower with glass doors directly across from a well-lit mirror and a single sink.

Lockwood New York bathroom amenities could be found in the shower and on the vanity.

The closet was just past the bathroom. I wished there was a door to the closet to better hide our things and a few more hangers, but we made it work.

Amenities

Pool

The hotel’s pool was accessible through a short hallway from the lobby. It was also on the other side of the outdoor seating for the hotel’s restaurant.

The sign next to the pool stated that the pool opened at 9 a.m., but the hotel’s website said the pool was supposed to be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. It was raining most of the time during our visit, and while there were people in the pool, I didn’t notice anyone out there in the mornings to confirm or deny when the pool actually opened.

Plenty of loungers and a few umbrellas were available for guest use during sunnier and busier days. There was also a pool lift for wheelchair users.

There was no lifeguard.

Beach

The beach was accessible via a short walkway and stairs from the pool. The hotel did not provide chairs or umbrellas for the beach, but I noticed the few people who were there had brought their own. It was not a private beach.

The beach featured clean, soft white sand and clean water. The clarity of the water may have been due to the recent hurricane. The weather was cloudy with spotty rain showers, which made for colder-than-expected water.

Fitness Center

The fitness center was on the hotel’s first floor near Remedy Coastal Kitchen and Bar. Complimentary towels and a water station were immediately to the right of the door. There weren’t any water bottles in the fitness center, so you had to bring your own or refill a reusable bottle.

The first section of the center had free weights, a stationary bike, and a treadmill. On the other side, there were exercise balls, kettlebells, and an elliptical. The fitness center had windows overlooking the pool.

Food and Beverages

Remedy Coastal Kitchen and Bar

There was 1 restaurant at Beal House Fort Walton Beach, Remedy Coastal Kitchen and Bar. The restaurant was open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with a midafternoon closing from 2 to 4 p.m.

The menu focused on fresh seafood with a “touch of Cajun.” The breakfast menu, for example, included a Floribama Benedict, which had grilled shrimp and a mushroom-crawfish Julie sauce. I was relieved to see they had a kids menu for lunch and dinner that included the usual things kids enjoy, like quesadillas and chicken tenders.

We only had breakfast here quickly before a day of exploring the area. My kids enjoyed pancakes while I had biscuits and gravy.

The restaurant served Starbucks coffee, which was fine, in a to-go cup, which would normally annoy me when I’m having a sit-down meal. However, the to-go cup worked out because I ordered more than I could drink during the meal, and it was convenient to be able to take it with me without asking for a cup — they’d already thought of that.

There were doors inside the restaurant that led to an outdoor seating area. I saw hotel staff arranging a long table for a party one of the evenings of our stay.

Market

A small market in the lobby sold snacks and drinks, among other items that you may have left behind.

You could also buy beach items and collectibles, including beach bags, sunglasses, and towels.

Service

Beal House is not the hotel to stay at if you’re looking for attentive staff. Not that the staff was inattentive, but I didn’t see many staff members who weren’t behind the front desk or in the hotel restaurant.

However, they were friendly and helpful when I had a question. I ordered a to-go meal from the restaurant, and the server who helped me was patient and made sure that I had what I needed before I left to go back to my room. There is no room service at Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront, but you can order ahead and pick up your meal yourself.

Sometimes, you want hotel staff to constantly greet you and say hello, but we were honestly in a rush most of this trip. The hotel’s staff were there when I needed them, and that was good enough for me.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed my stay at Beal House and would consider staying again. Its location right on the water and proximity to the boardwalk, the Gulfarium, and restaurants made it a convenient place to stay, especially with kids.

Speaking of kids, I appreciated the size of our guest room and the on-site restaurant and pool. It was clean and fresh thanks to its recent renovation and reopening in 2023, too.

Finally, I always love a hotel where I can earn hotel points. I stay at Hiltons just enough to have points for a free night or 2 each year, but that’s it.

I like that hotel chains are offering more boutique-type hotels with their own style. That was the case at Beal House Fort Walton Beachfront, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.