Are you searching for the Ponte Vedra Beach Club? Then you’ve found the right spot: Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is the best-kept secret in Florida, or so say the folks whose families have visited for generations. The resort balances the casual ambiance of a beachside property with impeccable service and elevated amenities. So if you desire white sandy beaches, plenty of water activities, but not a crowd of people, this secret beach club is for you.
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Location of Ponte Vedra Beach Club at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is located on Florida’s Historic Coast only 33 miles / 53 km southeast of Jacksonville International Airport (JAX.) The resort makes a good jumping-off stop for visiting St. Augustine, the continent’s oldest European city, a short 38-minute drive south.
The Ponte Vedra beach club with amazing water sports, restaurants and golf courses is actually named Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, which was established on these white sugary sand beaches in 1928. From here, you can experience the prisitine Florida beach in a near-natural state.
Style and character of Ponte Vedra Inn & Club AKA Ponte Vedra Beach Club
Mediterranean-inspired architecture harkens to the Old World, from where explorers like Ponce de Leon—the European who first stepped foot on Florida’s beautiful coastline not far from here—departed. A three-tiered fountain with marble alligators, seahorses and pelicans centered in a red-bricked roundabout greets you as you enter the prestigious Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and manicured lawns.
Friendly staff in dark suits and white shirts welcome us in the lobby area, which feels like our private seaside club. The clubby style of the entry and adjoining Great Lounge set the tone for a casual, clubby and relaxed stay.
The welcoming Great Lounge, decorated with the quiet grandeur of ship models, fireplaces, wood panel walls, blue porcelain lampstands, bold fabric patterns and oil paintings of the surrounding wetlands, make me feel like I wanted to stay awhile.
Service & Facilities at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
The tenured staff at this AAA Five-Diamond rated property takes care of your comforts and makes sure that all your expectations are met. Our room is refreshed twice a day with maid service that included fresh towels and restocking toiletries, water and coffee supplies. Friendly, southern hospitality meets impeccable service with cart rides to your suite. You’ll love the new croquet lawn and oceanfront fire pit.
In the expansive hot tub near the pool area, a guest tells me, “This is the best-kept secret in Florida.” When she married, she was introduced to this Ponte Vedra beach club by her husband’s parents. Now she comes with her grandchildren. The insider’s secret seems to stay in the family, with many guests being multigenerational travelers.
When you book robed services at the Spa at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, you’ll have access to the 30,000 square foot spa facility and spa pool.
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club introduced the first golf course to the region in 1928. Today you can play on two courses, the Ocean Course and Lagoon Course. Tennis buffs can’t miss the 15 Har-Tru clay tennis courts.
Rooms at Ponte Vedra Beach Club AKA Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
I loved my balcony with table, chair and full-size chaise lounge so much that I slept out there with the sound of the waves pounding on the beach. It was so relaxing–just what I needed. The full moon reflecting on the water was pretty mesmerizing, too.
That’s not to say that my oversized room was quite outstanding, too. The glam bathroom felt like a spa with a decadent soaking tub, tiled shower with rain shower and handheld heads. You enter the bath area–mini spa, really!–through French doors to find double sinks, soaps that reflect the seahorse theme at this resort, luxe toiletries, fluffy cotton robes and towels, and a peek-a-boo-window to the bedroom and ocean view.
The bed was quite comfortable–I slept there the second night–and was dressed in the cotton sheets and sumptuous bedding that you expect at upscale resorts. The tasteful colors of the room brought the outdoors inside: ocean blues and golds of the sands. Designers placed artwork of beachcombing finds over the comfy sofa and table grouping, again connecting nature to my stay at the beach.
Food & Drink
The four outstanding restaurants at Ponte Vedra Inn and Club feature fresh seafood and local foods served by tenured staff with southern hospitality. Take breakfast at the Inn Dining Room with fresh flowers and table linens or in your room. French toast, egg dishes or warm croissants are a few choices. Made-to-order coffee drinks are sure to perk you up, and for heaven’s sake, don’t miss the fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice.
Lunch on healthy choices at the beach or the Golf Club Dining Room.
The best spot in the resort for a pre-dinner drink is outdoors on the deck adjacent to The Seahorse Grille. That’s where Mathieson Cory, the resort sommelier, performed a sabrage by opening a bottle of Champagne with a saber. Stand back! The cork came flying off with the bottle’s glass neck still attached. The technique is said to originate with Napoleon Bonaparte’s after-battle stunts. He said:
“Champagne! In victory one deserves it, in defeat one needs it.”
We all were savoring the bubbly after the sabering of the bottle before dinner. Five courses of deliciousness were brought from the kitchen by the Seahorse Grille’s experienced servers, who somehow miraculously kept our wine glasses filled without us noticing.
We started with smoky rock shrimp in a butternut squash bisque. A classic beet salad followed. The third course was bronzed snapper with roasted root veggies brown buttered carrot puree in a citrus butter sauce. Braised short rib gnocchi with mushrooms, ricotta and gouda, made up the savory fourth course. Finally, the tantalizing presentation of the apple cheesecake with golden sprinkles kept us eating every forkful. The gourmet dinner was an event in itself.
The Details
Accommodation style
Seaside
Style
Private
Contemporary
Luxury
Type
Resort
Hotel
Spa
Suitable for
Adults-only
Family-friendly
Small group
Business
Occasion
Honeymoon
Couple
Wedding
Disabled
Facilities
Bar
Laundry
Sauna
Beach
Parking
Spa
Fitness Center
Pool
Steam room/hammam
Golf courses
Restaurants
Tennis courts
Room service
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As is common in the travel industry, UNSTOPPABLE Stacey was provided with accommodations, meals, and other compensation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, the Arizona travel writer believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.
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