I enjoy exploring areas rich with Southern history and character. I also find these types of trips educational for my children. Earlier this year, I featured the Instagram account for the Jekyll Island Club Hotel on the blog. Instagram makes the area look lovely, but in person, it is spectacular.
It had been a desire of mine to explore this area of Georgia because I find the whole idea and mystique of the millionaire's club fascinating. As you know, I've had a fondness of historic hotels on this blog before for these features.
Jekyll Island, adorned with its regal Spanish Moss is breathtakingly beautiful. I'm so glad I made Will and the family do the 7-hour drive to experience the beauty of this island in person. While there, I was also able to tie the visit in with a Skimbaco Lifestyle magazine article I was writing, which will publish soon.
The Jekyll Island Club Hotel was our base for three nights. This was a slow-paced resort agenda for us and these types of family travel trips are my favorite because I enjoy hanging out at a hotel more than anyone.
With its massive porches and stunning turret, the Jekyll Island Club Hotel is certainly impressive. It has a regal, formal feel to it, but don't let the formality of the main lobby scare those of you who are traveling with children. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is very-family friendly. My kids did not feel out of place at all.
The valet team shuttles families to beach, and to the island's water park. The resort pool is not flashy with water slides, music blaring, or a lazy river, but that's why you have the island's water park for the kid's to enjoy and be wild. Instead, the hotel is peaceful, and restful. With its decor, views, and regal style, it's easy to transport your mind back to yesteryear, where millionaires gathered for tea and social events.
The Rooms
With this being a historic property, there are all levels of rooms and a variety of price points from $189 to $479. In my opinion, rooms in the Crane Cottage (pictured above) and the Cherokee Cottage are the most luxurious in style. However, most all of the rooms in these cottages, are equipped with a king bed, which are better suited for couples rather than families.
Rooms in the Clubhouse, Annex, and Sans Souci buildings are more traditional in decor and reflect the club's history. Our room was on the main level of the Annex building. The rooms here are large and are a little more dated in appearance. The Annex building is the last building to go through decor and bathroom renovations, which are taking place now. Some rooms in the Annex building have a sun porch, and this is a fantastic feature. We loved our porch. We sat out on the porch every morning and every evening. It was a nice perk for the room and gave us some space away from the kids while they watched TV.
Afternoon Tea
I booked afternoon tea on the day of our arrival. At first, I was a little confused because it was my first-time experiencing an afternoon tea buffet. Once I got everyone settled, I absolutely loved the idea of a buffet tea because then I could go back and get my favorites. I'm a scone lover and these were divine. One thing that will resonate in this post is that the Jekyll Island Club Hotel has terrific food. I was pleased with every meal I ate while staying on property.
Tea prices are also very reasonable at $14.95 per adult and $9.95 for children under 12. Tea is served daily.
Dining at Jekyll Island Club Hotel
Jekyll Island has a few restaurants on the island, but we ate every meal at the hotel. I'm sure if we were there longer than three nights, we would have ventured off property, but we stayed at the hotel because it was easier.
Since we were visiting during pool season, we had lunch at Pool Bar and Grill. This is a restaurant with a full bar that has an outdoor country club type atmosphere. Typical fare is hamburger, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and salads.
We dined at the Club Cafe several times, which is located in the hotel. This is a good spot to get pizza, sandwiches, and Starbucks coffee in the morning as well as pastries. This restaurant mainly utilizes outdoor seating on the porch.
We probably popped in here more than anywhere while we stayed on property. It was a quick walk from our room, and we also took some beer back to enjoy in the evening on our sun porch. The Club Cafe is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
We decided to dine at the more upscale, but yet resort-casual Courtyard at Crane, which is located in Crane Cottage adjacent to the hotel. The Crane Cottage has the rich history of being one of the most ornate cottages ever built on Jekyll Island. Here's a little tidbit for you. Look on the back of a toilet in an office building and you may just see Crane written on it. We found one as soon as we got back to Raleigh.
Courtyard at Crane also has a fantastic children's menu. I definitely would classify Courtyard at Crane as a fine dining experience, but it is not as formal as the club's Grand Dining Room, where we had afternoon tea and breakfast. At night, the Grand Dining Room is a gourmet Southern dining experience and attire is more formal than during the day.
Breakfast is fabulous in the Grand Dining Room and the breakfast buffet is actually a bargain. I know that sounds odd when I write something like that about a luxury property, but it is only $11.95 per adult. It's probably one of the best gourmet deals to be found at a hotel. The pastries are delicious.
Room Service
After a day of experiencing the Jekyll Island historic tour along with some time spent at the island's water park, we enjoyed happy hour by the club pool in the early evening. It was summer and I really wanted a cool margarita by the quiet pool.
The pool cafe closes at 6 p.m. so we opted for room service on our last night on the island. Sometimes, it's just nice not to go anywhere at all, and just relax in our room.
The kids love room service when we travel, and I like the splurge. It's like a treat. Will and I dined on our sun porch and the kids dined on chicken tenders while watching their favorite Disney shows. I also could not leave the club hotel without trying the key lime pie. I added that to my room service bill.
It was some of the best I've ever had. Worth every calorie.
In HinesSight on our stay at Jekyll Island Club Hotel
I think four nights on the island would have been better than three nights. I say that every time I go somewhere though. I am beginning to think three nights are too short when you are at a resort. The pampering is nice. We stayed a couple of nights in Savannah on the way down so that's about all the time we had to spare for this trip. If we had longer on the island than we would have "beached" it, and visited the Georgia Turtle Center and Tidelands Nature Center. I think it would have been fun to try geocaching.
Jekyll Island is no longer the private playground of millionaires, but is now a Georgia State Park. To enter the island, you must pay a fee to enter even if you are staying at the hotel. This fee helps pay for island maintenance.
It's incredibly muggy on the island in July. I think one of the best times to visit would be fall and winter. Winter is actually the time of year that all the millionaires came to the island. They would arrive around Christmas/January to mid-March.
The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is picturesque and it would be stunning to see during the holidays. A carriage ride would be fun, too.
Want to Go:
Jekyll Island Club Hotel
371 Riverview Drive
Jekyll Island, Ga
Explore Georgia
Disclosure: All opinions are my own as well as all food costs. I was a working member of the media, and received comp and lodging discounts.
It had been a desire of mine to explore this area of Georgia because I find the whole idea and mystique of the millionaire's club fascinating. As you know, I've had a fondness of historic hotels on this blog before for these features.
Jekyll Island, adorned with its regal Spanish Moss is breathtakingly beautiful. I'm so glad I made Will and the family do the 7-hour drive to experience the beauty of this island in person. While there, I was also able to tie the visit in with a Skimbaco Lifestyle magazine article I was writing, which will publish soon.
The Jekyll Island Club Hotel was our base for three nights. This was a slow-paced resort agenda for us and these types of family travel trips are my favorite because I enjoy hanging out at a hotel more than anyone.
With its massive porches and stunning turret, the Jekyll Island Club Hotel is certainly impressive. It has a regal, formal feel to it, but don't let the formality of the main lobby scare those of you who are traveling with children. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is very-family friendly. My kids did not feel out of place at all.
The valet team shuttles families to beach, and to the island's water park. The resort pool is not flashy with water slides, music blaring, or a lazy river, but that's why you have the island's water park for the kid's to enjoy and be wild. Instead, the hotel is peaceful, and restful. With its decor, views, and regal style, it's easy to transport your mind back to yesteryear, where millionaires gathered for tea and social events.
The Rooms
With this being a historic property, there are all levels of rooms and a variety of price points from $189 to $479. In my opinion, rooms in the Crane Cottage (pictured above) and the Cherokee Cottage are the most luxurious in style. However, most all of the rooms in these cottages, are equipped with a king bed, which are better suited for couples rather than families.
Rooms in the Clubhouse, Annex, and Sans Souci buildings are more traditional in decor and reflect the club's history. Our room was on the main level of the Annex building. The rooms here are large and are a little more dated in appearance. The Annex building is the last building to go through decor and bathroom renovations, which are taking place now. Some rooms in the Annex building have a sun porch, and this is a fantastic feature. We loved our porch. We sat out on the porch every morning and every evening. It was a nice perk for the room and gave us some space away from the kids while they watched TV.
Afternoon Tea
I booked afternoon tea on the day of our arrival. At first, I was a little confused because it was my first-time experiencing an afternoon tea buffet. Once I got everyone settled, I absolutely loved the idea of a buffet tea because then I could go back and get my favorites. I'm a scone lover and these were divine. One thing that will resonate in this post is that the Jekyll Island Club Hotel has terrific food. I was pleased with every meal I ate while staying on property.
Tea prices are also very reasonable at $14.95 per adult and $9.95 for children under 12. Tea is served daily.
Dining at Jekyll Island Club Hotel
Jekyll Island has a few restaurants on the island, but we ate every meal at the hotel. I'm sure if we were there longer than three nights, we would have ventured off property, but we stayed at the hotel because it was easier.
Since we were visiting during pool season, we had lunch at Pool Bar and Grill. This is a restaurant with a full bar that has an outdoor country club type atmosphere. Typical fare is hamburger, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and salads.
We dined at the Club Cafe several times, which is located in the hotel. This is a good spot to get pizza, sandwiches, and Starbucks coffee in the morning as well as pastries. This restaurant mainly utilizes outdoor seating on the porch.
We probably popped in here more than anywhere while we stayed on property. It was a quick walk from our room, and we also took some beer back to enjoy in the evening on our sun porch. The Club Cafe is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
We decided to dine at the more upscale, but yet resort-casual Courtyard at Crane, which is located in Crane Cottage adjacent to the hotel. The Crane Cottage has the rich history of being one of the most ornate cottages ever built on Jekyll Island. Here's a little tidbit for you. Look on the back of a toilet in an office building and you may just see Crane written on it. We found one as soon as we got back to Raleigh.
Courtyard at Crane also has a fantastic children's menu. I definitely would classify Courtyard at Crane as a fine dining experience, but it is not as formal as the club's Grand Dining Room, where we had afternoon tea and breakfast. At night, the Grand Dining Room is a gourmet Southern dining experience and attire is more formal than during the day.
Breakfast is fabulous in the Grand Dining Room and the breakfast buffet is actually a bargain. I know that sounds odd when I write something like that about a luxury property, but it is only $11.95 per adult. It's probably one of the best gourmet deals to be found at a hotel. The pastries are delicious.
Room Service
After a day of experiencing the Jekyll Island historic tour along with some time spent at the island's water park, we enjoyed happy hour by the club pool in the early evening. It was summer and I really wanted a cool margarita by the quiet pool.
The pool cafe closes at 6 p.m. so we opted for room service on our last night on the island. Sometimes, it's just nice not to go anywhere at all, and just relax in our room.
The kids love room service when we travel, and I like the splurge. It's like a treat. Will and I dined on our sun porch and the kids dined on chicken tenders while watching their favorite Disney shows. I also could not leave the club hotel without trying the key lime pie. I added that to my room service bill.
It was some of the best I've ever had. Worth every calorie.
In HinesSight on our stay at Jekyll Island Club Hotel
I think four nights on the island would have been better than three nights. I say that every time I go somewhere though. I am beginning to think three nights are too short when you are at a resort. The pampering is nice. We stayed a couple of nights in Savannah on the way down so that's about all the time we had to spare for this trip. If we had longer on the island than we would have "beached" it, and visited the Georgia Turtle Center and Tidelands Nature Center. I think it would have been fun to try geocaching.
Jekyll Island is no longer the private playground of millionaires, but is now a Georgia State Park. To enter the island, you must pay a fee to enter even if you are staying at the hotel. This fee helps pay for island maintenance.
It's incredibly muggy on the island in July. I think one of the best times to visit would be fall and winter. Winter is actually the time of year that all the millionaires came to the island. They would arrive around Christmas/January to mid-March.
The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is picturesque and it would be stunning to see during the holidays. A carriage ride would be fun, too.
Want to Go:
Jekyll Island Club Hotel
371 Riverview Drive
Jekyll Island, Ga
Explore Georgia
Disclosure: All opinions are my own as well as all food costs. I was a working member of the media, and received comp and lodging discounts.
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