St. Simons Island, Georgia is home to an award-winning vacation destination called The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort.  If you live in Georgia, chances are you and/or your friends and family have been to The King and Prince and many families have memories of visiting the quaint seaside resort for decades.   The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, opened in 1941, recently underwent a head-turning remodel.

My family stayed in one of the The King and Prince’s rental homes called the Familia Meadows House in July and experienced the beautiful renovations first-hand.  During our stay at The King and Prince last August, Bud St. Pierre – director of sales, explained the upcoming renovations and while I had reservations about the indoor heated pool being taken out and replaced with a seating area, I can’t imagine it any other way now.  The King and Prince’s lobby, bar and restaurant were completely remodeled and look better than ever.   It’s hard to believe that the work was completed in just three months.

The newly remodeled lobby features a huge fireplace with a plush and relaxing seating area where the indoor pool used to be.  My kids were concerned that the indoor pool was ‘missing’ but quickly formed a bond with the seating area and view in the lobby, like kids do.  The mixture of hardwood, tile, modern and vintage fixtures in the lobby and dining areas grab visitors attention while at the same time the beautiful use of these elements relaxes the mind and body.  The gorgeous view of the ocean from the lobby and ECHO restaurant and bar, doesn’t hurt.

St. Simons Island is a barrier island off the southern coast of Georgia that offers visitors a wealth of scenic views, historical sights and tours such as Fort Frederica and St. Simons Island Lighthouse Museum as well as wildlife viewing areas, great food, fishing, and boutique shopping.  St. Simons Island isn’t what I would call a touristy beach town but more of a town where year-round residents welcome visitors and share the beauty St. Simons Island has to offer with guests. 

What my kids love most about The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort and St. Simons Island the beach.  The hard-sand beaches make for amazing sand castles, great bike riding, and easy walking.  Twice a day, as if by magic, large sandbars appear about 25-75 yards from shore and closer in some places.   Many visitors swim or kayak to the sandbar to look at shells.   During low tide my kids found dozens of empty knobbed whelk shells in the large rocks.  We learned from a St. Simons Island native who walks the beach every morning, that the snails living inside the knobbed whelk scurry (slowly I suppose) out of their shell to get to water once the shell gets stuck in the rocks at low tide.  

The King and Prince Guests See A Lot of Marine Life

You can’t get much better than St. Simons Island in regards to viewing marine life.  During our visit this month we saw small sand sharks playing near the sandbar early in the morning when the tide is very low as well as lots of hermit crabs, blue crabs, purple crabs, horseshoe crabs, and sea anemone.

About 15 minutes from The King and Prince Beach & Golf resort is one of the greatest opportunities for your kids to learn about and see what is in the waters of the St. Simons Sound.  On board the Lady Jane shrimpin’ excursion is marine biologist, Mr. Phil – as the kids called him, who explained in detail the marine life that was pulled up in the net during the 2 hour ride through the Sound.  The kids loved seeing and learning about the stingrays and squid while I enjoyed learning about the delicate yet thriving ecosystem of the area.  I highly recommend that you take a trip on the Lady Jane shrimpin’ boat during your next visit to St. Simons Island.

Water Activities

Not one’s to miss out on adventure, my husband and 14-year-old son took to the ocean in kayaks.  Kayaks are available to rent right from the beach at The King and Prince and if kayaking isn’t your thing, hop on a bike rented from one of the local shops and ride the shores to take in the scenery and wildlife.  For the entire family, I recommend hopping on a trolley tour of St. Simons Island.  Standup paddleboarding is big now and we got to see plenty of paddle boarding action, including paddle boarding yoga, from the beach.  Paddleboards are also available to rent.  Visit the concierge desk at the resort to plan your itinerary during your stay on the island.

The King and Prince Resort Accommodations

Accommodations include 2-bedroom villas, oceanfront suites, oceanfront rooms, partial ocean view rooms, resort-view rooms, standard rooms, and private guest houses. Guests can enjoy access to the onsite pools and exercise facility.  Spa/massage services are available in the Royal Treatment Cottage.

During our stay in July, we stayed at the Familia Meadows House at The King and Prince.  The five level, 4 bedroom pet-friendly house has 4 decks/patios, a loft living room with large flat screen TV, stainless-steel appliances, beautiful hardwood floors, a huge walk-in closet in the master bedroom, and a fenced in yard.  The top deck looks out onto the resort property and has a fireplace, seating area, and a sink.  The kids spent most of the time we were in the house on this deck.

The King and Prince Dining Options

ECHO is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and its menu, which changes seasonally, features ingredients provided by fisherman and farms in the local region such as fresh Georgia shrimp and peaches as well as local cheeses.   On days you want to relax by the pool all day, The Sea Shack Bar + Bites, will happily serve your family items such as all-beef hot dogs, chicken tenders, ceasar salad, and shrimp cocktail.

Connect with The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort

More articles in The King and Prince Resort / St. Simons Island, GA series: