This Forbes Five-Star relaxing escape on the privately owned Sea Island comes with all the amenities—even the ones you didn’t think of (Fish dissection for the kids! Spice-based exfoliation for Mom!). No wonder The Cloister has seen its share of Rockefellers, Fords and Bushes over the years. The original hotel opened in 1928 and it quickly became a retreat for the rich and famous. Today, the Mediterranean style main building sits on a veritable compound that includes a Beach Club, three 18-hole championship courses, a 65,000 square-foot spa, shooting school, stables and five miles of private beach. Throw in six top-rated restaurants and it’s easy to see why U.S. News rated The Cloister one of the best hotels in the U.S. in 2015. 

Just as easily as The Cloister can be a quiet escape for overworked business men and women looking to recharge, it can also be a destination vacation for families of theme-park proportions. Families can embark on day adventures like kayak tours, horseback riding and eco tours. Or, kids can enroll in the tennis and golf academies, take archery lessons, etiquette classes, or sign-up for the day camp where staff lead kids in discoveries, games, crafts and other outdoor adventures. And if the young ones get too weary they can always find their way to the kids’ spa.

With 180-holes of golf and accommodating year-round weather, the Golden Isles have become a golf Mecca worthy of a pilgrimage. Stunning marsh and ocean views complement the spectacularly designed and meticulously maintained courses, one of which was designed by PGA TOUR professional and Sea Island resident, Davis Love III (Sea Island’s Retreat Course). The Seaside Scottish-links style course at the Sea Island Golf Club is one of several such courses in the area; it is also the site of the RSM Classic. One of the PGA TOUR’s premier stops, the RSM Classic draws the world’s elite golfers to the Southeast and has raised millions of dollars for charities. 

After six years as a seaside dance club, the space was converted into a modern hotel in 1941. Several additional renovations and updates over the years have transformed The King and Prince Resort into St. Simons Island’s most luxurious resort, and its rich history even earned it a place on the National Register of Historic Places. The resort rests directly on the Atlantic coastline and includes guest rooms, beach villas, resort residencies and breathtaking ocean-front pools. The sensationally designed golf course rests on the former site of the Hampton Plantation, an 18th-century antebellum plantation that produced cotton, indigo and rice. Today, in stark contrast, it simply produces play.