Plaza Resort & Spa Daytona Beach FL

Free Family Fun

Family vacation planning is easy at Daytona’s Grand Resort. On 600ft. of private, traffic-free Daytona Beach, the Plaza offers families safe and worry-free beach & pool time.
At the resort, challenge the kids to a life size game of chess, Ping-Pong, or basketball. Hit the waves on one of our complimentary paddleboards, surfboards, or body boards. Beach cruisers and kayaks are also included in your stay. Our spacious heated pool provides plenty of room for water play. Parents will enjoy lounging nearby on the generous pool deck with a good book and a cocktail. At the end of the day, sit back and catch the sunset around one of our beachside fire pits.

During the summer season, our Plaza Kids’ Club hosts a variety of exciting activities that will have your kids talking about their vacation long after you’re home. With water sports, poolside movies, scavenger hunts, face painting, sand castle contests and lively pool games, there’s no end to the fun!

In addition to family diversions at the resort, the Daytona Beach area is full of family attractions. The Ocean Walk Shoppes and Movies is just a five-minute walk from the resort and features varied restaurants, shops, and a top-notch theater.

Walk down to the boardwalk and pier for a nostalgic beach experience. With a Ferris wheel, go-karts, the Sandblaster Rollercoaster, souvenir shops, and that iconic boardwalk food, there’s something for kids of every age.

Racing legends got their start zooming down our beaches in the early 1900s. Today, fans can experience racing history firsthand at the Daytona International Speedway.

Located in the southern part of Daytona Beach, you’ll find the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. This 175-foot structure is the tallest lighthouse in Florida and home to one of Florida’s largest maritime museums.

Of course, time spent exploring the 23-mile stretch of “The World’s Most Famous Beach" is always a worthwhile option.

For more ideas on what to do while you’re visiting, click on the Daytona Beach tab. Also, check out our Event Calendar page for current resort and area activities happening during your stay.

Private Beach

Driving on the beach in Daytona has been a tradition that dates back to the first motorcycle and automobile races in the early 1900s. The ease of driving on the wide, hard-packed sands and the convenience of having your car close by is definitely a novelty.

However, the non-driving stretch of beach at “Daytona Beach’s Grand Resort" ensures a safe and worry free beach experience for families. Couples or guests traveling alone will also appreciate the tranquil setting a car-free beach provides. Sit back and relax without concern for engine noises, exhaust, or having to look both ways before you walk to the ocean.

Whether you have little ones or are relishing solitude by the ocean, at The Plaza you can build sand castles, play beach games, or safely stretch out and soak up the rays. It’s just another reason the Plaza Resort & Spa is the perfect choice for your Daytona Beach getaway.

Plaza History

“Daytona Beach’s Grand Resort" was built in 1888 as a beach cottage for Charles Ballough and his family. In 1895, Ballough partnered with local businessman and fellow hotel owner C.C. Post to produce an impressive hotel boasting a casino, stables for horses and carriages, and grand porches overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

A new “Grand Resort" opened on New Year’s Day in 1911. The seven-story hotel featured a Turkish bath, barbershop, manicure parlor, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and horseback riding facilities.

February of that same year, hotel management and local leaders hired well-known airplane mogul and pilot Glenn Curtiss to perform flying exhibitions on the beach as a tourist attraction. Curtiss and other prominent pilots like John A.D. McCurdy and the Wright Brothers performed similar exhibitions throughout the county.

Hotel guests enjoyed exhibitions and airplane rides until the early 1920s. One notable pilot, Ruth Bancroft Law, was the first woman to pilot a plane in Florida. She was also the first woman in the world to loop an airplane. This historic event took place right in front of the hotel.

The resort’s reputation as a chic winter playground for American and International travelers spread rapidly, and steady stream of guests continued to pour in year round. In 1925 it became the first resort hotel on the east coast of Florida to remain open throughout the year.