The Lodge and Club at Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach

LIKED: great oceanfront location to gaze at the ocean from our room, in-room fireplace, huge bathroom with oversized tub, dining at the Innlet restaurant for dinner was fabulous, spa white robes and slippers to wear in room, and friendly and helpful staff. Disliked: lack of luxurious sheets and some stains and occasional areas of soil on them, draperies and carpeting which could have used a cleaning, and some dust in room, adjoining room next to ours made the room feel less private than we would have liked, noisy children swimming in the ADULTS ONLY POOL, some small areas of mold on wall and ceiling and in the bathroom.

Our anniversary falls on Valentine's Day, which adds to the pressure of planning an entirely perfect celebration of the holiday. However, our first visit to the Lodge & Club far surpassed any expectations we had for an extraordinary experience! I have traveled all around the world and stayed at many 4 and 5 star resorts, and I can honestly say there is no room for improvement here. The property is far from any hustle and bustle, located right on a gorgeous stretch of beach. All facilities were first rate, with beautiful architecture, landscaping, decor, and style throughout. Guest amenities were of the highest quality and left absolutely NOTHING to be desired. 24 hour room service and attentive, top-notch service staff made the isolated resort a stand-alone oasis of escape with all the luxurious trappings of convenience! (As far as value goes, bring your nightly rates down by shopping third-party travel sites - we got a $120 per night discount off the resort's advertised rate for a certain package, which was already a moderately good value.)

My wife and I have travelled to a good number of excellent hotels around the world and I have to say that our stay at this small treasure near Jacksonville has been one of our best experiences. To start with the hotel itself has a beautiful Mediterranean style that is very welcoming and cozy. There is an excellent combination of openess with lush, tropical planting. The rooms themselves are very spacious and tastefully done (the bathrooms are large as well). The service and attention to detail are outstanding and the staff are very friendly. Even the morning newspapers are neatly put in a canvas holder near waist level so one doesn't have to bend down to pick up the paper off the matt. Finally, the location is excellent - the hotel is right on a very pretty beach and the nice town of Ponte Vedra is right nearby. The historic town of St. Augustine is an easy 25 minutes drive.