The Jewel of the Golden Isles Sea Island offers visitors Southern hospitality that never goes out of style
The Cloister’s Main Entrance
By Noelle Valentine
ea Island – a private, coastal Georgia resort island – is an exceptional destination appealing to those who appreciate gracious service and heartfelt Southern hospitality. Home to two of the Top 10 resorts in the continental U.S., as recognized in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards three years in a row, the destination boasts four Forbes Five-Star experiences – The Cloister at Sea Island, The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club, The Spa at Sea Island, and the Georgian Room restaurant – along with a vast array of adventures and experiences, Sea Island entices families, outdoor and activity enthusiasts, and those simply wanting to refresh and recharge. It is the only resort in the world to
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have received four Forbes Five-Star awards for seven consecutive years. Sea Island lies off the southeastern coast of Georgia, halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Florida, and is surrounded by five miles of private, pristine beach on the Atlantic Ocean to the east and separated from St. Simons Island on the west by the largest salt marsh on the eastern seaboard. The resort is a one-hour drive from both cities’ international airports. Four miles away, McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport welcomes private aircrafts. Delta Airlines services the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, 14 miles from Sea Island, through its partner, Atlantic Southeast Airlines. Sea Island transportation is
The Cloister’s Solarium
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| Fort Bend Lifestyles & Homes | December 2015
Cloister’s Colonial Lounge/lobby
readily available from all airports. While there are a number of reasons to love Sea Island, we’ve put together a list of the top five, counting down: 5. Southern Hospitality. Experience the South at its finest — the Sea Island Service team epitomizes southern hospitality. As soon as you arrive, the staff members go out of their way to welcome you and do whatever they can to ensure you enjoy an unforgettable stay. As you step into the lobby and are escorted to your finelyappointed, spacious, elegant accommodations, you’ll feel as though you’re taking a step back in time. Everyone is beyond courteous. After the first meeting with a staff member, you’ll be happily surprised to find that they always call you by name. Maintaining an exact attention to detail that can only be achieved by an awardwinning staff, your stay will be managed by a single point of contact dedicated to ensuring that all aspects of your get-away are flawless. 4. The Natural Beauty. Originally planted by former President Calvin Coolidge in 1928, the live oaks all over the island are now more than 80 years old and simply gorgeous — as are The Cloister’s gardens, golf courses and five miles of private beach.