Hilton Grand Vacations Plantation Beach Club at South Seas Island Resort

This is a dream spot if you like your own company. I could curl up with a book on the couch, out on the deck, or at the beach. The wooden paths now run all the way to the shore, and there’s a shower at the base of the building for rinsing off sand. They’ve put in a huge dune to help prevent future flooding, though, so anyone with mobility issues won’t be able to get down to the Gulf without someone carrying them. There’s a heated pool, and the beach is lovely at night for stargazing, looking for shells, or watching the birds scurry around. The trolley service is back too, so you can head to the harbor and spot manatees and dolphins. I wouldn’t get too excited about the rest of the resort, though. Don’t plan your stay around Scoops n Slices, the T-dock, or the fancy Waterpark. The resort owns only 5% of Captiva, so take a rental car and explore the other 95% of Captiva and Sanibel. Pick up a giant conch shell at She Sells Seashells, make eye contact in the bathroom at The Green Flash, and ask the cashiers at A Bit of Baileys what happened to The Rest of Baileys.