Turquoise Place: A kid-friendly hotel in Orange Beach, AL (Review)

Traveling with kids is always challenging, so we look for hotels with kitchens whenever we travel. This helps us cater to our child who’s a picky eater and helps lower our travel costs by catering when we don’t feel like going out. On a recent trip to Orange Beach in Alabama, I’ve had a chance to stay at Turquoise Place, a condo-hotel, by Spectrum Resorts. Here’s a review of the property and why you should consider staying here for your trip to the Alabama Beaches.

This post is part of our Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and Alabama content. Here are a few more related posts:

• Where to go for 3 days in Huntsville AL (Itinerary)
• Where to go on Day Trips from Huntsville AL
• Alabama

The Rooms at Turquoise Place

There are plenty of options for room types when staying at Turquoise Place. The one we stayed in was a three-bedroom unit, with a balcony facing the ocean and each room had an ensuite bathroom. The three-bedroom can comfortably sleep 6 people: two in the master, two in the second bedroom, and two in the third bedroom. It’s the perfect spot for multi-generational travel, where you and your partner can be in the master bedroom, with a king bed. The in-laws can stay in the second bedroom, which also has a king bed, and the kids can stay in the third bedroom, which has two queen beds.

If you are traveling with a bigger group, I got a chance to tour a 5-bedroom unit at Turquoise Place. This is a penthouse suite, with a huge room with 6 bunk beds for kids and the room has its own TV. There are two master bedrooms and a separate in-law suite on the other side of the hall. The in-law suite doesn’t have a balcony but offers floor-to-ceiling windows and water views of Cotton Bayou. It also has an ensuite bathroom, offering a perfect private room away from the family (or a big group of friends). The penthouse has a huge balcony space that wraps around, but you’ll get to see the bottom floor’s balcony unit as well, so something to consider.

The Bathrooms at Turquoise Place

Each ensuite bathroom has different offerings. The master bathroom has a jacuzzi tub, a shower, and a walk-in closet. This bathroom was bigger than the bedroom in our old apartment. There is a quirk in the master bathroom though: the toilet does not have a door. If you need to go use the toilet while someone is in the bathroom getting ready or in the bath or shower, you must be very comfortable with whoever you share the space with because of privacy.

The bathroom in the second bedroom with the king bed has a shower and a toilet. The bathroom is not as big as the master’s, but there is also a quirk to the second bathroom: there’s no shower door. It could get a bit cold when you’re done with the shower, and you step back to the vanity area if you’re not used to the setup. The third and final bathroom (in the 2 queen beds setup) has a shower/tub combination. The tub also has jets, albeit not as big as the one in the master bathroom. If you’re staying with family, you can try out all the bathrooms!

The amenities and other rooms available in the unit

Every unit has a full kitchen with a sub-zero fridge and all the cooking utensils and pots/pans you may need. The unit also comes with a coffeemaker, dishwasher, and ice machine. All you need to do is bring your spices and buy your ingredients to set you up for your stay on the beach. The unit also has a living area with comfortable couches and chairs for everyone you are traveling with.

The units have balconies that overlook the ocean and hot tubs. Yes, a private hot tub. Every unit has a hot tub that you are welcome to use unless it’s deep cleaning day. During deep cleaning days, the hot tub in your unit can’t be used for 3 days. There are still plenty of amenities you can use and enjoy on the property even during the hot tub cleaning days!

Beachfront Hotel with Plenty of Water Amenities

Like most kids, whenever we go on a vacation and the weather is warm enough, my child loves to just hang out by the beach or the pool and the bathtub or shower. Rinse, repeat, and that’s a vacation for him. If we tried to get him to do an activity, we must bribe him with snacks or something else he would be interested in doing just to get him out of the water. Turquoise Place allowed us to walk straight to the beach from the comfort of our room. 

There are two boardwalks to the beach, one from the C Tower and another from the D Tower, but they all connect to the pool deck so it’s easy to go from one building to another. During peak season, there are beach loungers and umbrellas available for guest use.

What to do in a beachfront resort aside from the beach

Turquoise Place is split across two buildings, but they share the same amenities. There’s a huge pool deck on the lobby floor, complete with a bar/restaurant open from 10 am to 3 pm. A new addition for 2024 is a water slide spanning 4 floors for the bigger kids (and adults), and a splash park for the little kids. The splash park has soft floors and is gated, so you won’t have to worry about your younger children running to the bigger pool area when you turn. There’s also an outdoor cinema, which will show films (check the events guide for the titles shown), as well as a small practice golf course with artificial turf.

On the fourth floor of the D tower, there’s a lazy river and a playground. The playground also has padded floors, and it makes for a great view of the road below, so little children will be entertained looking at the flow of traffic below. There’s a tennis court on the fourth floor, and access to the fitness center, indoor pool, a steam room, and a sauna. Did I mention that the indoor pool is slightly heated? It means even if the weather turns on your perfect vacation, you can still enjoy the water!

There is a bridge that connects the lazy river/playground on the fourth floor of the D Tower to the water slide/outdoor movie deck area. It offers great views of the pool deck and the splash area below.

Booking Turquoise Place directly with Spectrum Resorts

When you Turquoise Place directly on the Spectrum Resorts website, you’ll get free breakfast (only available during spring and summer), as well as access to the fifth floor of the D Tower, called the Club. The Club is only accessible by scanning your bracelet (which also serves as the room and amenity key) on the door and offers video games and board games for everyone with The Club access to enjoy.  The game room is open daily until 6 pm, while breakfast is only available until 10 am. You’ll also get small discounts on retail and food services in the resort when booking Turquoise Place directly with Spectrum.

What if I book Turquoise Place on a third-party website?        

You may get discounts and reward points if booking on third-party websites like VRBO, but you won’t have the breakfast nor access to the Club. You’ll have to calculate how much you’ll save (if any) by booking on third-party websites vs booking directly. Having breakfast onsite is a convenient perk where you won’t have to go outside to grab food or prepare for one more meal in the morning.

Parking at Turquoise Place Orange Beach

Parking isn’t a problem at Turquoise Place. Every unit has a dedicated parking spot, but it’s only good for one car. If sharing the unit with other families or friends who have their transportation, they can park in any unnumbered spot in the garage.

Concierge Services by the Beach Moms

Do you want a completely hands-free vacation? Want a fully stocked fridge when you get to your unit at Turquoise Place? Contact the Beach Moms and let them do the grocery shopping and fridge set-up for you, so you don’t have to wrangle your little kids back into the car to go grocery shopping when you arrive. The Beach Moms have a partnership with Turquoise Place (and a few other hotels/condos in the area), so they can stock up your fridge with your shopping list and it’s there, ready when you arrive. They’re also a one-stop shop when it comes to making reservations for dining out and excursions in the Gulf Shores, Fort Morgan, Orange Beach, and Perdido Key area.

Staying at Turquoise Place Orange Beach

Staying at Turquoise Place had been a home away from home during my short stay in Orange Beach. It’s been so comfortable staying in the condo hotel that it’s hard to go home and forego all the luxuries of the condo. It’s so spacious that it’s also a great venue to celebrate milestones or create experiences with friends or family.

One thing to note: Turquoise Place is not a timeshare. The reason why it’s a condo hotel is because people can own units and can stay in the unit full-time, part-time, or opt to rent their unit to someone.

Note: I got invited to stay at Turquoise Place as part of a trip organized by the Gulf Shores and Alabama Beaches Tourism Board. While my stay had been comped, all opinions are my own.  Thank you for the chance to stay in this amazing condo hotel!