The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is a marvel from another age.  Complete unlike all other Jekyll Island Hotels, this hotel is rated among the top 500 resorts in the world.  Located near the Jekyll Island historic village, you will live as Carnegie and Morgan lived 100 years ago.  It is a fantastic location for a wedding or your honeymoon or, if you have the means, a retreat from your regular life.   There are three restaurants on the premisis, all offering fantastic dining options, as well as being in walking distance from the Jekyll Island Wharf, with the Rah Bar and Latitude 39.  There are numerious vacation packages available the bed and breakfast package and the romantic fantasy.

Other Jekyll Island Hotels include the Quality Inn and Suites located within walking distance to both the beach and all three 18-hole golf courses on the island.  The Beachview Club is a brand new luxury hotel, located right on the beach.  It offers luxury suites with a private patio and a beautiful ocean view.  The Oceanside Inn and Suites is newly renovated and the rooms are very nice.  It too is right on the beach and also features the Sandbar and Grill which has a fine bar and serves three meals a day.

There are other jekyll island hotels too.  While I won’t get into them here I will say that one gotcha I’ve discovered is the rock wall along the north end of the island.  A lot of hotels will say that they are beachfront but instead you have a giant rock wall between the beach and the ocean.  So always make sure you find out exactly where on the island your beachfront hotel is located.

Jekyll Island has a very colorful history, including the group of wealthy landowners such as John Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan who made up the Jekyll Island Club.  Today it is designated a National Park and a historic landmark.  It can be explored in order to uncover all the exciting attractions that make it such a great place to visit.

You can visit the Historic District on your own or take one of the guided tours available and gain insight from the knowledgeable tour guides.  See the impressive winter homes of millionaires from a different era.  You can explore the customs and habits of these out of the ordinary people.  Its a great chance to see how the other half lives.  All the homes have been painstakingly restored and they are centered around the Jekyll Island Club Hotel.

Jekyll Island has ten miles of beautiful coastline to relax on.  You can lounge in the sun or swim all afternoon on a Jekyll Island Vacation.  In addition, the Georgia Audubon Society has designated Jekyll an Important Birding Area due to the large number of exotic and migratory bird species that populate the area.  Its always exciting to watch birds hunting for their breakfast while out on the beach.

Another fun thing to do is rent a kayak or a canoe and go out to explore the marshes on the bay side of the island.  You can either go on a guided tour and be shown all the sights of a fascinating ecosystem or you can head out on your own to explore this exciting world.  The Tidelands Nature Center is another great place where you can see creatures such as alligators, snakes, sea turtles, and hermit crabs.

Since Jekyll Island is a state park so much of the Island is undeveloped and you can find much to do such as wandering the dues, heading out on horseback and even chartering a sail boat.  However, it’s not all wilderness, as there are several golf courses, tennis courts, and stores.  Some people go just for the golf, as there are three great courses on the island.  There are also antique and specialty stores with many fine items unique to the island.

There are twenty miles of paved bicycle paths on the island making for a fun and healthy way to relax.  You can rent a bike from one of several spots on the island or bring your bikes from home.  This is a great way to spend time together as a family.  You can get to anywhere on the island using just the bike paths so you won’t even have to spend money on gas while vacationing on Jekyll Island.  Another family friendly activity is the water park on the island.  Take your kids and have a great time.  One other option would be to visit on of the other islands in the area.  Brunswick is the access point for St. Simons, Darien, St. Mary’s, Sea Island as well as Jekyll Island.

The best part of Jekyll Island is the number of rental properties available.  There are dozens of houses and condos you can rent for a week for much less than a hotel room would cost.  You will have a kitchen and several bedrooms and a living area so you will have lots of space and you can save on food by just stocking up on groceries for the week and cooking in so you don’t have to eat out every night.   And pretty much every house on the Island is just a short trip to the beach.  It’s great way for your family to spend its Jekyll Island vacation.