Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island

Description:

• Sprawling over 13 acres of stunning beachfront, the Ritz offers slightly glitzier accommodations than its neighbor, the Amelia Island Plantation. While some may like the fact that it's perfectly acceptable to walk through the lobby of this Ritz in shorts (it's downright relaxed in this way), others may find the service and surroundings not as polished as they have experienced in other Ritz-Carltons. The kids' program makes well-heeled families feel just as much at home as the conventioneers who flock here to meet and make use of the extensive recreational facilities, including a beautiful 18-hole championship golf course. The spacious guest rooms -- all with oceanfront or oceanview balconies or patios -- have many amenities, such as scales, cosmetic mirrors, and phones in their marble bathrooms. The playfully gourmet Salt, the longest-running AAA Five Diamond restaurant in Florida, leads the hotel's restaurants, with an ocean view that accompanies exceptional seafood and seasonal dishes by Chef Richard Gras; the restaurant is named after the 30-plus international salts the kitchen collects. The state-of-the-art spa opened in 2007.

  Facilities: 5 restaurants; 3 bars; heated indoor and outdoor pools; golf course; 9 tennis courts; fitness center; spa, watersports equipment/rentals; bike rental; children's programs; game room; concierge; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; concierge-level rooms

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Travel + Leisure 500

•  Best Hotel 2009

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010