This November we took a family vacation after Thanksgiving up the Florida coast to reset. We chose the iconic Ponte Vedra Inn & Club because I’d heard amazing things from local friends and family and wanted to experience the resort for ourselves. I’ve outlined below my top 8 highlights and things to consider if you’re planning to visit this well established resort.
1. Above-and-beyond Service
The service at the Ponte Inn & Club was impeccable. I say this as someone who has stayed at luxury resorts around the world including Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Rosewood, etc. We felt like members of the club, with staff remembering our names and preferences. For example, the first breakfast we had the girls ordered hot chocolate and loved it. Our server not only remembered that they loved the hot chocolate, but had it ready to go the next morning at our reservation as well as personalized chef hats for each girl. When we had unusually chilly weather one day, the staff brought over a bunch of board and card games to keep the girls entertained. These small, extremely personal touches are what set apart a great resort from an exceptional resort.
2. Classic Charm
This resort is not only a hotel for visiting guests but it’s a club for private members who live on the grounds or close by. It’s been open since 1928. This gave the property an old, classic charm but I never felt like the rooms or spaces were outdated. The main inn’s formal room felt like you were stepping into a very grand, private residence with large fireplaces and checkers and chess for people to play. Since the Inn was decorated for Christmas, it was even more beautiful. I loved dining at the golf club where the members were greeted warmly by the staff, everyone made us feel included and it’s a much warmer feeling than you standard hotel.
3. Pools & Beach
Even though it was unusually chilly during our visit, you couldn’t keep my girls out of the ocean and pool. Luckily for us, the pools are all heated to 82 degrees, so as long as you were in the water you were warm. The family pool has one large water slides and two side-by-side smaller slides, as well as water fountain features in the shallow end for little ones. The beach was accessed right by our room and we spent most mornings and afternoons taking a walk collecting seashells and playing in the water. One thing to keep in mind is that children are not allowed at the adults pool, which is where the hot tub is located. There’s also a very nice pool as part of the spa if you want an even quieter and calm experience.
4. Dining at The Seahorse Grille
While all of the dining establishments on property exceeded our expectations, our favorite spot was The Seahorse Grille. This upscale restaurant has a beautiful view of the ocean and fish tanks in the middle of the dining room. We were seated by one of these large tanks and my girls loved watching the elusive eel who lived in there come out for a visit in the evening. The girls were able to order off the kids menu, which even included a steak option that made Katie extremely happy (she loves steak!) and I had the grouper with crab cake which was absolutely delicious. This particular restaurant matched many high-end seafood restaurants I’ve eaten at in New York. We also dined at the golf club which was your typical club food – burgers, sandwiches, salads, soup, etc. and the French onion soup I had was the perfect lunch for a cold day after golfing.
5. Golfing on The Ocean Course
The golf courses at Ponte Vedra have quite the view. The Ocean Course weaves through lagoons coming in from the ocean and has challenging bunkers and water hazards. When we teed off it was only 49 degrees so the ocean wind was especially difficult but the sun came out before we hit hole 9 and we played all 18 holes that day.
6. Nationally Acclaimed Tennis Center
Choose from 15 clay courts and some of the most renowned tennis pros in the country. I was lucky enough to play some tennis during our stay and the racquet club is a beautiful establishment. During our stay I never saw the courts empty. During our next stay, I’d like to participate in some of the club’s tennis programs or take a private lesson.
7. Relax at the Spa
I was lucky enough to be able to head to the spa one day for a signature massage. I headed over early to take some time using all of the amazing spa amenities. The Ponte Vedra spa has a sauna, steam room, hot tub and an entire outdoor pool just for spa guests that you can use before or after your appointment. There’s also a cafe and reception area that’s absolutely beautiful. My massage was very relaxing and the therapist listened to my request for light pressure and a small injury I had to my neck. She was skilled and at moments I was so relaxed I could have fallen asleep! You can imagine it was hard to leave and go back to my two kids after that!
8. Count the Seahorses!
My girls loved all of the seahorses that we found throughout the decor, furniture, and even on items as inconspicuous as the tennis balls we played with! During our stay we counted 48 seahorses throughout the resort, but I’m sure there are many, many more!
