Back In Time

Diane Sears | 7/1/2006

Built in 1888 and renovated in 1999, the Casa Monica Hotel in downtown St. Augustine looks like a castle. It has 138 rooms, the award-winning 95 Cordova restaurant, a sidewalk cafe and a collection of retail boutiques.

The Spanish-style hotel is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and holds the only AAA Four Diamond designation in St. Augustine. Its public areas are filled with antiques, art, chandeliers and jewel-tone fabrics. "It's almost as if you're walking into a museum because of the décor. It gives you a sense of going back in time," says general manager Marc Bauer.

The hotel has an affiliate relationship with the oceanfront Serenata Beach Club, a 10-minute drive or hotel shuttle ride away across the Intracoastal Waterway, where guests can play golf and use the amenities there.

Part of the Kessler Collection, a group of hotels and resorts operated by Orlando's Richard Kessler, the hotel is seeing more business travelers and corporate groups, Bauer says. The hotel offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space, wireless computer access in public areas and complimentary high-speed access in guest rooms. Rates range from $179-$359 a night.

Tags: Dining & Travel, Northeast