Seaside Amelia Inn Amelia Island, FL — Hotel in Fernandina Beach

I had a love/hate relationship with our 2 night stay here, so all in all it averaged 3 stars since it was pretty…average. Haha.

5 stars: Location! Right on the beach, less than 5 mins to downtown Fernandina.

Bathroom - small but newly renovated (in our suite) and felt very luxurious!!

Cleanliness - pretty clean overall. The place is in the middle of renovations though so can’t fault them for some grunginess in the common areas/hallways. The room was very clean but the air vents were all clearly old and rusty and icky. I feel like if you’re going to the trouble to renovate, you can buy new air vents for the intake and ducts. Elevators were not very clean and old/smelly.

Staff - the staff were very courteous, but I only saw two people the whole time we stayed.

1 star: Parking - they are missing most of their parking spaces due to the reno but this wasn’t disclosed upon reservation or upon check-in…was told to park in the garage and I found a spot only once during two days there. The lot next to the hotel is a public park/beach access and is ALWAYS full except after dark - what are you supposed to do if that is also full? I have an infant and to park anywhere other than on/near premises is a no-go. If you’re paying $350 per night you should be guaranteed a parking place - period. Highly suggest this hotel has a complimentary valet service in place during their renovation period.

Room size - usually when you book a “suite” you expect more room than usual and a kitchenette…I have had more space in a double room at Hampton Inn. And yes I could have confirmed no kitchenette for our particular room online, but you just sort of assume. There were two adults (my sister and I) and my infant daughter. There was BARELY enough room for us in the partial ocean view “suite”. When the pull out bed was out, there was hardly walking room. I also thought the “room” with the queen bed was separate from the living area with a door as is common in a suite….but only a short hallway separates them so when I put the baby to sleep, we had to be very quiet and I had to cover the crib with a blanket for darkness. Again not a huge issue, just should be disclosed. I don’t think these rooms should be called “suites”.

Breakfast - maybe we came on a bad day. Grits were very good but the eggs literally tasted like pure salt. The person making the waffles and hot items also touched the waffles with bare hands when they were done in the press. That’s a no for me. There weren’t any fresh fruit options that I could see either. We passed on the hotel breakfast our second morning. Sad, because I booked this hotel partially for breakfast being included.

I would stay here again for half the price and guaranteed parking. Otherwise I would be more happy at the Springhill Suites across the street I think. It’s only one block further from the beach which is busier than some of the other access points anyway due to being by the park (so not a private hotel beach). I don’t recommend this for a family vacation unless you can somehow get a bigger “suite”. This is a good place for solo travelers or couples without kids. The staff we interacted with were very nice but it seemed like every time I passed the front desk (including when I checked in and waited 5 mins) there was nobody manning it.

If you stay here, I would call them to book so you know exactly what you are getting. The pictures and descriptions online are a little misleading in my opinion. I stayed here because I wanted to be “oceanfront” but there is actually a building between the hotel and the beach so you’re not truly “seaside”. For the money I don’t think it is worth...

I have no idea where the negative reviews come from, but this is relaxing Beach Life at its best! Dated decor??? It’s a quaint beach vibe that only beach people will understand, appreciate, and respect. Not enough space and needing more room to place things on??? Try beach life and downsize a bit. I am SO glad we didn’t cancel our stay here based on a couple of negative reviews, because of course all reviews are subjective, but our stay was certainly incredible! Parking wasn’t as bad as they say, either.

We are Sanibel/Captiva people for generations, but after Ian, we began to look elsewhere for a similar “Sanibel-Captiva island feel”….Amelia Island is that for us now!!! We booked our future Christmas vacay stay here on the first night of our stay at Seaside Amelia Inn! That should say a lot.

From the moment we walked in, it was nothing but smiles, immaculately clean, and the beach vibe we know and love. Took the dogs out on the beach and enjoyed the sunny gorgeous beach, that is literally steps from our suite, while we waited for our room (we were a bit early because we were so excited)! Front desk, management, housekeeping, all were wonderful!

Our suite was spacious, incredibly clean, comfortable, and exceeded expectations. Mini fridge, Keurig, microwave, everything! The bathroom was beautiful, and again, everything was spacious and clean! If you’re looking for any extra towels, all you have to do is request and you will gladly receive. Beach life usually doesn’t have “housekeeping daily,” never have we seen that on a beach. It’s not expected. But if you ask, they gladly will, and they tell you that at check-in.

Breakfast: delicious, hot, fresh! The girls that put it together were the sweetest. Everything from bagels, toast, French toast, fruit salad, cereal, biscuits and gravy, bacon, eggs, grits, juices. Waffle maker, flavored syrups for your coffee, teas…I could go on. Everything you could want, all the toppings for everything, as well.

And all of this during Tropical Storm Debby! Had a gorgeous few beach days, but the rainy windy ones weren’t bad either. The pool area was great, we enjoyed having our drinks and snacks on the rocking chairs and comfy lounges, and dipping in the pool on our way back to the room from the beach.

Also loved the idea of all the different shells that have been collected and labeled by guests and scattered about on display throughout the lobby area (we left an oyster shell memento we found with our name and date of stay on it, too)…They clearly are built on making memories here and that is special in itself! Again, we can’t wait to be back to this slice of paradise for our...

We stayed here for 1 night over Memorial Day weekend. The proximity to the beach was excellent and so convenient for the Saturday & Sunday, however, I cannot say the same for the beach chair/umbrella rentals. We were not aware you had to book the package ahead of time for the hotel to set you up on the beach, so we purchased (when checking in at the front desk) two sets of chairs/umbrellas/mat to sit on. The chairs were ok but the umbrellas + beach mats were horrible and cheap. The umbrella we received was broken and didn't even open so My brother had to go across the street to get a new one. Even the new ones barely stood up and we had to hold it down in the sand for most of the afternoon on the beach to prevent them from flying away. Ridiculous to pay $100 for both sets and neither were that great. Also, when we got to the room, it was out dated and nothing was in stock. There were no extra towels, toilet paper, extra linens for the pull out mattress etc. We (and another room with other family staying in it) had to go back numerous times to the front desk to get anything. Also, our king size bed wasn't even made and the sheets were half falling off when we walked in. It was like the room was barely made up (or not made up). The A/C fan was loud but thankfully it worked. The carpet was dirty and so was the bathroom. Based on other reviews, these complaints seem to check out the exact same with the same complaints. Also with it being Memorial day weekend, for 1 night (with two rooms) the cost was outrageous - probably $650/night, per room, so we paid over $1600 for ONE night total, with taxes. We could have gotten a better stay (and cleaner) at a Days Inn. The proximity of the room right next to the pool was awful too as the pool stays open til 10 maybe 10:30pm at night? People were still playing and screaming, not very relaxing or calming for a decent night sleep. The pool was advertised as a legit pool, but looked like the size of a hot tub that can fit 2-3 people max, and that's if you're small! For a “pool room view” that’s nonsense. Breakfast food was edible, barely, and parking at hotel seemed to be the only good thing. Front desk service was friendly but otherwise, do yourself a favor and find another hotel in the Amelia Island area. I don’t write many reviews but we won’t be coming back to this location if and when we return. We'd rather spend our money elsewhere at a business that takes care of its property...