Jacksonville Resorts

Jacksonville is often referred to as the “forgotten city” in the state of Florida.  While other tourist areas such as Miami, Palm Beach, Orlando and even Tampa get the majority of attention, Jacksonville contains many luxury resorts and attractions.  Situated in the northeast corner of Florida, on the Atlantic coast, Jacksonville is a large business center and home to many large concerts, sports and other entertainment venues.  The city, and nearby coastal areas, include many options for nightlife, fine dining and golf outings.

The Jacksonville area enjoys a mild winter climate and warm to hot summer months.  While humidity is regularly felt, it is not as stifling as cities further south in Florida or along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Alabama.  Many snowbirds call the area home during the most comfortable months of September through March.

Sports fans will enjoy playing on one of the many award-winning golf courses in the Jacksonville area, and sports spectators will find a vibrant community of NASCAR fans.  In fact, Jacksonville sits just ninety-minutes away from the Daytona International Speedway, home of NASCARS’ Pepsi 400 race.  Football fans will find plenty to do with the professional Jacksonville Jaguars playing at least eight home games per year at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

 Downtown Jacksonville sits alongside the St. John’s River, and has a distinct skyline due to several uniquely designed high-rise buildings.  The downtown area’s heart of activity can usually be found at the Jacksonville Landing and Riverwalk areas.

One favorite Jacksonville resort can be found at 245 Water Street in the downtown area.  The Omni Jacksonville Hotel is a four-diamond rated luxury resort with on-site dining and meeting facilities.  The hotel is situated steps away from the Riverwalk, and is within walking distance of almost all of Jacksonville’s main downtown business centers.

Also found downtown among other Jacksonville, Florida resorts in the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk Hotel.  The Wyndham is known for its view overlooking the river and downtown business district.  Standard rooms at this resort range from $139 a night to well above $700 for more luxurious accommodations.  The Wyndham includes a Charthouse Restaurant on-site and meals from this and several other dining options can be ordered through the hotel’s room service.

The final downtown Jacksonville resort hotel we decided to take a look at was the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville.  Once again, this resort is situated along the popular Riverwalk and Jacksonvile Landing area, and features city and river view rooms.  Like many Hyatt facilities around the country, this hotel can be described as “professionally classy” with multiple meeting rooms and dining areas.  There is a fitness center and very enjoyable rooftop pool available for guest use, as well as whirlpool and sauna.

 Located just 22 miles from the Jacksonville airport, and under fifteen minutes from dowtonwn Jacksonville, you will find the comfort and luxury of the One Ocean Resort by Remington.  This resort hotel is actually located in the town of Atlantic Beach and features many ocean view rooms as well as Oceanside dining.  The Azurea Restaurant can be found within the hotel and resort, and just a few steps outside you will find many other dining options in the Beaches Town Center.  Summer season room rates start at around $180 dollars per night, and depending on location and size of your room, can go as high as $650 nightly.  There are also many packages available for room and golf outings and other discounts.

Just a short thirty-miles down the coast from the city center, you will find another of the hidden Jacksonville Fla resorts, the Casa Monica Hotel.  Once again in a different locale – this time St. Augustine – you can stay along the Atlantic coast and be pampered in luxury.  The Casa Monica offers just under 140 guest rooms and was seemingly designed with a wedding or family reunion in mind.  The accommodations are comfortable, but also open and encourage socializing.  With poolside private lounges and drink service available, you may find yourself never actually getting to your room.  In some guest rooms you will find fully netted king beds that just scream “privacy please” as well as all the technical requirements (internet, TV, etc) you would expect from a hotel of this quality.

While we only took time to look at one hotel located in St. Augustine, we recommend you do your own research and consider this locality as a Jacksonville, FL resorts option.  The community is smaller and more peaceful than most other Florida beach towns and is also of historical interest.  St. Augustine was the oldest continuously occupied established European city in the United States, and our country’s oldest port.  There are also many golf options available from Jacksonville all the way down to St. Augustine.

There are two very good golf resort options when planning a trip to, or near, Jacksonville.  We have found that many Jacksonville Florida resorts will claim to be a “golf resort” but actually mean they just happen to have a golf course somewhere nearby.

One of America’s nicesrt golf courses can be found just a few minutes’ drive from downtown Jacksonville at the TPC Sawgrass.  This PGA certified course has been home to multiple professional events in the past, and many already scheduled in the future.  In fact, make sure to call the course before planning your trip if a round of 18 is one your wish list.  The resort hotel at Sawgrass is the Marriott located on-site with the golf community.  This resort hotel is also very family-friendly, located just a short walk from the Atlantic coast. 

Just down the beach from Sawgrass can be found the Ponte Verda Inn & Club.  Sitting on two 18-hole courses, this cub and its sister facility is staffed by more than 800 people who work to make you stay as memorable as possible.  The hotel is admittedly a bit older than what you will find at the Marriott Sawgrass, but the golf makes up for it.  The Pontre Verde Inn is also a great facility for larger wedding parties and family reunions.