Diamond Resorts Daytona Beach Regency

This resort is in Daytona, as the name implies. I like Daytona and have enjoyed the 6-7 times I have been there over the years. I am not a party animal anymore, so I do not come down for Bike Week, or Spring Break. Instead, I like to come down during the late Spring or early fall.

The beach here is still wide and you can see why racing on the beach was a thing still to this day. Now there is the Daytona speedway that handles all racing in the area. The beaches remain wide and lovely.

Video by TampaAerialMedia

Day One Travel & Arrival at Diamond Resorts Daytona Beach Regency

For this trip to Daytona, I drove down again. Mostly because the flight costs for this particular week last minute were fairly high. But also because I kind of like the drive down 95 from Virginia. Once you are on I95, it feels like it goes past.

On this trip, however, there were so many deer on the side of the road around South Carolina that I was sure some would come out in traffic. I made it without an issue. Maybe most of them are used to it by now. The water gathers near the sides of the road, however, so the deer come up close to the edge on both sides to get a drink after the rain.

Altogether, the trip down was about 13 hours. I often stop now on the way down, but this was a last-minute trip where I was leaving my office just in time to make it for check-in if I drove through the night. So, no rest for the weary on this trip.

That was a lot of driving. I feel it more now at 50+ mostly because my night vision gets some of that halo effect from oncoming headlights and hours in the kind of is a pain. But most of the drive other than gas and 2 bathroom stops was on the interstate, so you did not have to deal with that much. These are things you just do not think of when you are a younger person. You have no concept of the reality of it all.

I arrived at the resort even with some light traffic right on time for check-in. I am here at about 4:20 PM or so and the staff was kind getting me taken care of quickly. Once I hit the room, I took a nap before I even unpacked a bag. I use a CPAP so I barely took time to set that up before I was fast asleep.

I set my phone alarm so I would not wake up at like 2 AM with nothing to do. I woke up before 9 PM and headed for somewhere to eat, and then afterward stopped for some drinks for the room and a few snacks on the way back. Just convenience store items, but they work.

I chose the Ocean Deck Restaurant & Beach Bar since it was the summer season. They were still rocking and rolling at 9 PM. They have fresh local seafood and pub-like food offerings as well as live music during the summer many nights.

Villa Amenities

Then the resort itself offers all of these options.

Resort Amenities

Recent Resort Reviews

We loved our stay. The room was very large and comfortable. The kitchen was well stocked to make simple meals. Our kids loved the water slide, and the beach was right out the back. The staff really went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of every day.

Absolutely loved our condo. Stocked well with pots and pans, dishes, and glasses. Loved my balconies. The bathroom is clean and the whole unit looks like fresh paint. All employees are very nice and hospitable. Would highly recommend it.

The resort is really nice, and it looks like it’s being updated currently. The rooms can use a little updating, but the hotel itself is nice and in a great location. My family had a great time staying there for a long weekend. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Great place to take a family!!

This is my second time here. I love the staff and the beach. The rooms are really nice, beds SUPER COMFORTABLE. They have a kitchen with a stove and a fridge. I love the grills on the site. We were able to grill steaks, burgers, and franks.

We had an amazing stay. The room was perfect; the staff was awesome. We’ve traveled a lot, and this is the first hotel where I got texts daily asking how everything was going and if we needed anything. We asked for fresh towels. It took 5 minutes and they were knocking. Definitely going back again.

Everyone here has been amazing. Very impressed with the level of customer service. Even though there is construction going on, the staff works hard to make sure you are enjoying your stay. Would definitely come back again!

I stayed here last week. John the manager goes out of his way to accommodate and make sure that everything is to your liking. Leah, at the front desk and counter, checked in with me several times to see if I needed anything and I have to say she does an amazing job. Thank you John for the continued great work that you do it my homestay here on Daytona Beach. I look forward to my next visit.

With almost 1,000 reviews and such a high score, this resort clearly thrills visitors.

Day Two Sunrise then the Beach

When you are staying on the beach, you have to go to the beach and see a sunrise here. It helps that this resort has a prime beach spot and is in a great area of Daytona Beach.

It was easy for me to be up for sunrise thanks to my nap yesterday. This is so worth it all. Today the view was just ideal. The colors of the sky and the low cloud cover were amazing. It is the kind of thing that can take your breath away.

After my sunrise experience, I headed back into my room to shower, refresh and really dress for the day.

Once ready, I then went on the lookout for a great breakfast option. Almost across from the resort is a dining car restaurant and I love those, so I had to check that out for breakfast. It is called the Starlite Dinner and it was great. Between this and the sunrise, I have already had an amazing day. I feel like if there was a Greek God of Travel I was being granted his favor today. I enjoyed an omelet and a fluffy pancake and was a happy guy. You know that full-fat guy smiled when he got just what he wanted to eat.

I could have just walked back to the beach and still had an amazing day, but I wanted to get out and see more of the area.

It was early yet but not too early for a chocolate factory tour, so I headed to Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory Tour. How can you go wrong with that? While I did not spot an Umpa Lumpa (not sure about that spelling) I did sample some chocolate and did grab some to take back to the family. Just note to self to make sure to keep it up near the front with the best AC for the drive back home. Also, if I stop on the way back to take it out of the car with me into the hotel room. I forgot that once and had a nice melted pool by the morning when I got back to my car. Chocolate pools might sound good until you have to clean them up.

Next, I went to The Casements which was the Rockefeller estate way back when and makes an amazing place to see and tour for free now. After that tour and estate, I headed for the Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens to see the former sugar mill and also the remains of the theme park that was once there. The kids will like it, and everything I am doing today is free to do, so take notes and decide which you want to check out on your trip.

I did not go on this trip, but I have been to the North Peninsula State Recreation Area which includes free parking and great beach access that seems remote and private most of the time. It is worth visiting for a free side trip.

Day Three Lazy Beach Day

I was going to say lazy bum beach day but decided against that title. Today I just want to have my butt in the sand and my feet in the sea all day. Sure, I will get up and go eat, but I want to “chill out” on the beach and just detach myself from reality.

Yes, there is a ton more to do in Daytona, and I enjoy it all, but I also love this beach and this is what I really came for. So, here I am, drink in hand and butt in the sand. What a great day on the beach!

For a late lunch, I walked down along the beach to a few resorts and went to the Doc Bales’ Grill this is a restaurant at the Hilton on the water and it is worth the walk and then some. I had a great steak and some shrimp as well as enough drinks to make sure to advise my server that I did not drive.

Felling no pain at all anywhere, the walk back also included an impromptu dive into the ocean and a partial swim back. Not always advisable after a few cocktails, I was sober enough and I am a great swimmer. It was also almost flat with only 1-foot waves at the moment.

I passed a Bubba Gump Shrimp location on the way to Doc’s if that is more your speed.

It is always nice to be able to walk up the beach to eat somewhere neat to eat. It feels much more vacation-like to do so.

I headed back to my room, wet from the ocean, and showered and tucked myself in for the night. Almost tired just from relaxing so much, but likely tired from a 40-minute swim or so in the open ocean. It was great.

Want your own perfect Daytona vacation? chose this resort and booked through Tzort.