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A Top 25 Best Hotel Portfolio in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, 2025
A holiday-themed cocktail part of Opal's seasonal cocktail program.

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Top Holiday Cocktails To Ring in 2026
These holiday cocktails – part of Opal’s specialty holiday cocktail program – aren’t just complex symphonies of flavor, they’re liquid works of art. And we’ve got the recipes for you to recreate during your own holiday festivities.
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A Florida-themed Christmas ornament on a tree.

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5 Game-Changing Benefits of Taking Your Holidays on Vacation
If the stress of your holiday hustle has been weighing you down (especially if you’re the one hosting the festivities), this may be an article you want to read. Because a holiday week getaway may just be the best gift you can give yourself.
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Aerial view of a winding coastal road bordered by dense forest with autumn foliage, rocky cliffs, and waves crashing against the shoreline below.

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Why Mount Desert Island Was Voted America’s Favorite Island
It wasn’t a tropical escape that scored number one in the “Top 15 Islands in the Continental U.S.” list in Travel + Leisure’s 2025 World’s Best Awards. It was a lobster-claw-shaped piece of land off the craggy coast of Downeast Maine.
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The view of Frenchman Bay from Bar Harbor

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A Coveted Coastal New England Road Trip
The beauty of a multi-day, 220-mile road trip up the craggy coast from Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Bar Harbor, Maine isn’t just the plethora of enticing pit stops along the route – from high culture to scenic coves. It’s also the way that Opal properties serve as your easy and convenient overnight waypoints for piecing together one epic coastal cruise.
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A man and three children, all wearing swimwear, run and play together on a sandy beach with Sandpearl Resort in the background.

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Best Family Beach Resorts in Florida
Planning a family beach vacation to Florida? From morning splash time to sunset s’mores, Opal Collection offers a variety of beach resorts up and down the coast that take the hassle out of family vacations.
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A serene beach scene unfolds in Clearwater, Florida, with a long pier extending into calm, blue waters. Sandy dunes with patches of grass grace the foreground. The clear sky holds a whisper of clouds near the horizon, while small structures dot this idyllic attraction on the pier.

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Must-See Clearwater Florida Attractions You Never Knew About
Think you’ve experienced all of Clearwater Beach? This list of hidden gems might make you think again.
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A father and daughter play in the gin-clear waters of Jupiter, Florida.

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6 Best Crystal-Clear Water Beaches in Florida that Rival the Caribbean
You don’t need a passport to frolic in the blue waves identical to what you’d find in everyone’s favorite tropical sea. You just need these favorite Florida beaches.
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A family enters the lobby at Hutchinson Island Beach Resort & Spa.

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10 Experiences to Level Up Your Next Opal Escape
Opal Collection resorts and hotels are more than just luxurious places to lay your head. From private chef-led culinary events to hands-on outdoor adventures you’ll be raving about for years to come, here’s how our collection can craft and connect you to indelible experiences that discerning travelers covet.
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Whether you're planning where to go next or what to do on an already‑booked vacation, discover the travel destinations with Opal

Aerial shot of Camden harbor

The Family Weekend Guide to Midcoast Maine

Using the Samoset Resort as a basecamp, the coastal towns of Camden, Rockport, and Rockland offer everything from hiking right above the Atlantic to lighthouse excursions and some epic family competitions.

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A couple dines at the bar of Sea-Guini at Opal Sands.

Eating Your Way through Clearwater Beach

Everything tastes better when you’re eating by the beach, and everything already tastes pretty great in Clearwater Beach. Here’s our guide to eight eateries you can’t (or at least shouldn’t) miss during your next visit.

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A serene lake with misty mountains in the background under a soft, blue sky. The hashtag #H2OPALPHOTOCONTEST is displayed prominently across the center of the image.

Photo Contest: 2015 #H2OpalPhotoContest

Whether it’s on the lakes of New York, the beaches of Florida, or the rocky coast of Maine, on-the-water experiences are at the heart of every OPAL Collection resort and destination. So we tasked our guests with showing us their best H2Opal experiences in a photo…

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A couple embraces in the ocean at sunset with sunlight illuminating them. The foreground shows clear water. Text overlay reads #OPALLOVESTORYCONTEST.

Pin to Win: #OpalLoveStoryContest

In the spring of 2015, we challenged our fans to build a Pinterest board as a tribute to their significant other, sharing what it is that makes him or her special as well as telling the story of their relationship together. See all the…

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A wooden boardwalk bordered by grassy sand dunes leads to a sunny beach under a blue sky. The text #MYOPALMOMENT is overlaid in the center of the image.

Photo Contest: #MyOpalMoment

In our inaugural contest over the summer of 2014, we asked Opal visitors to capture a favorite moment from their time in that destination. Submissions ranged from pretty mountaintop views to indelible family moments. Check out the finalists.

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