Somewhere between the welcome reception and the Saturday night dinner, a killer will be hiding in plain sight at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa. The Palm Coast resort is hosting an immersive Murder Mystery Weekend from January 22 through January 24, 2027, inviting guests to swap their beach towels for magnifying glasses and try to solve a fictional crime before brunch on Sunday.
The three-day package, covered by WFTV, turns amateur detectives loose to follow clues, question suspects and attempt to solve a fictional crime over the course of the weekend. The twist, according to event organizer murdermystery.com, is that the killer and other key characters are all played by incognito actors in the group masquerading as guests. That means the person pouring coffee next to you at brunch, or chatting you up by the pool, could be part of the plot.
How the Weekend Unfolds
The mystery kicks off with a Friday evening welcome reception, setting the stage for a story that unfolds in real time through Sunday brunch, per murdermystery.com's event listing. Professional actors mix with guests during meals, receptions and resort activities throughout the stay, the WFTV report notes. Saturday brings a full day of programming, including breakfast, lunch, a reception and dinner, giving participants multiple chances to gather evidence, question suspects and compare theories before time runs out.
Guests submit their final theories Sunday morning, when the culprit and motive are revealed and event organizers hand out awards to the top detective and to several of the weekend's most memorable incorrect guesses. The package wraps with a farewell breakfast before checkout.
What's Included, and What It Costs
Pricing for the package begins at $809 per person based on double occupancy, the station reports. That rate covers two nights of accommodations, interactive performances throughout the weekend, and access to the resort's golf courses, spa, pools and beach, on top of the scheduled meals and receptions. Travelers interested in booking can call 866-841-0287 or find additional information at hammockbeach.com.
The production behind the weekend comes from Keith O'Leary and Margo Morrison, who murdermystery.com describes as the creators of Murder Mystery Weekend and Murder Mystery USA and as award-winning writers, producers and directors. The pair have staged interactive murder mysteries for more than 40 years, according to the event organizer, though accounts of their career output vary: murdermystery.com states they have produced more than 7,000 live and virtual mystery productions worldwide since 1985, while Montauk Manor, which has hosted its own version of the event, credits the duo with staging more than 5,000 productions.
Part of a Wider Whodunit Trend
Hammock Beach isn't the only property banking on guests wanting to play detective. Isla Bella Beach Resort & Spa hosted a two-night Murder Mystery Weekend September 23–25, 2022, built around heavy hors d'oeuvres and a hosted beer and wine bar, while Montauk Manor in New York has its own murder mystery weekend scheduled for November 6 through 8, with pricing starting at $775 per person based on double occupancy and a schedule that includes an opening reception plus Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner and a Sunday breakfast.
The appetite for this kind of scripted getaway extends well beyond Florida's coast. According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Neil Patrick Harris has staged two elaborate murder-mystery weekends in partnership with Capital One Dining, including one at Little Palm Island that charged $10,000 per couple for an all-inclusive stay built around a full-property buyout, an interactive storyline and curated dining. He also created a murder-mystery event at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts, alongside chef Dominique Crenn in 2024. The outlet attributes the boom in these elaborate getaways to the rise of the experience economy, coupled with the expansion of premium credit cards and loyalty ecosystems — a shift that has resort guests everywhere trading poolside naps for a weekend spent chasing clues.
