Poolside + posh: Cavalier Oceanfront Beach Club
The Historic Cavalier Hotel is not precisely on the beach, but their exclusive Beach Club is. Located across the street from the hotel, on the popular Oceanfront, this luxe spot is an oasis of poolside joy. You’ll find all the comforts of home and then some: beach loungers, locker rooms, showers, cabanas, a beachside bar and grill and a lovely seaside infinity pool and hot tub. Even tightly wound “Type A” peeps dissolve into a happy puddle of “Type Z” here. Beach Club access includes two complimentary lounge chairs. For an indoor swim, don't miss the hotel's saltwater plunge pool, a favorite of none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald in his time. Dive in and soak up a bit of literary history.
Splashy extra: Why walk across the street when they’ll deliver you to the Beach Club in style via golf cart?
Sky-high chic: Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront
You don’t have to have a platinum card to party like a Kardashian in Virginia Beach. Enjoy the high life, figuratively and literally, at the “zero edge” rooftop pool, 21 stories up, at the stylish 289-room Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotel on the waterfront, next to the famous King Neptune. There’s also an indoor pool on the same floor, a hot tub and a rooftop pool bar to take care of those beverage needs as you take in the gorgeous views that stretch as far as Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Norfolk and distant North Carolina.
By night, the scene transforms into Sky Bar, the city’s hottest rooftop nightclub. Dress to slay, and be ready to dance the night away as local DJs work their magic from Thursday through Sunday nights. They’ve also launched a happy hour on the rooftop every Sunday, with music from local acoustic artists. Now that’s how you do “Sunday Fun Day.”
Splashy extra: Sky Bar is free for hotel guests, but you can book a VIP section, as befitting your crew’s utter fabulosity.
Virginia Beach meets Baja: Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Live your best beachy life at the newly-renovated Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront North hotel, located at the north end of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The ginormous outdoor pool—one of the largest on the waterfront—is adorned with cascading waterfalls and landscaping that lends a tropical Cabo San Lucas vibe. The outdoor pool is not heated (and quite refreshing during hot summers), but the indoor pool is heated, so it’s always “pool season” here. Lifeguards are on duty at the outdoor pool from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Splashy extra: Toast the good life at the fabulous poolside bar.
For the pool-loving kiddos: Holiday Inn & Suites Virginia Beach - North Beach
Ready to seal your status as the “World’s Best Parents (or Grandparents, or Coolest Aunt or Fun Uncle aka Funcle) on the Planet?” Bring the little tykes to this crazy-fun 238-room beachfront property featuring an indoor “Splish-Splash Lagoon” with its own lazy river, waterfalls and water slides. The Holiday Inn & Suites Virginia Beach-North Beach also includes a seasonal outdoor pool, but Splish-Splash is where it’s at. Families love this place, where frolicking funsters aged 18 and under stay and eat for free when sharing a room with their elders.
Splashy extra: Let the hotel keep the energetic littles entertained in Splash Kamp (kids from age 4 to 12, free for hotel guests; available in spring and summer) while you take a few moments to catch up on a recent read in a beach lounger. Everybody wins.
“Care for a cocktail, Milady?”: Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort
Located at the north end of the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, the 305-room Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort has plenty to enjoy, including the acclaimed Orion’s Roof Garden & Dining restaurant. This high-rise hotel is part of the Cavalier Resort group, so the service is top-notch, which extends to the pool situation. Guests laud the outdoor heated pool as “perfect,” with unobstructed ocean views. No need to lift a manicured digit: the Pool Day Concierges will deliver drinks, towels and food at your whim. The room charge includes two lounge chairs, so there’s no annoying jockeying for a beach chair during the early morning hours. There’s also an indoor pool on the property, but it would take a tsunami to keep us out of the outdoor pool.
Splashy extra: Enjoy entertainment at The Deck Seagrill & Bar during the summer months.
Selfie Alert: Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel
The Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel is proof that you don’t have to pay major bucks to snag a fetching pool with ocean views. This 7-story, 134-room property caters to the “hip traveler” demographic with colorful public spaces and fun features, like a slide that lands at the bar and a heated outdoor pool, which is palm-lined and ocean-facing, with comfy loungers and an umbrellaed deck. Selfies are practically required.
Splashy extra: Plan to stick around for dinner—Moxy’s has a good Asian-fusion “experimental” pop-up restaurant on site, open daily.
Wet + wild = wonderful: Ocean Breeze Waterpark
For more than 50 summers, Ocean Breeze Waterpark, located inland, keeps families coming back for more, thanks to a gigantic wave pool, a raft ride, a river ride, tube rides, waterslides, you name it. The waterpark has 30-plus water-themed attractions ranging from mild to wild. Favorite attractions include the Family Raft Ride, with its serpentine channels, crazy drops and vortex loops, and Jungle Falls, a single-rider tube ride through rapids and pools with unexpected waterfalls. Make like a mermaid or merman in Runaway Bay, a zero-depth entry, million-gallon wave pool. Note that some height and weight requirements apply. Free parking and free sunscreen are thoughtful amenities. And don’t you dare leave the park without indulging in the perfect waterpark snack: Dole Whip Nachos.
Splashy extra: Need shade or a break from all the merriment and squealing baby sharks? Book a private cabana, which includes cushioned patio-style furniture, lounge chairs, a ceiling fan, flat-screen cable TV and a personal refrigerator with a bottle of water for each guest.
Grotto love it: Turtle Cay Resort
Family-friendly Turtle Cay Resort is located in a lively, cool neighborhood in Rudee Inlet, at the south end of the Virginia Beach boardwalk. Turtle Cay comes up with aces for pools: They’ve got three of them, all heated and sporting a curvaceous, grotto-like ambiance, complete with a nine-foot waterfall. And if that’s not enough for your pool-obsessed crew, guests can access the rooftop pool at a sister property, Beach Quarters, just across the street. It’s a barefoot, low-key vibe, and fans of Turtle Cay Resort wouldn’t have it any other way. Rooms are spacious and some are equipped with kitchenettes, so you won’t have to take your rambunctious hatchlings to restaurants daily.
Splashy extra: Jacuzzi, baby. Because who doesn’t like a hot tub?
Writer Bio:
East Coast-based writer D. Chérie Bair covers travel, food, and outdoor recreation for newspapers, magazines, and online travel sites. She has contributed to several guidebooks for Fodor’s, Michelin, Lonely Planet, and Frommer’s. A global traveler, Bair admits she is “besotted” with Virginia Beach. Her favorite things to do there include paddling with dolphins in Rudee Inlet and loading up on taffy at Forbes Candies.
