This post is sponsored by Hilton® Pensacola Beach . All opinions are 100% my own. Please see my disclosure policy.
Related Post: Hilton® Pensacola Beach Resort Pass for Families
Sandy white beaches in November? Why … yes! It’s the perfect time to spend family moments on the sand and by the water without a sunburn! And I’m definitely all about no sunburns since I had a little scare with basal cell carcinoma back several years ago!
For the last few years, my family has spent a couple days in Pensacola Beach as a little family getaway. We have visited at different times during the months of August through November, and the month of November is by far my most favorite time to visit Pensacola Beach.
Veterans Day weekend gives extra time for vacationing since the kids are out of school and many employees receive Veterans Day as a holiday in the U.S. Don’t you love those long weekends?!!!
The weather in November is lovely with just the right mix of sun and breeze. The nights are a little chilly, but the daytime temperatures couldn’t be better. Rain is always a possibility on any given day, but thankfully, the Pensacola Beach was rain-free this past weekend!
Hilton® hotels are some of my favorite hotels to spend time away from home. The Hilton® brand does all it can to make guests feel comfortable, and Hilton® Pensacola Beach far exceeded my family’s expectations this past Veterans Day weekend.
When you arrive at the Hilton Pensacola Beach hotel, you’ll feel like you’ve truly arrived. Like you must be doing something right. Like you just stepped out of your normal, everyday life and into your personal dream come true.
~ Hilton® Pensacola Beach
Hilton® Pensacola Beach Family Check-in | Veterans Day Weekend
We woke up early Saturday morning and traveled to the Pensacola area since we didn’t want to lose any of our precious away-time. We ate breakfast, did some light shopping, and headed to the beach a little before 2 p.m. Hotel check-in is at 4 p.m. but when I called to inquire about early check-in, the front desk attendant said early check-in is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Hilton® Pensacola Beach was sold out the night before, so we couldn’t check-in to our room when we arrived, but the attendant gave us full access to the pools, beach, and Executive Lounge. Parking was super convenient as the hotel has both a small parking garage and a parking lot; however, valet parking is available for those who may require the service.
After receiving our free parking pass, we headed to the Executive Lounge for some snacks. The hostesses took time to talk to our children, and they even gave them a pair of sunglasses for the beach.
We enjoyed the sand and the waves while we waited for our room. The kids got their clothes rather sandy, but we were able to dust them off pretty easily! Who cares about the messiness of sand when the kids are having fun? I had rather them play in the beach sand any day than the sandbox at home. What a mess! Oh yes, I love the beach!
Beach chairs are available for rental on the beach, and we learned that first hand! We have our own chairs, but since we were going out for a brief time, we didn’t take our chairs. My husband saw the rental chairs, but he thought they were on the house. After we had been relaxing for about 30 minutes, a very kind man came to collect our payment. Oops! He said it wasn’t much longer before they would be closing for the day, so he let us rent the chairs for one hour, and we were sure to take our personal chairs with us on Sunday afternoon!
We received a phone call a few minutes before 4 p.m. notifying us that our room was ready! The Hilton® hotel staff was welcoming and so helpful each time I had interaction with them. The check-in attendants were thorough in making us feel at home, and they made sure we understood the layout of the spacious hotel!
We were given free waters and our digital room keys, and we headed off to the 13th floor to check out our room!
The children had loads of fun riding up and down the elevators the entire weekend. Of course, they had to take turns pressing the buttons! The clear glass windows in the main tower elevators gave a striking view of the sunny beach during the quick rides up and down.
Hilton® Pensacola Beach | Our Amazing Room Accommodations | 2 Queen Beds Junior Suite with Bunkbeds Gulf View
Once we located our room, my husband and son went downstairs to bring up the luggage. A few minutes later, a hotel staff member rang the doorbell and gifted us with a generous bag of chocolate treats, nut bars, apples, and drinks. We were spoiled for sure!
Our room accommodations were absolutely amazing! Our suite featured two queen-size beds, a queen-size sofa bed, and bunk beds. We all slept so well in the comfy beds with plush linens and fluffy pillows. My daughter slept on the lower bunk bed, and the guard rail and extra pillows kept the little princess tucked away safely while she slept soundly. My son was king for two nights with a queen bed all to himself.
The separate living room and adjoining kitchenette included plenty of seating, a table with chairs, a 32-inch TV with premium cable channels (2nd TV also in bedroom area), mini-fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker. The gorgeous beach view of the gulf from our private balcony was breathtaking. I loved seeing the waves roll in from the view on the 13th floor.
The en-suite bathroom included a separate bathtub and shower, and the vanity/sink area was spacious enough for two or even three people to use comfortably.
We were provided with plenty of plush towels throughout the length of our stay, and fresh towels were even delivered to our room upon request on Sunday morning. We used quite a few towels on Saturday night after our pool adventure!
Housekeeping tidied up our room on Sunday morning while we were at church, and we were given more fresh towels for Sunday evening and Monday. There was a lot of hair washing and showering going on after swimming in the pool and playing at the beach!
Our room also included an iron/ironing board, Wi-Fi, two telephones, and a large work desk with chair.
Hilton® Pensacola Beach | Dining Options
The Hilton® H2O Grill and Bonsai Sushi Bar is adjacent to the lobby and is open Sunday through Saturday, from 6:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. The restaurant has all sorts of menu options from healthy to splurge!
We appreciated the convenience of room service and had breakfast on the patio each morning. We loved the private balcony view of the ocean from our room. French toast sticks, eggs, bacon, ham and egg croissants, and milk were on the menu for our family breakfasts, but a variety of both hearty and light menu options are available. The food was prepared to order and was fresh and delicious!
The Butler’s Pantry also offers grab-and-go baked goods, sandwiches, salads, and coffee and expressos.
Hilton® Pensacola Beach | Family Recreation and Executive Lounge
My family took full advantage of the beach access and both the indoor and outdoor pool areas for the entire Veterans Day weekend! I was all about the indoor heated pool, but my husband and children enjoyed the outdoor pools as well! I wanted to sit in the sun and stay warm! The kiddie pool was one-and-a-half feet at its deepest, and my children especially liked wading in it.
I really appreciated the hotel staff providing us with plenty of beach towels, and they were courteously given upon request at the front desk.
A spacious fitness room, outdoor hot tub, fishing, hiking, and snorkeling are other available recreation conveniences for families at Hilton® Pensacola Beach.
There are so many potential activities to participate in while visiting Pensacola Beach and the surrounding areas, but Hilton® Pensacola Beach provided us with a weekend of exciting family activities, and we had very little reason to leave the resort!
We played in the sand and relaxed on the beach on Saturday. That evening we had fun at the indoor pool. Hilton® Pensacola Beach was hosting a military ball for the weekend, so my children had fun seeing all the soldiers in their uniforms.
I was thankful for the little hotel gift shop since I developed a headache on Friday in the pool and needed some quick pain relief. They had all sorts of souvenirs, candy, and typical gift shop-type items, including headache medicine!
After swimming and showering, we went to the Executive Lounge for steamed veggies, popcorn shrimp, pepper jack cheese, pasta salad, and spring rolls. Other light refreshments such as nut and cereal bars, yogurt, cookies, mixed nuts, milk, soft drinks, and water were also offered.
After church and lunch on Sunday, we headed back to the beach for more fun in the sun and ended the afternoon with pool time. We went to church Sunday evening and returned to the Executive Lounge for prime rib, seafood pasta salad, fried mac-and-cheese balls, nuts, rolls, and pepper jack cheese. Let me just say, I went a lot off my WW® food plan, but it was oh so delicious!
Monday morning we took a long walk on the beach and walked out to the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier. The sea breeze was so refreshing. I totally believe breathing salt-water air is healthy for body and soul! The kids took one last swim in the pools, and we hurried to our room for our 12-noon check-out.
Hilton® Pensacola Beach | Check-out
Typically, check-out is at 11 a.m., but the hotel staff graciously accommodated our request for a later check-out time. The additional hour was really helpful and gave us a few extra family moments to spend on the beach making memories and taking pictures! Before we left, we loaded our luggage, and the children played with some of the little toys located in the lobby for children.
