Opal Sol or Opal Sands? A Guide to Clearwater Beach’s New Resort Duo

Considering a stay at either Opal Sol or Opal Sands? As Opal Collection’s highly anticipated resort duo, here are the essential things you should know before you go – including what makes each resort unique, their shared resort amenities, and which one best suits your unique stay.

---

In February of 2016, Opal Collection opened its twelfth property, Opal Sands, an architectural marvel that masterly blended modern artistic touches with a sleek beach vibe. Sited directly on the Gulf of Mexico, the luxury resort’s stunning curved glass and steel façade was unlike anything Clearwater Beach had ever seen. And it has remained so – that is, at least until February of 2025, when Opal’s now twenty-eighth property, Opal Sol, premieres, giving the Gulf Coast region another eye-catching beach resort to ogle. Connected via a glass-enclosed scenic sky bridge, the two neighboring properties feel a bit like yin and yang – Opal Sands with its iconic convex shape and Opal Sol with its concave curve.

But while these two properties certainly boast similarities – in terms of signature hospitality, top-notch dining outlets, and Clearwater Beach accommodations where every room serves up a sprawling view of the gulf – they certainly aren’t carbon copies of one another. Here’s what you need to know.

LOCATION & ARRIVAL

Opal Sands and Opal Sol are collectively perched on the southernmost end of the barrier island of Clearwater Beach, Florida, looking out to the glittering gulf. However, they’re not positioned exactly the same: Opal Sands edges right up to the gulf, whereas Opal Sol angles out, opening toward the award-winning white-sand beach. “When standing on your room balcony at Opal Sands, you’re basically over the gulf,” says Jeff Castner, GM of Opal Sands who has also been closely managing the opening of Opal Sol. “But from your room balcony at Opal Sol, you get more of a wide-lens view of the white-sand beach and the water. You feel more connected with the lively beach community and attractions of Beach Walk, which is right outside the resort. Opal Sands feels a bit more removed from Beach Walk, a bit more solitary and quiet.”

And while the resorts are connected, like two towers, they don’t share a single check-in location. That said, if a guest ends up at the front desk of Opal Sol when needing to check into Opal Sands (and vice versa), they can do so. “We’ll still be able to check guests in and make their room keys,” Castner explains. “We’ll just need to then direct them to the skyway bridge to get to the correct tower and their room. We can also have valet move their car if needed.”

How Do I Make Sure I Go to the Right Resort?

While the two Clearwater Beach resorts are just a couple hundred feet from each other, they are technically located on different roads: Opal Sands on South Gulfview Boulevard and Opal Sol on Coronado Drive. The best thing to do is to enter their addresses into your phone’s GPS and follow accordingly:

Opal Sands

430 S Gulfview Boulevard
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767

Opal Sol

400 Coronado Drive
Clearwater, FL 33767

If I Stay at One Property, How Do I Get to the Other?

The scenic skyway bridge spans above South Gulfview Boulevard and connects the lobby of Opal Sands to the second level of Opal Sol (essentially the meeting space level). If looking to get to the lobby of Opal Sol from the skyway bridge, cross through the pre-function space to descend the winding staircase that places you right at the main lobby’s fountain feature. Don’t worry: plenty of signage ensures you can get where you need to go.

RESORT OVERVIEWS

How Is Opal Sol Different from Opal Sands?

While both properties feature stunning curved façades and gulf-facing room views, their interior design aesthetics are distinct. “Opal Sands feels more modern coastal with glassy sculpture, bubble chandeliers, and touches of turquoise, whereas Opal Sol is more neutral with organic, earthy materials, like slatted wood and palm fronds,” says Castner. While it’s hard to know, at this point, how the guest demographic will evolve at each property, Castner thinks couples looking for more of a secluded retreat will gravitate to Opal Sands, while families – given the buzzy nature of Beach Walk and the all-suite accommodations – will find themselves more drawn to Opal Sol.

The other key characteristic defining the two is access to the beach – one of the most coveted stretches of coastline in the country. At Opal Sands, guests simply follow the gentle sand ramp down to the powdery white sands; from Opal Sol, it’s just a quick street crossing of South Gulfview Boulevard (there are two crosswalks) to the Beach Walk promenade and the beach beyond. Opal Sol guests who want to avoid the Beach Walk can simply cross the skyway bridge to Opal Sands and access the beach via the sand ramp.

How Many Rooms Does Opal Sol Have?

Ranging in layouts from studios to a three-bedroom, Opal Sol’s 248 suites are designed to serve as your ultimate home away from home. All accommodations offer private balconies for unobstructed views of the Gulf, while select units even boast wrap-around patios with hot tubs, outdoor showers, and lounge furniture, as well as soaking tubs in master bedrooms and full gourmet kitchens. Opal Sands’s 230 gulf-front guest rooms and suites also boast living rooms and balconies, while one select corner suite features a 1,000-square-foot wrap-around balcony furnished with lounge furniture and a semi-covered dining table.

When is Opal Sol Opening?

Opal Sol is forecasted to premiere mid-February of 2025. That includes the dining outlets located in Opal Sol’s main hotel: Drift, Toast, Beach Market & Café, and Current (the poolside bar). However, the street-level dining outlets, based right beside the Beach Walk, won’t be opening until spring of 2025.

RESORT AMENITIES

Does Opal Sol Have a Spa?

Yes, Opal Sol will have a full-service luxury Opal Spa. And what a wellness experience it will be. Employing a “biophilic” design – the concept of bringing the outdoors in – it’s a haven that seamlessly blends nature’s beauty with the art of relaxation: Think potted plants, palm fronds, live-edge wood, trickling water, and other details that summon the breeziness of the outdoors.

That said, it’s not the only way to wellness between the two properties. You can also book the Opal Spa at Opal Sands. In fact, the two have the same treatment menus. And regardless of what tower your service takes place in, all spa guests get access to the pool, hot tub, and salt room housed within Opal Sol’s spa location.

If I Stay at Opal Sol, Can I Access Opal Sands’s Amenities?

Absolutely. In fact, whether you stay at Opal Sol or Opal Sands, you get exclusive access to the other resort’s amenities, allowing you to truly make the most of your stay.

Collectively, that translates to four sparkling pools, 10 dining outlets for a vast and varied dining experience, two full-service luxury Opal Spas, and two fitness centers.

What Restaurants Does Opal Sol Have?

Within Opal Sol’s main hotel alone, there are four dining outlets. That includes the signature Drift, as well as the new breakfast restaurant, Toast. But coming spring 2025, that will grow to seven outlets total with the premier of the street-level options of Lolita’s Coastal Cocina, Float Malt Shop & Creamery, and Surf Beach Market Café.

Opal Sol guests also have access to the dining outlets of Opal Sands (and vice versa). “I think this is one of the most exciting things about these two intertwined properties,” says Castner. “The variety of dining options is so vast and varied unlike what you’ll find in Clearwater Beach, where grouper sandwiches are pretty much what you’ll get. But between our two resorts, you could have handmade pasta at Sea-Guini in Opal Sands one night, a stunning breakfast at Toast in Opal Sol the following morning, lunch down by the beach at SandBar back at Opal Sands, then a chilled seafood tower in Drift followed by drinks at Current at Opal Sol.”

MEETING AMENITIES

While the two resorts independently feel intimate, when you collectively pool their rooms, the multiple ballrooms, breakout spaces, boardrooms, event lawns, and their amenities, they really make for Clearwater Beach’s most expansive meeting space facilities – the kind that can seamlessly accommodate truly large conferences and trade shows.

What is the Meeting Space Like?

A total of 478 gulf-view rooms and more than 106,000 square feet of event space are at your fingertips between Opal Sol and Opal Sands. Designed to accommodate any kind of grand gulf-view gathering you can dream up, from destination weddings to corporate retreats to family reunions, the expansive layout offers versatility for events of all sizes. That includes:

• 2 Event Lawns on the resorts’ pool decks for al-fresco celebrations
• 8,800-square-foot ballroom that can be broken into four spaces at Opal Sol
• 7,650-square-foot ballroom at Opal Sands
• 12 breakout meeting spaces between both resorts
• Two hospitality suites with soft seating and built-in bar at Opal Sol