Located south of Savannah, Georgia, on the Atlantic coast, Jekyll Island Club Resort marks its 134th year as one of America’s most distinguished historic properties. Once a favored retreat for Gilded Age families such as the Vanderbilts, Morgans and Rockefellers, the resort continues to welcome visitors from near and far who seek history, coastal beauty and refined hospitality.
The Grand Dining Room ©Jekyll Island Club Resort
Blending Gilded Age charm with contemporary comforts, Jekyll Island Club Resort offers a range of accommodations and experiences. Recent ownership by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has brought a $25 million investment to restore and enhance the resort’s historic structures and amenities. In 2017 the beachfront Jekyll Ocean Club opened, adding 41 guestrooms and 40 suites with ocean views and direct access to the Atlantic.
“Every day we feel inspired by the Jekyll Island Club Resort’s unparalleled beauty, historic legacy, natural surroundings and constant reinvention as a premiere hospitality destination,” said Douglas Rucker, area managing director. “Here, where the extraordinary has happened and continues to take place, we cherish the opportunity to celebrate the property by sharing with guests’ experiences that are memorable and impactful.”
Sans Souci © Jekyll Island Club Resort
Guests can choose from accommodations ranging from the contemporary Jekyll Ocean Club to the main historic resort building with 159 rooms, as well as the Island Club Cottages. Dining options include six restaurants and lounges, highlighted by a riverfront seafood venue and the elegant Grand Dining Room. With stately white pillars and a refined atmosphere, the Grand Dining Room offers elevated classics such as orange duck, rack of lamb, filet mignon and fresh salmon.
The resort’s grounds feature two outdoor pools, expansive veranda lawns and a croquet lawn styled after the 19th century. A network of paths and trails makes Jekyll Island ideal for leisurely bike rides and walks, connecting beaches, marshes and the island’s many historic sites.
© Jekyll Island Club Resort
Nearby historic highlights include Faith Chapel, a wooden chapel featuring a stained-glass window created by Louis Comfort Tiffany more than a century ago, and the remains of Horton House, an 18th-century structure recognized as one of Georgia’s oldest tabby buildings.
Jekyll Island also preserves and interprets difficult chapters of American history. The Wanderer Memory Trail presents the story of one of the last known slave ships to arrive on U.S. shores, documenting the landing of more than 500 enslaved Africans at the Jekyll River. The trail’s exhibits follow the path of Umwalla, a young boy taken from his homeland, and the site has received recognition for its role in educating visitors about the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy.
With its combination of historic architecture, thoughtful restoration, coastal landscapes and interpretive cultural sites, Jekyll Island Club Resort offers visitors a layered experience—one that honors the island’s past while providing contemporary comfort and coastal recreation.