Blog, Hotels & Resorts, Travel, United States

September 12, 2020

Major Hotel Recap: Sea Island

We recently escaped for a week to Sea Island, Georgia! While I grew up visiting St. Simons and Sea Island, it was great to see Sea Island from a refreshed perspective. Only 5 hours from Atlanta, Sea Island is the perfect getaway for any amount of time – a quick weekend or a weeklong jaunt. We have honeymooners, baby-mooners, families and couples all find their place at Sea Island.  Here’s a bit of a recap about why we love this Georgia gem.

Sea Island beauty

An Overview

Sea Island is a private island adjacent to St. Simons Island on the East Coast of Georgia. It contains multiple restaurants, golf courses, a beach club, a hotel, residences, cottages and a wide range of activities. While you’re not lounging on the beach, you can horseback ride, take a fishing charter, visit the shooting range, experience the spa, walk on a guided nature hike, see the turtles hatch at dawn, and more. See, there’s truly something for everyone!

The Cloister Sea Island pool

Accommodations

The accommodations at Sea Island range in style, size and location – The Cloister, the Lodge, the Inn and the Cottages. The Cloister is the beautiful, stately hotel that sits right on the marsh in Sea Island. Entry level room categories overlook the river or garden and the higher categories have ocean views.

My personal favorite part of the Cloister is the sunsets. You can sit on the outside patio and enjoy a sunset just about every night as you sip an Aperol Spritz. Your Major Traveler amenities at The Cloister include daily breakfast for 2, $100 resort credit, upgrade on arrival, early check-in and late check-out.

If you have a bigger party, we recommend staying in The Cottages. You can rent a range of cottage accommodations from 2 bedrooms to 10 bedrooms. Location is everything in Sea Island, so we love to base our recommendations off of bedrooms and location. It’s nice to be within walking distance of the beach and the Beach Club, especially if you have kiddos in tow. Sea Island can equip your cottage with everything you need – groceries, bike rentals, golf carts, strollers, etc.. Your Major Traveler amenity at the Cottages is a $100 daily resort credit.

The Lodge and the Inn are two more unique accommodations where I only recommend on personal preference or availability. The Inn is located outside of the gates of Sea Island and is best as a budget property. While you are able to see and experience Sea Island, there are restrictions on access.

The Lodge is stunning, but located at the golf course on the opposite side of the island from The Cloister. It’s a bit of a drive from the main Cloister area. Again, it really depends on personal preference, budget and style as to where makes the most sense for your stay.

The Cloister hotel Sea Island

Fishing

Sea Island has so many activities to choose from, but fishing is one of their most popular! You can customize your full experience with your boating captain. On my last fishing trip, I chose an inshore fishing charter in the afternoon. Our guide, Kyle, asked what we wanted to fish for and took us to a prime spot. The most exciting catch of our day was a 3-foot bonnethead shark.

Perhaps half of the fun was simply being on a boat and enjoying the water. It was beautiful to glide across the marsh and see Sea Island from a different angle. Your fishing charter comes equipped with snacks and drinks so that you can truly enjoy your half or full day experience.

fishing trip

Restaurants

The opportunities for dining at Sea Island are endless. During the day, you can dine casually at the Beach Club and Pool, with a stop at Wonderland. Wonderland has hand dipped ice creams and candy lined walls – it’s a kids (and adults?) paradise. The Cloister holds both Tavola and River Bar. Tavola features Italian cuisine and Aperol Spritz on draft (!!!). Pro tip: If you can’t decide between two pastas at Tavola, they’ll do half and half portions for you!

River Bar is more chic with a French inspired menu. The bar here is an excellent place to grab a drink before watching the sunset. One night during your stay, you must venture to The Lodg, just a short drive from The Cloister. The Lodge showcases a bag piper in the evening, overlooking the golf course and ocean views. It is a beautiful setting. After the sun sets, you can eat at Oak Room, which features steak-house/tavern style food.

Want to have a very special dining experience? Splurge on the tasting menu at the Georgian Room. The Chef’s table will allow you to see the Forbes Five Star culinary team at work. 

Sea Island River Bar

Ready to go to Sea Island Or, want to explore other quick weekend getaways? Reach out to the Major Traveler team and let’s get to planning!

Beach Club

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