The Grand Hotel Golf Resort and Spa has earned top honors on "best of" lists from two prominent organizations.
USA Today put together this traveler-approved list of America's top waterfront resorts and hotels for families of all ages and interests, and Historic Hotels of America® announced their 2026 picks for the 2026 Top 25 Most Historic Golf Courses.
Here's why the popular and historic Mobile Bay getaway was included.
USA Today
by Beth Luberecki of FamilyVacationist.com
For many of us, waterfront vacations are the best vacations. Whether it's a lakeside retreat or a family beach getaway, gorgeous views and water adventures are never far away. At a waterfront resort, there's always something to keep everyone in the family happy. Plus, being by the water is said to promote feelings of calmness and well-being—and who doesn't need that?
I grew up in New England and have lived in Florida for the last 20 years, so I know a thing or two about waterfront resorts. Drawing on my own experiences along with recommendations from other parents and travelers around the country, I've put together this traveler-approved list of America's top waterfront resorts and hotels for families of all ages and interests.
Bicycle rentals are just one option for family fun here. (Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa
A local fixture since 1847, Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection occupies 550 acres overlooking Mobile Bay near the charming city of Fairhope. Options for family fun range from tennis and pickleball courts, croquet lawns, and two 18-hole golf courses to a seasonal outdoor pool with a waterslide and splash pad. Guests also love the daily tradition that starts by the fireplace in the main lobby, processes to a ceremonial firing of a replica 19th-century cannon on the edge of Mobile Bay, and finishes with light bites back at the hotel.
“I love the Grand Hotel; it’s the epitome of Southern charm,” says Caraway-Carlton. “I’ve gone there since I was a child. It’s not just for tourists; the locals go there just as much as visitors do. It’s beloved by the community, and nearby Fairhope is literally like stepping into a Hallmark movie.”
Historic Hotels of America®
The 2026 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Historic Golf Courses list has been released by Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across America.
This listing of historic resorts chronicles the history of golf in the United States through many of the most beautiful, prestigious, and remarkable American golf courses that continue to attract both leisure seekers and serious athletes. They represent a variety of locations, from the first course built on a rocky Hawaiian lava flow, to courses built on mountains and alongside dramatic coastlines. Many of these golf courses were designed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, often called the Golden Age of golf course architecture.
The golf courses at these retreats and resorts were designed and renovated by influential golf course designers, ranging from Golden Age architects A.W. Tillinghast and Donald Ross, to more recent visionaries like Pete Dye. These courses have also earned an enviable reputation in part because of the remarkable achievements of the athletes and the famous hotel guests who played on them. Today, guests can make their own historic memories on these golf courses.
To be nominated and selected for membership and inducted into Historic Hotels of America, a hotel must be at least 50 years old and recognized for its historical significance.
Golf course architect Perry Maxwell designed an 18-hole championship golf course for the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear, Alabama, in 1947, just in time for the Grand Hotel’s centennial, as it was established in 1847. After World War II, a long-awaited retreat to the Mobile Bay resort offered weary Americans a chance to play Maxwell’s brand-new 7,104 yards of oak-lined links. Unsurprisingly, it was a grand success. Another nine holes were added, first in 1967 and again in 1983.
Today, there are two 18-hole golf courses at the resort’s Lakewood Club: the Dogwood Course and the Azalea Course. Since 1947, the Lakewood Club has hosted former President Gerald Ford, European royalty, movie stars, and sports legends, along with legions of local and visiting golfers. The Kenny Stabler Charity Golf Classic was held at the Lakewood Club for several years and hosted a who’s who of professional football players and other celebrities, as well the Pro Rivals Open in 2025. It also played host to the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in 1974, 1986, 2021 and will again in 2029, one of 14 championship tournaments run by the United States Golf Association.
Despite its impressive age, the Dogwood Course is well-kept and cared for. It was renovated in 2005 by the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail team and again in 2018, all to give it a fresh and modern feel while retaining Maxwell’s vision for the course. Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2011.
