Jekyll Island Club, Georgia, USA – our review

There aren’t many hotels that take your breath away as you pull up in from of them but the Jekyll Island Club is definitely one of those.

We arrived for a weekend on the beautiful Georgian location of Jekyll Island, part of our two week road trip through Florida and Georgia. We felt ourselves relax as soon as we drove off the mainland.

It’s easy to get to Jekyll Island but once you do it feels like you’ve stepped in to another century.

The gorgeous buildings are steeped in history and with water surrounding you it’s impossible not to feel calm and happy. This has to be one of the best places to stay on Jekyll Island.

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About Jekyll Island Club, Georgia, USA

The Jekyll Island Club is truly one of America’s great historic hotels.

Founded in 1886, by the early 20th century it was thriving under the patronage of a group of many of the US’s wealthiest families. These included the Morgans, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts.

It was their island retreat. Somewhere to come and relax in all the luxury that could be mustered.

When the Second World War raged the club faltered and closed in 1942.

After many failed re-starts it was eventually re-opened in 1985 as a luxury hotel but details of its past abound with photographs everywhere. But also there’s a feel that is intangible but felt in every nook and cranny.

Today it’s possible to stay in the main house or the outer buildings. The whole estate contains everything from gift shops to snack bars.

It was lovely to wander around and explore.

Jekyll Island Club, Georgia – Sleeps

We stayed in one of the family rooms in the Clubhouse building.

This is part of the oldest section of the estate, constructed for the Jekyll Club’s inaugural season.

Our room contained two Queen beds and a smaller bed was placed in the room for our youngest.

While the room was a little worn in places it just oozed character and history. We wouldn’t have changed it for anything.

There was a coffee machine, a tv and a small wardrobe.

Of real benefit to us was the glass fronted veranda off the room, complete with light and fan. This meant we could put the children to bed and step out to relax.

We also used this space to make up some lunch and all sat together on the sweet rocking chairs to eat and chat.

It was a lovely little room and so nice and warm when we visited at the end of October.

The bathroom is probably getting close to needing revamping but it did its job. I loved the Jekyll Island Club toiletries with Spanish Sea Moss scent.

The whole space really did feel so historic and the slightly twee aspect added to its character and charm.

Food

We didn’t eat dinner at the Jekyll Island Club but we did have the buffet breakfast.

This was a nice spread of fruits, pastries and cereals.

There were some hot foods including lovely potatoes and scrambled egg. The children loved the muffins.

The Resort

The resort is just perfect for families to explore. There are easy walks around the grounds, along with the opportunity to play a sport on the lawns in front of the main Clubhouse or to stop for tea in the little onsite cafe.

We loved the opportunity to hire bikes from the little rental in the grounds.

The whole of the Jekyll Island Club and further around the island itself is dotted with cycle paths. It made it easy for a cycle ride up to the evocative Driftwood Beach.

There’s a sweet shop, a number of gift shops and an old fashioned fast food restaurant all within the extensive grounds. So you wouldn’t have to leave if you wanted to come for a week and really relax.

The Best Bits

Staying at the Jekyll Island Club is like stepping in to history.

You really do feel like you’ve gone back in time and it’s got an airy ambiance that just means day-to-day worries drift away.

There were beautiful views across the Georgian countryside with the Spanish sea moss ever present and the most breathtaking sunsets every night.

Worth Bearing in Mind

As I’ve said the hotel is a little worn around the edges which really does add to its charm. This isn’t a corporate style hotel, it is one with character and history.

We found the staff a little stuffy on occasion. I don’t think they appreciated the children taking a muffin from breakfast to eat back in the room for example. But it didn’t take away from our experience nor would it stop us staying again.

Child Friendly?

Breakfast staff aside, we did feel welcome here and would say it is a child friendly hotel.

There were cookies on arrival and the children loved the swimming pool and croquet lawn.

This is old fashioned family holidays at their best. With plenty of time to unplug, recharge and come together as a family for uncomplicated fun.

I’ll never forget that first sight of the Jekyll Island Club. And I absolutely loved seeing the photos of families enjoying the grounds from the 1920s and realising they were loving all the same things we were – time on the beach, in the pool, playing in the grounds.

We’re rushing forward with technology and advancements in the world at the moment but the timeless appeal of the Jekyll Island Club makes you realise that actually simple fun will always attract families. For that reason I hope this place keeps going for generations to come.

Ready to book Jekyll Island Club, Georgia?

You can find out more about the hotel and check availability here. And don’t forget to read our feature on our road trip through Florida and Georgia for more of what we did.