Great Weekend Getaway: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, FL

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My husband and I recently stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island for 3 nights.  It was a wonderful getaway.

We left Atlanta around lunchtime on a Wednesday and drove to Amelia Island.  The drive took longer than I thought it would (about 6 hours), but it was mostly highway, which I liked.  We got to Amelia Island around lunch and I pulled up Trip Advisor on my iPhone to find a place for dinner before we checked into the hotel.  We found a place called Baxter’s close by and were pleasantly surprised by the restaurant.  My shrimp caesar salad was great and Ty had a seafood platter that was awesome.  And the prices were comparable to that of Café 4750 at the Ritz.  We then drove to the Ritz and loved the canopy of trees that lined the street into the resort.  We were greeted quickly and efficiently by the valet and by the Reservations Desk. 

View of Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island from Beach

The Ritz has this wonderful spa-like smell everywhere you go.  We got to our room on the 8^th floor and were pleased with the cleanliness and hospitality of our chambermaid who came to greet us as well as the luggage valet.  We were staying on the Club Floor, which gave us access to the Club Lounge.  This was definitely a money saver.  The Club Lounge offers breakfast, snacks, lunch, appetizers, desserts, and some alcoholic drinks at no additional cost to those on the Club Level.  And the hours were very good.  Breakfast was served until 11:00, then lunch, snacks, appetizers and then desserts went until 10:00.  It was perfect for us because we like to get up late on vacation and stay up late as well.

View from our 8th Floor Balcony of Family Friendly Pool

On Thursday, we rented bikes in the morning from the Fitness Center.  Again, we were welcomed very kindly by the Fitness Center Staff member, who went out of her way to walk us all the way to the garage to secure our bikes.  The charge for the bikes was $25 for four hours per bike.  And the Fitness Center gave us a local map that showed different distances to local attractions.  Amelia Island is very bike and pedestrian friendly and we rode 8 miles to downtown Fernandina Beach.  There we shopped for souvenirs and had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant before heading back to the resort.  That night we had dinner at Café 4750 and desserts in the Club Lounge.

Amelia Island has wonderful bike and walking trails

On Friday, we had reservations for a massage at their ample Spa.  We got to the Spa a little early to get a tour.  Since the Spa is so big, I highly recommend arriving early.  After the tour, we took advantage of some of the Spa amenities, such as the outdoor hot tub and adult only pool.  They also have indoor hot tubs for ladies only and one for men only as well as Steam Rooms and Saunas.  My husband and I opted for the outdoor pool and hot tub so we could be together.  We then went to relax in the co-ed lounge until we were picked up for our massages.  The massages were divine.  I’ve had a few massages in my life and I could tell my masseuse knew what she was doing.  My husband loved his as well.  And if you have a spa appointment, you are free to use any of the Spa facilities all day.  You can also take advantage of the Spa facilities any day if you are a Club Guest, regardless of whether or not you have an appointment. 

During our stay, we didn’t spend much time on the beach. The beach was very large and the Ritz had chairs available.  We would take long walks on the beach, but we didn’t spend much time relaxing on the beach since we were too busy enjoying the resort itself.

View of Fernandina Beach City Center.  It had lots of good shopping and restaurants.

Note about taking kids:  We did not have our children with us on this trip, but there were a lot of kids at the resort.  They had a kid’s pool for them to enjoy as well as a huge pool that families could enjoy together.  The Ritz also had a children’s playground by the pool and they offer a Kids Club as well.  There were several events geared towards kids such as a Treasure Hunt, a Pirate Toast on Friday evening, shark teeth hunt and craft, and more.  I would love to take our kids there some time, however when we travel with kids I like to have access to a kitchenette and washer/dryer and our room did not have either.

In conclusion, our trip was just what we wanted, a short getaway with just the two of us that was relaxing and enjoyable.