By Lisa Simundson
Founded in 1565, 52 years after Juan Ponce de Leon claimed the Florida peninsula for Spain, St. Augustine turns 460 in 2025 and still sits pretty in Northeast Florida, with cobblestone streets and original structures recalling centuries of history.
But Spanish Colonial is hardly the only period of interest in Northeast Florida, where pirates, pioneers, Africans, Victorians and Confederates all had a say in the area’s development.
The Gilded Age lives on at the magnificent Lightner Museum, where versatile event spaces can host up to 225 attendees.
If you “arrrrr” more interested in pirates, the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum can transport your group back 300 years to Port Royal, Jamaica, at the height of the Golden Age of Piracy. Group event spots include a large deck overlooking historic Matanzas Bay and the magnificent Castillo de San Marcos. Other sites include parts of the museum itself and a 1,300-sf courtyard.
In the “oldest city,” groups can tour the Oldest Wooden School House, enjoy private events in the historic Pena-Peck House, have a reception at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park…the list goes on.
Hotels hosting small groups include the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront and the Guy Harvey Resort St. Augustine Beach.
Graceful meeting spaces are a hallmark of the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and The Lodge & Club just north of St. Augustine and steps from the beach and golf. For meetings, company retreats, corporate functions and more, the Inn & Club has more than 25,000 sf of event space while the Lodge & Club features 5,686 sf of indoor meeting and banquet space and 9,000 sf of outdoor oceanfront event space.
North of St. Augustine, Amelia Island—with historic Fernandina Beach on its northern end—is home to the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and the Omni Amelia Island Resort, with extensive renovations due in 2025.
Along North Florida’s northwest Gulf coast, miles of sugar-white and powder-soft sands may just be too beautiful to believe—but they’re real. The beach communities here have a distinct coastal character and are so pretty, make sure your phone stays charged because it will be getting a workout.
“South Walton is well-known for its 26 miles of sugar-white sand beaches, turquoise water, diversity of premier accommodations and incredible culinary scene, but its natural beauty and abundant outdoor recreation really set it apart,” says Karen Morris, CMP, director of sales for Walton County Tourism. “Home to four state parks, a 15,000-acre state forest and 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, along with championship golf, meeting attendees can find plenty of wide-open spaces to enjoy their favorite activities. With 40 percent of the land in South Walton being preserved, finding a quiet respite with colleagues is a breeze.”
Resort-based meeting space is plentiful at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, which just unveiled a $35 million renovation, enhancing 40,000 sf of meeting space, 600 rooms and suites, plus all the common areas.
Nearby, the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort specializes in immersive meeting and event experiences with 1,300 deluxe accommodations and more than 85,000 sf of meeting space, including the Baytowne and Linkside Conference Centers and the Hotel Effie Conference Center.
Sandestin’s creative event spaces are the settings for teambuilding activities like fishing, yacht charters, scavenger hunts and bonfires while the resort’s Group Experience Team provides exclusive access to conference spaces and resort amenities. With in-house catering, cutting-edge technology and attentive service, every detail of your event is accounted for.
New on the scene in South Walton is the Kaiya Beach Resort, set on the ocean in Rosemary Beach and offering beach- or nature-facing villas or luxe condos. Coming soon to the resort will be the boutique Oyom Hotel with a farm-to-table restaurant, a rooftop terrace with pool and ocean views and a world-class spa offering holistic treatments (opening date is TBD).