Nowhere on beautiful Amelia Island
will you find an inn that blends romantic elegance, comfort and
hospitality like the Hoyt House Inn. From luxurious guest rooms
to perfectly conceived breakfasts, Hoyt House is more than a bed and
breakfast--it stands apart as the best of Amelia Island's small luxury
inns. Come for a romantic getaway, unforgettable honeymoon, or to
simply celebrate the special occasion of relaxing together.
Graceful wrap around porches, lazy ceiling
fans and tall bay windows will warmly welcome you to our
grand mansion of yesteryear in the heart of the Historic District of
Fernandina Beach. Concierge service, soft
enveloping terry robes, touring bikes, beach chairs and towels, complimentary afternoon snacks and evening wine
make your stay perfect. Treat yourself to our impeccable
hospitality. We look forward to welcoming you soon.
W
eddings are wonderful on Amelia Island, and
are made perfect at Hoyt House. Make that special day an even
more memorable one amidst
the beauty of our Gardens and Gazebo. We have popular
Wedding Packages which can be customized
to meet your dreams.
Looking
for a vacation package? Amelia Island and Hoyt House offer sports enthusiasts, honeymooners and
romantic adventurers great choices. Choose from one of our
Packages which include activities and special touches that assure
you'll take home great memories of your time with us here on Amelia
Island.
Well
known for old world hospitality and elegant service, Hoyt House can
make every event memorable. The Inn is the ideal place to host
your
Private Parties and Meetings.
We invite you to
celebrate your next special occasion or business meeting event with us.
Golf,
world class tennis, classic car shows, music festivals, antiques, turn
of the century architecture, a lighthouse, national parks and beaches,
horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, boating and bird watching await
you on Amelia Island...all the good things in life!
Amelia
Island--The Isle of Eight Flags
Amelia
Island is the only place in the nation to have been governed under eight flags
since its original founding by the French. It is one of
the most popular US island resort destinations (as reported by Conde
Nast) with over 12 miles of uncluttered Atlantic beaches offering the best of guest amenities and sights of major historical
significance.
The
loosely-knit, semi-agrarian Timucuan Indians settled the area in the
second century B.C. and archaeologists estimate a peak population of
30,000 natives shortly before Huguenot leader Jean Ribault claimed
what he called "Isle de Mai" for his fellow religious outcasts in
1562. Three years later, the Spaniards, already well-ensconced in
nearby St. Augustine, drove the French out and erected the mission of
Santa Maria, only to be ousted in turn by the British in 1702. James
Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia,
named the island after the Royal Princess Amelia, daughter of King
George II. During the Revolutionary War, Amelia Island became home for
many English Loyalists fleeing the Colonies.
Pirate
Luis Aury sailed with his armada of three ships into the harbor in
1817. Three
days later he hoisted the Republic of Mexico flag.. He
declared himself ruler of the island. Fernandina became a pirate haven
and location for buried treasure. Aury was run out of Fernandina in
1821 by a
United States naval force.
In 1861, David
Levy Yulee, a powerful U.S. Senator and entrepreneur, built the
first cross-state railroad, linking the island town,
Fernandina Beach, with Cedar Key on the Gulf Coast, creating a lure for
northerners seeking warmer climes.
From about 1870 to 1910, Amelia Island experienced a "Golden
Age". Fernandina was
hailed as “The Queen of Summer Resorts” by an 1896 edition of American
Resorts magazine. Golden Age prosperity prompted a building boom,
producing many fine examples of Victorian Age architecture. The boom attracted visitors such as the Vanderbilts, DuPonts, and Carnegies.
Fernandina was home to the First Customs House in the United States.
The oldest newspaper in Florida was started in Fernandina. The Egmont Hotel was considered to be one of
the most opulent in the country during the early 1900s, and the
Florida House is the oldest surviving hotel in the State of Florida. When Henry
Flagler built a new rail line which detoured much of the tourism further south,
Fernandina and Amelia sunk into a period of slow decline until
immigrant fishermen poured their energies into the areas long
neglected shrimping industry.
Fernandina
is credited with being the birthplace
of the modern shrimping industry because of the introduction of the
first powered shrimp boat, the fishing of offshore areas, and
applicaton of the otter trawl. This historical fact is
celebrated each May with a three-day Shrimp Festival.
Visitors
today enjoy a low-key energy, which emanates from
a 50-block historic district with a string of old
storefronts and Victorian era homes. Though visitors crowd the 40-foot
hand-carved bar at the gas lamp-lit Palace Saloon
(built in 1878, reputedly the oldest in Florida), more recent establishments are just
as intriguing. An amazing variety of eateries and taverns (over 25)
can be found within the charming and quaint shopping
district.
A
short walk south from downtown is the informative Amelia Island
Museum of History, which chronicles the confusing history of this
coveted spot. From there, a short stroll east takes you to the initial
stretch of the islands pristine beaches. Just north lies Fort Clinch
State Park, which offers tours, re-enactments, and miles of priceless
nature trails. Originally built to protect seaborne access to Georgia, masonry walls rendered the fort obsolete by the opening
salvoes of the Civil War. On a clear day, a look out over the water
from her unfinished ramparts affords views of famed
Cumberland Island.
Hoyt House proudly sits on this grand island,
offering our guests a casual but extremely comfortable hospitality
from which to experience all that Amelia Island has to offer.
