Residence Inn Amelia Island, FL [Master Thread]
May 6, 2014, 2:01 pm
#1
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Residence Inn Amelia Island, FL [Master Thread]
Has anyone been to this hotel? We are thinking of spending a week in the summer here and it seems ideal for someone who wants lower costs and has a family (with youngish kids; and thus doesn't care as much about views and romance, and free breakfast for all is a nice plus, along with the kitchen setup), with the beach pretty close by. I've read reviews on TA, but always appreciate FT users' points of view. Thanks in advance.
May 7, 2014, 11:22 am
#2
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My husband and I spent two weeks there in February 2014 and we really enjoyed it. We were upgraded to a 2BR suite, which gave us a full kitchen. We also had our dog with us, and the area is incredibly pet-friendly. The staff at the hotel is wonderful.... everything you read on TA is true! The free breakfasts are standard RI fare, but it works for us. There is a pool... not heated, which in February meant I only went in up to my ankles. There is also a hot tub, which is heated, and a putting green in the pool/patio area. There is also a fire pit which is lit at night. The evening receptions are very nice... include free wine and beer. They even have them on Friday and Saturday nights. The beach could be walkable, but we drove... we walked the hound every day on the beach. We enjoyed dining at two places very close by.... LaMancha for tapas, and the beach bar at the end of Sadler Road on the beach. The beach bar has a playground for kids, and the parents can sit and enjoy a cocktail and live music while the kids play. They even allow the dogs at the beach bar. Hope you have a great time!!!
Aug 25, 2014, 2:43 pm
#5
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We stayed here for a week at the end of July. This hotel (and Amelia Island in general) was perfect for our family. The Residence Inn is located about 1/3 mile from the beach, so it is easily walkable in about 5-7 minutes.
The hotel itself is a 5-story Residence Inn that is newer (3-5 years old?) and as you would expect for the newer-style Residence Inns (with the same decor). Since most here familiar with the newer RIs, I won't repeat the normal stuff (room layout, fuller hot breakfast), but I personally like it quite a bit. I'll try to highlight some things that make it special.
Pool: the hotel has an outdoor pool. What's especially nice about it is that it is really a good size and not the small pools that many RIs and lower-level Marriott chains have. It's appropriate since it's in Florida where the weather means it'll be used year-round. In addition to simply the size, it is actually a very nice pool. It's one of these amorphous shaped pools (overall sort of rectangular but curved instead of straight walls). There is a very large hottub/whirlpool also, as well as a clean outdoor shower (which is nice if you're coming back from the beach and want to rinse off sand before going back to your room). In addition, the pool is really nicely situated vis-a-vis the hotel building itself in that it is directly east of the hotel building, so that it is shaded. In the northern half of the country (where I'm from), we hate that, because our kids get cold from the afternoon/evening shade, but for 90 degree Florida, it was perfect. Don't have to slather sunscreen on for the kids and can just enjoy the pool.
Breakfast: what you'd expect but on the very nice side. the hotel was full during our time there, but it wasn't a zoo, perhaps because there is not only the usual seating but also seating in the patio area directly outside near the pool. But, aside from these details, the service was exceptional, with everyone being extremely friendly (esp. an older lady named Dottie who everyone loved...not just in our party) and the food always being replenished without a wait. In addition, they typically had a hot item that was above and beyond the usual eggs+meat (like a nicely prepared breakfast burrito, or breakfast sandwich).
Parking was free and generally plentiful around the hotel. We ended up accessing the hotel (after checking in) through the back entrance, as a good chunk of the parking was there.
Amelia Island: We've been to the Delaware/NJ/VA beaches, and Amelia Island was perfect for us in that it was totally unstressful and almost "deserted" by comparison. Some might not like that in that there is no boardwalk and beach shopping/FUNLAND type activities along the water. It is just miles of (free) beach where you don't have to compete with others for space. There is beach access up and down the entire island (for miles and miles). the closest one from the hotel is just down Sadler Road. However, there are only maybe 20 car spots there (though we did snag one the first day we got there), so you cannot be guaranteed a spot there. At the Sadler Road beach entrance though, you can actually drive your 4x4 vehicle directly onto the beach and essentially tailgate out of it (not sure about permits or whatever, so you'd want to confirm). Two miles north of Sadler is the area called "Main Beach" (I think that was actually the name) where there is a much larger parking area. Though not really big by comparison to Mid-Atlantic beaches we've been to, it was mostly empty during the weekdays, and even on the weekend there was plentiful extra parking easily available (though it was probably two-thirds full). That's what we like...easy, stressless. You can also get on the beach through the state park (where the fort is), and that was nice as well. There were lifeguards (only 2 and 3 each, at the Sadler Road and Main Beaches, respectively), but only in the main areas.
Fernandina Beach/"downtown": do not miss this. I am not normally one for quaint/historic downtowns but it was really really nice a great place to visit, shop and dine. Really cute, with nice restaurants with a wide range of price points and styles. A good handful of tourist shops. Easy parking both on the main street and also the side streets. In the one week we were there, we stopped by 4 times, the first riding through the island on rented bikes.
The northern half of the Atlantic side of the island is full of medium sized hotels like the RI, as well as homes that are rented to vacationers (of varying quality...some looked pretty old and rundown and some were these newly built behemoths). The southern half of the island seems more "upscale" (though we actually preferred the northern half where we were). There is the Ritz Carlton there, as well as the Amelia Island Plantation (an Omni hotel), as well as lots of gated subdivisions and such.
To sum it up, if you want to do a stressless beach vacation that is not that expensive and don't need all the fancy trappings of being directly on the beach or an upscale hotel and don't need a boardwalk, the Amelia Island RI is as ideal as it can get I think. Excellent hotel in a nice beach town.
The hotel itself is a 5-story Residence Inn that is newer (3-5 years old?) and as you would expect for the newer-style Residence Inns (with the same decor). Since most here familiar with the newer RIs, I won't repeat the normal stuff (room layout, fuller hot breakfast), but I personally like it quite a bit. I'll try to highlight some things that make it special.
Pool: the hotel has an outdoor pool. What's especially nice about it is that it is really a good size and not the small pools that many RIs and lower-level Marriott chains have. It's appropriate since it's in Florida where the weather means it'll be used year-round. In addition to simply the size, it is actually a very nice pool. It's one of these amorphous shaped pools (overall sort of rectangular but curved instead of straight walls). There is a very large hottub/whirlpool also, as well as a clean outdoor shower (which is nice if you're coming back from the beach and want to rinse off sand before going back to your room). In addition, the pool is really nicely situated vis-a-vis the hotel building itself in that it is directly east of the hotel building, so that it is shaded. In the northern half of the country (where I'm from), we hate that, because our kids get cold from the afternoon/evening shade, but for 90 degree Florida, it was perfect. Don't have to slather sunscreen on for the kids and can just enjoy the pool.
Breakfast: what you'd expect but on the very nice side. the hotel was full during our time there, but it wasn't a zoo, perhaps because there is not only the usual seating but also seating in the patio area directly outside near the pool. But, aside from these details, the service was exceptional, with everyone being extremely friendly (esp. an older lady named Dottie who everyone loved...not just in our party) and the food always being replenished without a wait. In addition, they typically had a hot item that was above and beyond the usual eggs+meat (like a nicely prepared breakfast burrito, or breakfast sandwich).
Parking was free and generally plentiful around the hotel. We ended up accessing the hotel (after checking in) through the back entrance, as a good chunk of the parking was there.
Amelia Island: We've been to the Delaware/NJ/VA beaches, and Amelia Island was perfect for us in that it was totally unstressful and almost "deserted" by comparison. Some might not like that in that there is no boardwalk and beach shopping/FUNLAND type activities along the water. It is just miles of (free) beach where you don't have to compete with others for space. There is beach access up and down the entire island (for miles and miles). the closest one from the hotel is just down Sadler Road. However, there are only maybe 20 car spots there (though we did snag one the first day we got there), so you cannot be guaranteed a spot there. At the Sadler Road beach entrance though, you can actually drive your 4x4 vehicle directly onto the beach and essentially tailgate out of it (not sure about permits or whatever, so you'd want to confirm). Two miles north of Sadler is the area called "Main Beach" (I think that was actually the name) where there is a much larger parking area. Though not really big by comparison to Mid-Atlantic beaches we've been to, it was mostly empty during the weekdays, and even on the weekend there was plentiful extra parking easily available (though it was probably two-thirds full). That's what we like...easy, stressless. You can also get on the beach through the state park (where the fort is), and that was nice as well. There were lifeguards (only 2 and 3 each, at the Sadler Road and Main Beaches, respectively), but only in the main areas.
Fernandina Beach/"downtown": do not miss this. I am not normally one for quaint/historic downtowns but it was really really nice a great place to visit, shop and dine. Really cute, with nice restaurants with a wide range of price points and styles. A good handful of tourist shops. Easy parking both on the main street and also the side streets. In the one week we were there, we stopped by 4 times, the first riding through the island on rented bikes.
The northern half of the Atlantic side of the island is full of medium sized hotels like the RI, as well as homes that are rented to vacationers (of varying quality...some looked pretty old and rundown and some were these newly built behemoths). The southern half of the island seems more "upscale" (though we actually preferred the northern half where we were). There is the Ritz Carlton there, as well as the Amelia Island Plantation (an Omni hotel), as well as lots of gated subdivisions and such.
To sum it up, if you want to do a stressless beach vacation that is not that expensive and don't need all the fancy trappings of being directly on the beach or an upscale hotel and don't need a boardwalk, the Amelia Island RI is as ideal as it can get I think. Excellent hotel in a nice beach town.
Aug 25, 2017, 11:37 am
#8
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I was there for a few days last year and was very happy with the RI. Located in a quiet area within walking distance of the beach and a couple of restaurants. IMHO, the previous Trip Report is still accurate. The one thing I would add is that sometimes the RC can be booked for little more, so I always check there first.
May 30, 2022, 3:35 pm
#9
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Stay Report - 5/28 to 5/30
Location: Very good for Amelia Island. It's an easy .2 mile walk to the beach and the hotel is located just west of A1A so you can drive to numerous restaurants and a few of them are in walking or biking distance too. Downtown Ferdinand Beach is about 10 minutes away and if you're driving to JAX it's 30-35 minutes away.
Hotel: Very nice for a Residence Inn. Physically wise it was one of the best RIs I've been to. They have a large parking lot, decent outdoor pool, large and pleasant lobby with a two computer business center, well stocked pantry with some local beers and wines plus beach toys and there are two elevators that I never had to wait for.
Check In: A very friendly agent thanked me for being Titanium and offered me complimentary sparkling wine for my status. I was also offered marketplace item or points. My upgrade had been cleared in advance via SNA
Room: Very nice. A true one bedroom suite that was really nice for my family. The kitchen area was very nice and it was great having cutlery, glassware etc. The living room was large with its own TV and the bedroom very nice as well. The bathroom was too small though and there was only a single bar of hand soap.
Breakfast: Runs from 7-10 weekends and 6:30-10 weekdays.
Service Issues: The hotel had a lot of COVID protocol holdovers that are really frustrating. For one, there's no daily maid service. You're told to leave your towels outside your door by 10 AM and fresh ones will be delivered to you. Well I did and they weren't. So I had to call down and wait for towels to be brought up. Next, there was no bedding for the pullout couch. We called down and were delivered sheets, blanket and a pillow. Except it wasn't sheets it was 8 pillowcases. So we had to call down again. At 10 PM when you have a tired ten year old this is really unpleasant. For how high the rates are this was all extremely frustrating.
Location: Very good for Amelia Island. It's an easy .2 mile walk to the beach and the hotel is located just west of A1A so you can drive to numerous restaurants and a few of them are in walking or biking distance too. Downtown Ferdinand Beach is about 10 minutes away and if you're driving to JAX it's 30-35 minutes away.
Hotel: Very nice for a Residence Inn. Physically wise it was one of the best RIs I've been to. They have a large parking lot, decent outdoor pool, large and pleasant lobby with a two computer business center, well stocked pantry with some local beers and wines plus beach toys and there are two elevators that I never had to wait for.
Check In: A very friendly agent thanked me for being Titanium and offered me complimentary sparkling wine for my status. I was also offered marketplace item or points. My upgrade had been cleared in advance via SNA
Room: Very nice. A true one bedroom suite that was really nice for my family. The kitchen area was very nice and it was great having cutlery, glassware etc. The living room was large with its own TV and the bedroom very nice as well. The bathroom was too small though and there was only a single bar of hand soap.
Breakfast: Runs from 7-10 weekends and 6:30-10 weekdays.
Service Issues: The hotel had a lot of COVID protocol holdovers that are really frustrating. For one, there's no daily maid service. You're told to leave your towels outside your door by 10 AM and fresh ones will be delivered to you. Well I did and they weren't. So I had to call down and wait for towels to be brought up. Next, there was no bedding for the pullout couch. We called down and were delivered sheets, blanket and a pillow. Except it wasn't sheets it was 8 pillowcases. So we had to call down again. At 10 PM when you have a tired ten year old this is really unpleasant. For how high the rates are this was all extremely frustrating.
May 30, 2022, 6:32 pm
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May 30, 2022, 7:26 pm
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