Surrounded by a landscape of pine forests and pre-Columbian preserves, 17th century forts and stately antebellum homes, the tropics seem a world away in Northeast Florida. That is, until you happen upon a beach, and your Southern reverie is suddenly accented by palm trees, seagulls and sea oats bending against a steady ocean breeze.
Such are the many fascinating contrasts of Northeast Florida, one of the oldest settled regions in the United States and yet terra incognita for many visitors who’ve bypassed the region—which runs from Amelia Island south to the Palm Coast—in favor of flashier Florida locales.
Jacksonville
Taking its place along the river this summer was the Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites Jacksonville Downtown/Southbank, the first property of its kind in Florida, with two distinct brands under one roof creating a 221-room-and-suite complex adjacent to the city’s Skyway rapid transit system.
Also opening in summer was the 97-room Courtyard by Marriott Kendall Town, featuring a 672-square-foot meeting room, while the Aloft Jacksonville Airport—touted as the state’s first Aloft-branded property—opened in August with 136 rooms and 600 square feet of meeting space.
Another new opening—the Hampton Inn & Suites-Beach Blvd/Mayo Clinic Area—underscores Jacksonville’s recent push to identify itself as “America’s Health Center,” as it is home to such facilities as Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, St. Luke’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Clinic and the Mayo Clinic.
“There’s so much in Jacksonville to take advantage of,” notes Chris Bracken, vice president of sales and marketing for Visit Jacksonville. “You can have training seminars with meetings or bring in a speaker, tour facilities then meet to discuss them. We have all the technical prowess here,” he adds, “And yet, if you want to take a break and go outside, it’s sunny.”
Sunny and mild are the two prerequisites for a host of outdoor activities in Jacksonville, from browsing the Saturday Riverside Arts Market to cruising the St. Johns aboard an old fashioned riverboat. Five minutes south of the downtown core, the charming neighborhood of San Marco invites sidewalk strolls past boutiques, bookstores and coffee shops as everyone heads to the main attraction—the Peterbrooke Chocolatier Production Center, where groups can sample such treats as chocolate-dipped strawberries, fresh-baked cookies and the signature item, chocolate-covered popcorn.
If you’re going further afield in Jacksonville, the Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve encompasses 46,000 acres of historic sites, undisturbed natural areas, coastal dunes, hardwood hammocks and water-based recreation like boating, fishing and kayaking as well as ranger-led natural programs. One of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast, Timucuan also records over 6,000 years of human history, from the original Timucua-speaking tribes to the European colonists who later settled on their lands.
Closer to the city, an excursion to Big and Little Talbot Islands takes you past a panorama of white sand dunes topped by rambling, tumbling bushes and palms, dense forest and inland lakes. Stop at the beach, hike a nature trail, or keep going across Nassau Sound—where small boats drift lazily on sun-speckled waters—and suddenly, you’re on Amelia Island.
Amelia Island
For an island just 13 miles by two, whose northern and southern tips are covered in park preserves, there are a surprising number of things to do on Amelia Island, from paddling through tranquil salt marshes—coming face-to-face with egrets, herons and maybe even a dolphin or two—to saddling up on the island’s working ranch and taking a guided horseback tour across incredible white-sand Atlantic beaches.
Surrounded by water, Amelia Island’s natural attributes are undeniable, yet this former Victorian seaport and vacation playground is rich in history as well, as groups will discover on a horse-drawn carriage ride through downtown Fernandina Beach. Even better, take a guided walking tour to find out more about Fernandina’s historic 50-block district, lined with Victorian mansions and cottages and brimming with tales of 19th-century intrigue and colorful characters.
If your group will be based on Amelia, you’ll find a total 100,000 square feet of meeting and conference facilities, including the largest venue, Amelia Island Plantation, with 49,000 square feet of function space.
“Seventy percent of our business is group business,” says Terrie Sanders, regional sales manager, who notes that in addition to the copious function space, the resort specializes in team-building and group-bonding programs, such as beach bonfires, theme parties and chipping contests—wherein everyone putts onto a green floating in the pool—along with deep-sea fishing excursions.
“We also have such a variety of accommodations, for a variety of budgets,” she adds, pointing to the property’s mix of hotel rooms and villas.
Joining Amelia Island Plantation are a number of other meetings properties, including Summer Beach Resort, with 2,200 square feet of multi-faceted space; and The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, which is adding a new 12,000-square-foot ballroom that is slated to open this fall and bring the property’s meeting space to 35,000 square feet.
In late summer, Amelia Island also added to its hotel collection with a new Residence Inn by Marriott, featuring 133 suites, including studios and one- and two-bedroom units, along with meeting space for up to 118 people. Meanwhile, the Hampton Inn Amelia Island Fernandina Beach recently unveiled a new business center with computers, scanners, fax machines, printers and Internet services, free of charges to hotel guests.
Too 21st century for you? Try one of Amelia’s authentic bed-and-breakfast inns, which capture the island’s distinctive past while allowing groups to conduct current business in charming meeting rooms and courtyards.
St. Augustine
Of course, if it’s the past you’re seeking, you’ll want to be in St. Augustine, set south of Jacksonville in location but hundreds of years into the past—at least that’s the impression you might get on the cobblestone streets of the historic district, where you literally step back in time when you step into places like the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, which is the oldest surviving Spanish Colonial dwelling in Florida and still features its original 1704 coquina walls.
At every turn is a surprise—from viewing craftspeople plying vintage trades in “living history” exhibits to climbing the 219 steps of the candy-striped St. Augustine Lighthouse, to contemplating time itself at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, where you’ll get to sip from the legendary fountain after touring Christian Indian burial grounds.
While groups explore history at must-see sites like Castillo de San Marcos, the only remaining 17th-century stone fort in the U.S., meetings also take on the aura of history as centuries-old homes and museums provide memorable settings for off-site events—most notably the spectacular Lightner Museum and the Kenneth W. Dow Museum of Historic Homes, where over 400 years of history reside within nine original homes and sun-dappled courtyards.
But St. Augustine is very much up-to-date when it comes to meetings and conventions in state-of-the-art facilities, which you’ll find at venues like the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village—sporting a recent $10 million property-wide renovation—as well as the Sawgrass Golf Resort & Spa, boasting more than 56,000 square feet of flexible meeting space; and the five-diamond Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, featuring an impressive conference center and sumptuous banquet halls.
With premier meeting space, amenities like golf and proximity to the beach, or a location in the heart of history, there’s a time and place for everything in St. Augustine.
Palm Coast
Still, if it’s seclusion your group seeks, head farther south to the Palm Coast, where 19 miles of untouched beaches invite beachcombing, surfing, boating or just relaxing in the sun, while more than 44 parks draw birdwatchers, kayakers, hikers and cycling enthusiasts from all over the state and country.
Intimate meetings—relaxing and filled with recreation—can be enjoyed at Hammock Beach Resort, which boasts an oceanfront setting, two golf courses, 80,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space and its own custom event yacht.
Meanwhile, two other local properties have earned bragging rights as award winners this year. The Best Western Palm Coast received the chain’s Director’s Award for outstanding quality standards, and the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Coast Town Center won the 2009 JD Power Award for Highest Guest Satisfaction in its category of mid-scale North American hotel chains with full service.
