Florida is home to an amazing amount of tennis opportunities which includes many quaint seaside towns. Amelia Island fit this bill perfectly from a tennis player's perspective. You may play tennis in the morning, go for lunch and shopping in town, visit the spa, golf or go to the beach. Amelia Island is located north of Jacksonville, on Fernandina Beach, Florida. The closest airport, Jacksonville, Florida, is only 30 minutes away. We chose Amelia Island for a weekend getaway because it is located oceanside and has tennis opportunities.
We stayed at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida during the month of December. The resort was tastefully decorated for the season. We were told that the very large gingerbread pirate ship in the lobby represented that Amelia Island was known to be a pirate safe haven in the 17th and 18th century. The rooms were newly renovated. Our room was oceanfront with club lounge access. The club lounge always has the best, welcoming concierges which is important for a relaxing vacation. One of the reasons we enjoyed the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island is they have a wonderful spa. The resort has an indoor pool for cooler days (and lap swimming). In addition to the indoor full spa facilities, the spa also had a separate adult outdoor swimming pool, which was perfect for a much needed serene day.
We were interested in playing tennis and found that we simply needed to make reservations at the fitness center. The fitness center will also provide a new can of balls and tennis racquets to borrow, if needed (included in the daily resort fees).
The hartru green clay tennis courts were in excellent condition. The tennis facility had a stadium court, oceanfront, and three other tennis courts. We met the tennis Pro, John Watson, who took the time to provide us with balls and towels before he walked us to our court. He explained to us that due to the pandemic, he didn't have weekly clinics available but you could arrange a private, semi-private, small group lesson or tennis event. You will want to reach out to him to organize your visit!
Pairing a morning on the courts, late morning at pool with a spa appointment in the afternoon is a recipe for absolute bliss at Amelia Island!
On a previous trip we stayed close, at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort which has 23 hartru courts and 7 pickleball courts. Their racquets program is run by Cliff Drysdale Tennis. The resort formerly hosted a women's professional tennis tournament for many years. The Ritz Carlton-Amelia Island does not have pickleball courts; however, there are public pickleball courts nearby, in town at Central Park, for open pickleball play!
We enjoyed our weekend getaway at Amelia Island. The quaint oceanside Florida oceanside town resort, The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, met our expectations. It was the perfect place to stay, play tennis, and relax! We cannot wait to find more treasures to visit like Amelia Island.
Disclosure:
We are a participant in the Marriott Affiliate Program , designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Marriott.
We are in partnership with the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy , designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy
Questions/more information….Please contact Cynthia@tennistravelsite.com regarding booking your trip for the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy or Rafa Nadal Tennis Centers.
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