Schmap Jacksonville Where to Stay

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Jacksonville - Where to Stay
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Jacksonville Home
Schmap Jacksonville guide and map

Expressways surround this bustling city where towering skyscrapers soar in a blaze of silvery reflections. Now the state's insurance and banking capital, Jacksonville spreads out for miles, making this city of about 700,000 the largest metropolis in the nation. Through it all streams the wide St. Johns River, one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north! On this river flowed the first stream of tourists who sailed from New York on steamers, lured by mild winter temperatures. They settled into guesthouses and later into huge hotels built by railroad entrepreneur Henry Flagler, who had a major economic impact on the state.

Early Hotels

Those early hotels were built to provide every amusement for wealthy, wintering northerners who swam in a huge pool at the Lightner Hotel, now a museum, and dwelled in splendor at Flagler Hotel, whose magnificent grounds live on as a handsome college. In those early days, ladies in lace and gentlemen in frock coats whiled away hot, lazy days on expeditions down the St. Johns, and danced away jasmine-scented nights at elegant soirees on the ramparts of St. Augustine's massive love and landmark, the Castillo de San Marcos, which towers over the city still.

Business Travelers

In all months of the year, the city also proves alluring to a steady stream of business travelers who drive, fly and even cruise here to wheel and deal with a bevy of bankers and insurance vendors who have made this city their headquarters. While those business travelers settle into sleek downtown hotels sporting conference centers and meeting rooms, leisure travelers head for the region's alluring beaches, dotted with dunes and sea oats and lapped by gentle waves. It is, in fact, whispered that a number of business travelers also opt for a place in the sun, settling into oceanside accommodations that offer play at the end of day.

Mayport

Business or pleasure, most visitors make a beeline for Fernandina Beach, a glamorous spot that has seen good days and moldering days but is today a showpiece of the region. On the way there, a favored stop is scenic Mayport, where rustic shrimp boats bob at anchor, their colorful nets swinging over the water as they have done for generations. Here, too, is one of the largest U.S. navy bases on the east coast, dwelling in the shadow of the historic Mayport Lighthouse, built in 1859.

Fernandina Beach

In Fernandina Beach, history is dramatically revealed in Victorian gothic houses with lacy gingerbread trim and wide verandas where hoop skirts once swirled, in the antique Palace Saloon, a spot old enough to have been visited, so they say, by pirates Jean and Pierre Lafitte, lured by the action in a city President James Monroe once decried as "a festering fleshpot."

Back to Their Roots

Beneath the serenity of scenic beaches and rainbow-hued sails flitting across the horizon lies the fighting blood of buccaneers and pioneers, a fact it would be well to remember in the wild and wooly days of November and late December when the entire region reverts to its roots for the traditional Florida-Georgia football weekend at the Gator Bowl.

While this part of the state is chock-full in summer and for that famous game, it's a bit less active in winter, when temperatures are not as high here as in the southern parts of the state. That means that rates are highest here in summer, lower in winter, precisely the reverse of much of the rest of the state. In winter, some of the smaller beachfront hotels also take some time off and may be shuttered.

Amelia Island

Lovely Amelia Island, which qualifies not only as a city but as virtually a world of its own, the piece de (no) resistance is handsome Amelia Island Plantation, a resort that sprawls across 900 acres of barely touched tidal marshland, bordered by silvery beaches and aquamarine waters, rustling sea oats and emerald pines. At any time of year, this is a popular place with both business travelers, whose needs are accommodated with a variety of meeting and conference facilities, and leisure visitors, who flock here to wallow in the resort's seaside serenity.

Sawgrass

Elsewhere, on the outskirts of Jacksonville, glamorous Sawgrass holds court 19 miles south of the city in a Ponte Vedra Beach seaside location. Here the sun rises in rosy magnificence over silvery beaches, and the loudest noises are a bee buzzing, surf breaking gently across the sand, and the rustle of the saw-toothed saw grass for which the resort is named. Home to major golf and tennis tournaments, the resort is as sophisticated as it is comfy and possessed of a down-home welcome.

Downtown Jacksonville

Meanwhile, in downtown Jacksonville, sleek hostelries, designed to welcome conference delegates meeting at the city's Prime Osborne Convention Center, rise in silvery splendor. Offering all the amenities business travelers and conference delegates have come to expect, these hotels also take full advantage of their proximity to the city's pride, the wide St. Johns River, and such entertaining diversions as a Riverwalk array of shops and restaurants on the south shore of the river and a similar north shore development, Jacksonville Landing.

Bed-and-Breakfast

In such an historic environment, it should come as no surprise that bed-and-breakfast inns thrive. While they are most numerous in Fernandina Beach's cluster of historic homes, they can be found throughout Jacksonville and environs, particularly along or near the river.

In nearby St. Augustine, bed-and-breakfast inns outnumber hotels and can be found in every antique street. Cozy, cheerful, laden with antiques and warm welcomes, these small hostelries are romantic spots to settle in, no matter your reason for visiting the area. In these beauties, sparkling chandeliers, fireplaces, pools and gardens, porches and claw foot bathtubs abut four-poster beds. With all their antiquity, however, the houses in which these inns reside have been modernized, offering all the necessities of contemporary life in an antique environment.

Whatever your pleasure in hotels, there's a pleasure palace hoping to please you here on Florida's First Coast.

Copyright 1999-2005 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Wcities

Amelia Island Plantation

Award-winning resort

6800 First Coast Hwy
Jacksonville, FL 32034
United States
+1 904 261 6161 / +1 888 261 6161

Tucked away on the northeastern tip of Florida is breathtaking Amelia Island Plantation, a premier oceanfront resort home to championship golf and tennis. Located approximately 45 minutes north of Jacksonville, the secluded and private resort offers a variety of dining experiences, shopping and recreation in a fabulous natural setting. Amelia Island itself offers unusual shops and attractions, rainbow-hued tropical gardens and charming homes.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Amelia Island Plantation photo by Tom Miller

Photo: Tom Miller

Castillo de San Marcos

Nation's oldest fortress 1 S Castillo Dr
Jacksonville, FL 32084
United States
+1 904 829 6506 Step back in time as you visit the oldest remaining European fortification in the nation. El Castillo dates back to 1672 and is a fine example of military architecture from the Spanish empire. It served as a prison for a short time and was declared a national monument in 1924. Immerse yourself in history during one of the fort's historic reenactments, living history events, or spooky torchlight tours at night. The fort's original cannons are periodically fired during the summer months.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Downtown

Jacksonville
United States
Jacksonville prides itself on being the largest metropolitan area in the nation, covering over 840 square miles. Its downtown is extremely picturesque, as it is situated right upon the St. Johns River. Aside from being visually stimulating, downtown Jacksonville is also a bustling metropolitan area, home to numerous businesses, shops, and cultural events.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Lightner Museum

Victorian collectibles 75 King St
Jacksonville, FL 32084
United States
+1 904 824 2874 Step back to the 19th century at the Lightner Museum in downtown St Augustine, the nation's oldest city, just 30 minutes south of Jacksonville. Beautiful exhibits include fine and decorative arts, unusual home furnishings, and Tiffany stained glass. The collections also include Victorian collectibles and costumes, and even mechanical musical demonstrations. The museum is in what was once the Alcazar Hotel, an historic landmark dating back to 1887 with a restaurant, the Café Alcazar, in the old massive swimming pool! Admission: Adults $8; children (12-18) $2; children under 12 free.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Mayport Naval Station

Tour an aircraft carrier! Mayport Road
Jacksonville, FL 32228
United States
+1 904 270 5226 Jacksonville is home to Mayport Naval Station, the second largest aircraft carrier basin on the East Coast. Maritime buffs and military enthusiasts may tour the base and visit ships at no charge on Saturdays and Sundays. The base features some of the nation's most impressive aircraft carriers, frigates, and destroyers. It is located just east of downtown off Mayport Road (State Road A1A). Call for directions and to arrange your own tour.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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Prime F. Osborn Convention Center

Jacksonville's conference center 1000 Water St
Jacksonville, FL 32204
United States
+1 904 630 4000 This impressive building with 42-foot high Doric columns, 75-foot barrel-vaulted ceilings and handsome marble floors was once the nation's largest railway station. Restored and renovated, it now hosts meetings and conventions of varying sizes, including traveling shows, corporate and charity events. The 265,000 square feet of space boasts fully equipped kitchens and banquet facilities that can serve up to 3,000 and 22 separate rooms accommodating groups of 1000. Plenty of lodging is close by, as well as a variety of dining and entertainment facilities at Jacksonville Landing.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Stephen Sizemore

Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa

Luxury golf resort living 1000 PGA Tour Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32082
United States
+1 904 285 7777 / +1 800 457 4653 This prestigious resort has 99 holes of championship golf at its doorstep, including the world-famous Tournament Players Club course, home to The Players Championship each spring. Easy to find off A1A as you head south from Jacksonville toward St Augustine, the resort hosts a number of sporting activities: swimming, sailing, horseback riding and fishing. Enjoy a range of cuisine and ambiance at one of seven restaurants or pop in to browse the charming gift shop for that one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Other Schmapplets in this city related to "Jacksonville - Where to Stay"
Jacksonville
Jacksonville - Historical Background
Jacksonville - Neighborhood Guide
Jacksonville - Dining & Drinking
Jacksonville - Art & Entertainment
Other nearby cities:
Orlando (208 miles)
Tampa (281 miles)
Fort Myers (409 miles)
Atlanta (465 miles)
Fort Lauderdale (483 miles)
Miami (523 miles)
Florida Keys (594 miles)
Chattanooga (631 miles)
Nashville (806 miles)
New Orleans (814 miles)

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