Hontoon Landing Resort & Marina - DeLand, Florida

Mariah W.

Visiting Florida for sick family. I am on day 2 of my week long stay here. I am staying in one of the cabin duplex. Room is clean and perfectly what I needed. Bed is comfortable & everything I would need to cook meals was readily available in the kitchen, full size frig/stove & microwave. Bathroom is perfect with a shower. Check in was very easy & woman was very nice. Small store has drinks & snacks. Area is quiet & peaceful for sitting on patio chairs right outside my door. Not an ideal reason to visit but definitely an ideal place to stay while I am here. Pool looks nice and docks make for a nice walk along the river around property to clear your head. 10/10 will hopefully stay again under better circumstances. *view from patio as the sun began to set

JandS1144

Unfortunately his resort was not as advertised. There are NO daily tours, no restaurants or even a place at the resort to get a light meal. All places to eat are at least 15 to 20 minutes away. Can’t speak for the other rooms but the cottage always had a musty smell and my sinuses got very out of control. I don’t think there is much if any insulation in the cottages so it was quite chilly at night. It would probably be OK if you are with a group but not much in the area if it is just a couple. Would be ok for a night or two. Oh and the daily ferry to Hontoon Island doesn’t exist either. Currently it only goes fri, sat and sunday. Someone needs to update the website.

H7858MPlizm

Absolutely amazing hosts, grounds, and accommodations. We were a party of 11 siblings and spouses, there to fish, but also just to enjoy some time together. My husband and I stayed in Executive Suite with my sister, and it was a fabulous gathering space for all inside and on the screened porch. We had everything we could desire, including washer and dryer. The fishing wasn’t good, because of recent flooding, but we still enjoyed trying and rented a pontoon one day so several could cruise together. We will definitely return!

Ron G.

Hontoon Landing. Do not bother to read this review unless you plan to bring your boat to this very nice, small resort.

Hontoon Landing is under new ownership for the past couple of years and the young man that is acting as Dock Master is, in my opinion, not qualified for that job. Here are some examples of why that is. I tow my 22 foot bay boat all over the Southeast and have launched it hundreds of times at some of the most primitive boat ramps in existence. As I went to back the boat down the ramp at Hontoon Landing (and it is a very narrow ramp) the young man was “guiding” me back, waving right, then left, then back again which was all unnecessary as I can clearly see where the trailer is going by looking at my mirrors. What he didn’t mention was that the river was a little low and THE RAMP ENDED before the boat was floating. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE USING THE RAMP! Not too much of an issue as the trailer is twin axel and I was able to stop before both wheels went off the end of the ramp.

Now it get worse. According to the “dock master” my 22 foot bay boat will not fit into the slips in their small, protected marina, he told me to dock the boat out on the main river channel in a very large, double slip with nothing but pilings every 6 or 10 feet apart tie up to. Now you can dock a large vessel against a dock with only pilings because larger vessels cary fender boards which can protect the hull from the pilings in these situations however, there are no 22 foot boats that carry fender boards. The only other solution was to take a couple of dock lines and tie them across the slip to hold the boat away from the pilings. “No, you can’t do that” said the young man, “another boat may want to use the other side of that slip”. It was 6:00 PM on a very quiet week for boat traffic and there were other slips available if someone showed up late.

It gets better. In the next double wide slip over, there was a 40-45 foot tourist excursion boat. I asked if that boat would be going out the next day. “No, that’s not going out this week” said the young man. “can I move my boat into that slip and tie to the cleats on the excursion boat to hold my boat of the pilings?” “Yes, you can”. Great, problem solved. I tied to the dock with the pilings and then took bow, stern and spring lines over to the big excursion boat to hold my hull away from the pilings.

Now, we had driven down to Hontoon Landing towing the boat from Atlanta that day. Once the boat was safely tied up, we went to town for a wonderful dinner at a little Greek restaurant. Returning back to Hontoon Landing at 9:30 at night, I was told that the Property Manager had walked the grounds and decided that I COULD NOT TIE MY BOAT UP WITH LINES EXTENDING TO THE EXCURSION BOAT TO KEEP IT FROM BOUNCING OFF THE PILINGS AS BOATS PASSED BY IN THE MAIN RIVER channel. At this point, here was nothing to do but pull the boat out of the water and park the trailer and boat in the parking lot. 10:00 PM, very dark out there, untie the boat from the dock, run it over to the trailer, load the boat and go park it.

For the rest of the 3 day stay, we simply kept the boat on the trailer, launching and reloading each morning and evening. Not too much of an inconvenience.

Here is the kicker. A few days after we left Hontoon Landing, I checked my credit card statement online and found that they had charged me an extra $20 per day to PARK THE TRAILER ON THE GROUNDS OF THE RESORT! I’ve stayed at literally hundreds of hotels and motels and NEVER HAVE BEEN CHARGED EXTRA to park the trailer and boat at any one of them.

Conclusion. IF YOU ARE BRINGING A BOAT WITH YOU TO EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL ST JOHNS RIVER, DON’T STAY AT HONTOON LANDING. Stay anywhere else in Deland and launch your boat at Ed Stone Park. Free launching, four ramps in a very protected little cove off the main river.

David T.

Wow, what an amazing place and a hidden gem. The staff was over the top amazing, our cabin was clean as a whistle, and the property is immaculately maintained in a manner that would rival Disney World.

We sat out on the patio for an early morning, sunrise and enjoyed the peace and quiet. This is a great place and we have added it to our list of places to make return visits.

Joseph G.

great place right on the river. sit and watch the river roll by the morning while drinking your coffee! beautiful views!

catherinegJ5322PJ

2nd time staying here and we love this place. Beautiful, quiet and Marilu is the best hostess! Great to be able to rent a pontoon boat. Disappointed that the restaurant still isn't open (we came August 2023 also). Fortunately some great restaurants nearby. King suite was perfect for us and nicely remodeled. New mattress was a bit too firm for us and might have benefitted from a soft mattress topper. Otherwise, we were extremely happy and look forward to our next visit.

Kathleen M.

Stayed here a few nights in June 2024 and also July 2024. We can’t get enough of this place. This is a true hidden gem. Very peaceful and relaxing. These are the cleanest rooms. Carol in main office is so helpful and sweet. Love fishing from the docks, so much beautiful wildlife to see. If you’re looking for a place on the St John’s river, and a relaxing time, this is it!! 10/10. We can’t wait to come back. Love how close the river and pool are to the rooms. Beautiful views in the river view rooms!!