A beachfront retreat with attitude

Southern Living, Sep 2002 by Doyle, Alice Welsh

You like the lake, your wife likes Ythe beach. You like casual, she likes chic. It's so hard to find a vacation spot to please everyone. Don't despair-WaterColor Inn on Florida's Gulf Coast masters that challenge.

Located on scenic State 30-A, adjacent to Seaside, the 60-room luxury hotel is the crown jewel in the resort community of Watercolor. A hip New York architectural firm, The Rockwell Group, designed it as a sort of avantgarde interpretation of a Gulf Coast family beach house. Full of stylish amenities, it still manages to maintain a friendly, laid-back attitude.

As a Southern Living Homes editor, I fell for the hotel's decor-yellow Adirondack chairs, upholstered headboards, and a mix of colorful fabrics, all with a fresh contemporary feel. My husband relished the inn's setting among the undisturbed dunes.

Beach lovers will be delighted by WaterColor's strip, located next to Grayton Beach State Recreation Area on one side and the community of Seaside on the other. We hopped in one of the inn's many sea kayaks and paddled along Grayton's undeveloped shore. After our adventure, we cooled off in the BeachClub pool with the frozen concoction of the day. The spacious BeachClub provided the perfect spot to watch the sunset and relax.

For dinner, you don't have to venture far. The inn's restaurant, Fish Out of Water, tempts with Gulf seafood specialties as well as Southern dishes. We also indulged in the variety of offerings at the sushi bar (most around $7).

Waking up is easy at WaterColor-- they serve a great breakfast that is included in your room charge. After our hearty feast, we explored the other side of WaterColor-Western Lake. This lush coastal dune lake offords a welcome contrast to beach life. At the Water- Color community BoatHouse, you can use canoes or kayaks to paddle around or fish. Also at the lake, the BaitHouse Restaurant serves casual family fare such as grouper po'boys ($8.95) and fried-shrimp baskets ($9.25). Or you can pack a picnic filled with gourmet treats from the WaterColor Market in the town square.

All this style and variety are on the pricey side-rooms start at $275 per night during the summer season, dropping to $245 after Labor Day. WaterColor also offers a variety of cottage rentals. Still, this is an ideal place for a special celebration. Plus, it's entirely possible that you'll become so enamored that you spend the last day of your visit in the WaterColor real estate office, putting down a deposit for a lot.

WaterColor Inn: 34 Goldenrod Circle, Seagrove Beach, FL 32459; (850) 534-5000, toll free 1-866-426-2656, or www.watercolorinn.com.