The Casa Marina Hotel
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
A rare blend of important history, beautiful design and stunning ocean views
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
Though there are many hotels to choose from on Florida’s famous east coast, there are select few that offer something truly unique and, among those few, there are just a couple with the incredibly rare blend of important history, beautiful design and stunning ocean views. The Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, Florida is one of those rare finds.
The Casa Marina held its’ Grand Opening on June 6,1925 on the same day that Pablo Beach changed its’ name to Jacksonville Beach. Two hundred special guests celebrated by dining and dancing in the Grand Salon.
The hotel was known not only for its’ distinctive Mediterranean design, but for its’ safety. Fire was a major concern during that time period and many hotels had been lost to fires. The Casa Marina was the first hotel in the area to be made of stucco, concrete and tile and it was the first to include an automatic sprinkler system.
With the addition of the Jacksonville train terminal, celebrities, royalty, the famous and infamous all came to Jacksonville Beach. England’s Duke and Duchess of Windsor and U.S. Presidents Harry Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt vacationed here. Early movie stars like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford and Laurel and Hardy enjoyed the beautiful Jacksonville Beaches as well.
It is rumored that infamous gangster Al Capone actually stayed at Casa Marina! The Casa Marina Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the historic Casa Marina hotel offers 24 bedroom and parlor suites that have been decorated to represent “the changing eras of its’ rich history.”
With its’ rich history, beachside location and beautiful design The Casa Marina Hotel is the perfect wedding venue. "We do about 20 weddings every year. We cater everything in-house. Our restaurant is for corporate events, weddings, etc. We provide a butler, hors d'oeuvres, plated entrees and during season, we bring in tents," Executive Chef Aaron Webb told us.
With the addition of The Penthouse Bar, the Casa Marina Hotel has become a popular lunch and nightlife destination as well. "There is no other spot on Jacksonville Beach where you can sit upstairs and see the beach. We do light foods and new beach cuisine. We probably serve 1000 guests a week in The Penthouse," said Chef Webb.
"I want people to know that The Penthouse is more than just the view. We have some very creative food here and there is just something special about the people who work here and the people who come here," Penthouse Bar Manager Kyle McManus told us. "The Penthouse caters to everyone from business people to peopleoff the beach. It's classy but we've got something for everyone and we've got a great view!"
McManus has come up with a number of signature cocktails. “I love being creative. We have one called The Ring of Fire. It is jalapeno, mango, agave and jalapeno tequila. We have one called the Ex Boyfriend that is very popular with women," he said. "On Tuesday nights, we have half-priced bottles of wine and jazz music. The Penthouse is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year."
The Penthouse Wine Menu includes champagnes, whites, reds, and reserve wines. Bottles range from $9 to $220.
The Penthouse Martini Menu includes Moonlight Martini, Flirtini, Ex Boyfriend, Espresso Martini and many more.
The Penthouse Tapas Menu includes Olive Tapenade, Bleu Chips, Kobe Sliders, Baked Brie Encroute, Two Bone Lamb Rack, Penthouse Crab Cakes and Shrimp Curry.
McManus is not shy about his love for Jacksonville Beach and The Casa Marina Hotel and Penthouse Bar. "What makes this a special place? The history! The grand dining room! The original bar! And I love Jacksonville Beach! It has that small town feel but you are only minutes from the big city. The beaches here are beautiful. It's sort of a well-kept secret.”
If you are looking for a historic hotel with beautiful design and stunning views, we highly recommend The Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
The Casa Marina Hotel is located at 691 North First Street, Jacksonville Beach. For more information, visit The Casa Marina Hotel.
For family travelers, VisitFlorida offers a webpage of things to see and do at http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/articles/2007/april/602-family-must-sees.html
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2013 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: [email protected]
Keywords: casa marina hotel, jacksonville beach, hotel, florida, Penthouse Bar, Jacksonville Bars, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong, Family Travelers Magazine, family travel,
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
A rare blend of important history, beautiful design and stunning ocean views
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong
Though there are many hotels to choose from on Florida’s famous east coast, there are select few that offer something truly unique and, among those few, there are just a couple with the incredibly rare blend of important history, beautiful design and stunning ocean views. The Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, Florida is one of those rare finds.
The Casa Marina held its’ Grand Opening on June 6,1925 on the same day that Pablo Beach changed its’ name to Jacksonville Beach. Two hundred special guests celebrated by dining and dancing in the Grand Salon.
The hotel was known not only for its’ distinctive Mediterranean design, but for its’ safety. Fire was a major concern during that time period and many hotels had been lost to fires. The Casa Marina was the first hotel in the area to be made of stucco, concrete and tile and it was the first to include an automatic sprinkler system.
With the addition of the Jacksonville train terminal, celebrities, royalty, the famous and infamous all came to Jacksonville Beach. England’s Duke and Duchess of Windsor and U.S. Presidents Harry Truman and Franklin D. Roosevelt vacationed here. Early movie stars like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Mary Pickford and Laurel and Hardy enjoyed the beautiful Jacksonville Beaches as well.
It is rumored that infamous gangster Al Capone actually stayed at Casa Marina! The Casa Marina Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the historic Casa Marina hotel offers 24 bedroom and parlor suites that have been decorated to represent “the changing eras of its’ rich history.”
With its’ rich history, beachside location and beautiful design The Casa Marina Hotel is the perfect wedding venue. "We do about 20 weddings every year. We cater everything in-house. Our restaurant is for corporate events, weddings, etc. We provide a butler, hors d'oeuvres, plated entrees and during season, we bring in tents," Executive Chef Aaron Webb told us.
With the addition of The Penthouse Bar, the Casa Marina Hotel has become a popular lunch and nightlife destination as well. "There is no other spot on Jacksonville Beach where you can sit upstairs and see the beach. We do light foods and new beach cuisine. We probably serve 1000 guests a week in The Penthouse," said Chef Webb.
"I want people to know that The Penthouse is more than just the view. We have some very creative food here and there is just something special about the people who work here and the people who come here," Penthouse Bar Manager Kyle McManus told us. "The Penthouse caters to everyone from business people to peopleoff the beach. It's classy but we've got something for everyone and we've got a great view!"
McManus has come up with a number of signature cocktails. “I love being creative. We have one called The Ring of Fire. It is jalapeno, mango, agave and jalapeno tequila. We have one called the Ex Boyfriend that is very popular with women," he said. "On Tuesday nights, we have half-priced bottles of wine and jazz music. The Penthouse is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year."
The Penthouse Wine Menu includes champagnes, whites, reds, and reserve wines. Bottles range from $9 to $220.
The Penthouse Martini Menu includes Moonlight Martini, Flirtini, Ex Boyfriend, Espresso Martini and many more.
The Penthouse Tapas Menu includes Olive Tapenade, Bleu Chips, Kobe Sliders, Baked Brie Encroute, Two Bone Lamb Rack, Penthouse Crab Cakes and Shrimp Curry.
McManus is not shy about his love for Jacksonville Beach and The Casa Marina Hotel and Penthouse Bar. "What makes this a special place? The history! The grand dining room! The original bar! And I love Jacksonville Beach! It has that small town feel but you are only minutes from the big city. The beaches here are beautiful. It's sort of a well-kept secret.”
If you are looking for a historic hotel with beautiful design and stunning views, we highly recommend The Casa Marina Hotel in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
The Casa Marina Hotel is located at 691 North First Street, Jacksonville Beach. For more information, visit The Casa Marina Hotel.
For family travelers, VisitFlorida offers a webpage of things to see and do at http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/articles/2007/april/602-family-must-sees.html
By Steven Skelley & Thomas Routzong. Copyright 2013 Sunny Harbor Publishing. Contact Us: PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956. Phone: 321-446-7552. Email: [email protected]
Keywords: casa marina hotel, jacksonville beach, hotel, florida, Penthouse Bar, Jacksonville Bars, Steven Skelley, Thomas Routzong, Family Travelers Magazine, family travel,
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