The Fairbanks House Bed and Breakfast
227 South Seventh Street,
Amelia Island, FL
(904) 277-0500
(800) 261-4838
Rates: $99 - $185
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Surround yourself with the luxury of The Fairbanks House Bed and Breakfast nestled in the Victorian seaside village of historic Fernandina Beach. An 1885 creation of famed architect, Robert Schuyler, The Fairbanks House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. On one manicured acre, the four-story Italianate-style villa is graced with dormers, bay windows, massive chimneys and balustrade balconies and porches and a fifteen-foot tower. Legend has it that one of the Fairbank's descendants stood in the tall tower and watched the 1901 Jacksonville fire fifty miles away.

Once inside guests marvel at twelve-foot ceilings with elaborate mouldings, polished heart-of-pine floors, and the magnificent staircase carved of Honduran mahogany. The grandeur of bookcases built of orangewood from the Fairbanks' own groves, and two fireplaces that are inlaid with English tiles one depicting scenes from Shakespearean plays and the other with Aesop's fables, grace the inn's spacious chambers and adds elegance to the home, featured in the January-February issue of "Country Inns" Magazine. Beyond the common rooms decorated with crystal chandeliers, Eastlake furniture and French and English antiques, the ambience extends outside to arched piazzas, courtyard, swimming pool and enchanted gardens.

Each of the twelve guest rooms, suites, and cottages offer splendor, comfort, and private baths. Guests will find queen and king size, canopy or four-poster beds, fireplaces and luxurious bathrooms with choice of Jacuzzi, claw-foot tubs, or showers. The rooms are appointed with antiques, oriental rugs, and period pieces to create a special sanctuary for every guest. Cable television and telephones are provided in each room. Guest may choose to enjoy the genteel country charm of one of the three private cottages.

Guests may savor their gourmet breakfast, a hot entree served with seasonal fruits, delectable breads, juices, coffee and assorted teas, in the formal dining room or the beautiful courtyard overlooking the rose garden and pool. Dishes such as egg casserole heaped with potatoes and cheese, amaretto applesauce, or apple-pecan crepes topped with a rich bourbon sauce make for a tasty beginning to ones day and fulfill The Fairbank's House reputation as a gourmet flare.

The Fairbanks House will lavish guests with hospitality and luxury transporting them to the peacefulness of a time long past while maintaining an easy, casual atmosphere. Thirty minutes from Jacksonville International Airport, the inn is located on Amelia Island in historic Fernandina Beach, where guests may wander among quaint shops and galleries, or stroll to the beach, visit the Amelia Island Museum, or Fort Clinch, a pre-Civil War fort. Tennis, biking, golf, fishing, and sailing are all nearby.