They say that the hurricanes scared some folks away from Florida. Well, I just came up with a really good reason for you to revisit the state. Florida contains some of the finest Bed and Breakfast inns in the nation, and below I present some of the ones that stand out to me.
1. The Addison is a serene 14-room inn representing a unique blend of old-style elegance with modern amenities. Traditionally, the values may seem to clash but the builders and owners have merged them together in a beautiful blend. This Inn was selected as one of the ten Best Overall Inns of 2009-2010 by BedandBreakfast.com. It also consistently maintains a number one ranking on TripAdvisor.com. Located on Amelia Island in the historic district of Fernandina Beach, the rooms feature porches for relaxation and an enchanting fountain courtyard. The area is a nature-lover’s paradise with pristine beaches, four major State Parks and a National Park. One can bike, hike, play golf, horseback ride, shell, bird watch, or go backwater or deep sea fishing. Signature breakfast dishes include fresh fruit smoothies, breakfast in a boat (baked potato shell stuffed with scrambled eggs, cheese, and crumbled bacon), banana pancakes with pecan toffee syrup, spicy breakfast quesadillas, praline French toast, and perfect Peruvian coffee.
2. If you can look past the wild and funky website, the Cedar Key B & B is an inn well worth visiting! Located in the second oldest city in Florida, the historic inn was built in 1880. Originally, the town was known for its cedar, out of which Eagle and Eberhardt pencils were produced; today its claims to fame are clam farming and tourism. Besides boasting some of the cleanest and most comfortable lodgings imaginable, this inn’s draw is also the amazing array of activities in the area: boating, kayaking, air boats, fishing, bird watching, playing with dolphins, biking, hiking, scuba diving, plus a famous Arts festival and the October Seafood Festival. Or if you like football, attend a Florida Gators game in nearby Gainesville. A few nice added features of the inn is the pet friendly status, last minute specials, delicious breakfast, and an endless array of amenities such as teas, cookies, biscotti, hot chocolates, coffees, and a bottomless jar of the freshest homemade cookies you’ve ever placed in your mouth.
3. Casa Grandview is located in the vibrant, upscale city of West Palm Beach. This Bed & Breakfast combines some of the most desirable features of the secluded and quaint B & Bs with the services of a luxury resort. The Casa offers romantic cottages, quaint bungalows, art deco cabana suites, stylish tropical coastal villas, and classic city oasis retreats. What a fabulous array of choices, many with kitchens, elaborate baths, and spacious living areas. The owners stock each suite with only the best gourmet foods for your breakfast, and, if desired, for additional meals. Everything you need is available including complimentary Wi-Fi, HD TVs, premium satellite service, music and movie channels, iPod docking stations, and CD players. You can even check emails and surf the web while catching some rays poolside or dozing in a hammock. You will be waited on with 5-star service or left alone for some glorious privacy. Whatever you want is what you get at Casa Grandview.
4. Elizabeth Pointe Lodge is a Nantucket ‘shingle style’ inn that overlooks the rich blue Atlantic. What can I say? USA Today deemed this oceanfront inn as one of the 10 greatest places to sit on the porch. Travel and Leisure magazine recognized it as one of the fifty great beach resorts in our nation. The book, 1000 Places to See Before You Die, tagged this as a place where the emphasis is on pure relaxation. The Road Best Traveled distinguished the inn as one of the 12 Best Waterfront Inns in America. The honors go on and on. Besides offering full concierge service and 24 hour room service, there are also gourmet treats offered all day, a lavish wine and hors d’oeuvres reception each evening, and an oceanfront breakfast with scads of sumptuous offerings in the sunroom. In every way, Elizabeth Pointe is determined to go above and beyond your needs and expectations.
5. Florida Trend Magazine states that the Herlong Deck builders Cherry Hill NJ Mansion of Micanopy, Florida is “easily Florida’s most elegant Bed & Breakfast.” In case you don’t know, this quiet little town is south of Gainesville, near Cross Creek, the village the author of The Yearling made famous. The ten fireplaces and high ceilings of the inn are perfectly accented with mission oak woodwork and mahogany inlaid floors. Photos can never do justice to the warm beauty of this place. Wide verandas between enormous pillars on the first and second floors contain cushioned swings that overlook an impeccably manicured lawn with ancient towering oaks. The breakfast isn’t wildly fancy but offers delicious traditional fare such as homemade biscuits and perfect omelettes, rich coffee, and apple bread. And, if you like, you can have a candlelit four-course dinner catered with roses, champagne, the works. Treat yourself to casual elegance for just one night, or more…
6. The Seven Sisters Inn is located in Ocala, Florida, region of rolling green hills and thoroughbred horse ranches. Built in 1888, the Queen Anne Victorian home was judged a “Best Restoration Project” and is listed prominently in the National Register of Historic Places. One startling uniqueness of this inn is the rooms, which feature decor from the four corners of the globe. One enters through elaborately carved Indonesian doors, then there is a Bengal Safari room, a Cape Cod Lighthouse room, an Egyptian Treasure room, an Oriental Zen-like room, and a room from Old Paris featuring imported French fabrics and decor. Visitors feel as if they are traveling the world as they lounge in front of their fireplaces or relax with spa showers, Jacuzzi, Victorian soaking tubs, and heated towel bars. And when you wake the next morning, get ready for an award winning breakfast on white china and crystal, including three-cheese French toast with Ginger Peaches, Eggs Pesto, Chicken Puffed Pastry, Raspberry-Oatmeal pancakes, or Tomato-Zucchini Quiche. The “Seven Sisters” will make you happy.
alexjames