Florida's hidden gem
BY LINDA FASTESON FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE
Monday, October 20, 2008 10:02 AM EDT
Collecting seashells is one way to spend the day on the seemingly endless beach just steps from the One Ocean resort, background, in Atlantic Beach, Fla. (Roger Fasteson)
Luxury becomes an art at One Ocean resort
Atlantic Beach, Fla. - Your airport limousine rolls up to the impressive front doors, but there's no need to register as you are welcomed by name as your bags are whisked away. You are escorted to your room by your docent, an unique sort of concierge/butler who is there to anticipate and attend your every need - from pressing your garments to reserving a private plane or drawing your bath.
Your favorite beverages and snacks are concealed in the personalized refreshment cabinet. Service is expected to be seamless and intuitive, something that is accomplished by careful planning. Your preferences have been requested and fulfilled prior to your arrival. Every effort has been made to insure that you need only relax and enjoy.
At One Ocean, every guest has VIP status. This one-of-a-kind property is named for its location on One Ocean Boulevard in the seaside community of Atlantic Beach in Northeast Florida.
One Ocean is the first luxury resort in Remington's new signature Gallery Collection, each designed to be unique and authentic to its region. This is a place a place to be pampered, to indulge your yearnings, and to expand your creative horizons.
The Town Center of Atlantic Beach, Fla., is just footsteps from the front door of One Ocean and it becomes a hub of nightlife after dark. (Roger Fasteson)
The accommodations
Upon entering the room, one of 193 ocean-view guestrooms and suites, your eye will be drawn to the floor to ceiling view of the Atlantic Ocean. The color palette of the room - neutrals and blues - is an extension of the colors of the seascape. Accent pieces may exude the iridescence of mother-of pearl or the sparkle of sunlight on rippling waters and sculptures replicate the fluid movement of the sea. This cool, sophisticated elegance is an idyllic setting for relaxation, rejuvenation and romance. Doorbells are deactivated by a privacy setting and your tranquility is never disrupted as housekeeping maintains your room on your schedule not theirs.
Sleeping is an experience in being enveloped in a luxurious cocoon. The sumptuous bedding includes custom-designed mattresses and sheets that were selected only after extensive testing for quality by the owners.
Attention to detail is perhaps most apparent in what isn't there. No collateral material disrupts the view. Service directories and stationery items are discretely tucked away in a drawer in an elegant business box. The safe in another drawer is spacious enough for a laptop and has a plug for recharging while you are away.
CD players are set during nightly turndown service to sounds of waterfalls or ocean waves. Phones were specifically designed for One Ocean with a one touch button for all your needs. Both have been carefully selected for ease of use and as part of the tapestry of sea hues.
The art of luxury
Photography is at the center of the property. The signature gallery features works that capture the natural beauty of the area by American lifestyle photographer Greg Whitaker. Different combinations of his beach scene photographs are hung in each guest room.
Jennifer Brum, a certified professional photographer, is the One Ocean Photography Docent. She offers classes and workshops on camera and Photoshop basics, and photo safaris for all ages and group sizes. A stay at the property would be a good time to enhance your photographic skills, test your creativity, or learn to make the most of your new camera.
Culinary delights
Every table at the resort's signature restaurant, Azurea, has an ocean view. Executive chef Ted Peters, a magna cum laude graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, work has taken him from the Ritz-Carlton in Boston and Amelia Island, to the Savoy in London and Auberge de l'Abbaye in France. His elegant and sophisticated dishes are presented as works of art. It's an eclectic contemporary coastal cuisine that fuses the cultures of the Florida coast -European, Caribbean, and the Americas.
The sunrise over Atlantic Beach, Fla., is quite the sight from the balcony attached to your hotel room or suite. (Roger Fasteson)
Chef Peters uses the "Locavor" philosophy, designing his ever-changing menu around the freshest and most healthful local ingredients available. Meats are all natural and game is from prestigious U.S. farms.
A five or seven course tasting menu, The Adventurous Palate, is available by advance reservation for those, Chef Peters says, with "an open mind and an empty stomach." Groups of six may reserve the Chef's table. Wine pairings complement the menu.
Breakfast is on the oceanfront terrace, and toast is accompanied by jelly made fresh every day. A favorite is a fresh fruit plate with scrumptious dried fruit compote tossed in honey.
Casual fare is available at the poolside bar and grille or the lobby bar and lounge, where the mirror above the bar reflects television programs. In-room dining is available 24 hours a day.
There is also a veterinarian-approved pet menu and a pet amenity consisting of a placemat, two bowls, dog treats, and toys.
Want to recreate your dining experience at home? Interactive cooking classes are offered.
The Spa: Salus per aquium
The $2.1 million five-star spa is designed, according to Resort Spa Director Alia Trickey, to create "a cocoon of tranquility and oceanfront relaxation." There are special areas for meditation, relaxation and wellness treatments and separate lounges for men and women.
Massage therapy, body treatments, facials and skin care and salon services are offered in luxurious treatment rooms, each named for a life cycle of the turtle. All tables are heated to your preference, and each room has individually controlled air conditioning.
The relaxation area for men features a big screen television, and the one for women includes a salon for hair and nail care and a whirlpool bath. Suites with Swiss steam showers cater to couples, bridal parties, or other groups. Continue to relax after your treatments in the meditative lounge, which overlooks the ocean and features a refreshment bar with complimentary anti-oxidant-rich organic juices and a smoothie of the day.
The Phytomer skincare products, in keeping with the spa's marine surroundings, are in hues of blue, aqua, green, sand and pearl. With the principle of salus per aquium, health through water, the spa treatments are part of seawater based therapeutic program known as thalassotherapy
Several packages are offered, and no one should leave without trying at least one of the signature treatments. Treasures of the Sea is a relaxing and refreshing lymph drainage style massage. A silky concentrated seawater gel drenches and moisturizes the body as targeted serums relax tight muscles and drain congested areas. It's sheer bliss.
The Seashell Massage reinvents an ancient art of healing with smooth heated tiger clam seashells. It is designed to relieve sore muscles, joints, and stress, and a portion of proceeds benefit Sea Turtle Atlantic.
Outside activities
Amenities at the resort allow you to be as active or as inactive as you choose. Play in the pool or hit the seemingly endless white sandy beach for swimming, relaxing, and collecting seashells. Or just bask in the sun and watch for frolicking dolphins.
The state-of-the-art fitness center is open 24 hours a day featuring personal viewing screens, free weights and a personal trainer. The physical fitness menu includes sunrise yoga, breath and mindful meditation, Tai Chi, and the One Ocean power walk, all on the beach.
The colorful Kids Club has an ocean storybook theme, and offers adventures and beach activities for children ages 2-12.
One Ocean partners with tour companies and recreational centers and your docent will tailor your adventure or rental to your interests. Go deep sea fishing or sailing, join a tall ship cruise, or go horseback riding on the beach. Take a helicopter, bicycle or eco-tour. Go birding or visit an alligator farm. Go on a shopping excursion for works of art. Boat, jet ski or kayak. Learn surfboarding or try surf fishing. Test your Olympic aspirations in a game of beach volleyball.
Golf more to your liking? Your docent will press your golf shirt and schedule a tee time. Queen's Harbour Yacht and Country Club is built around a freshwater yacht basin on 1,000 acres of woodlands and is just four miles from the hotel. It features an 18-hole, par 72 championship Mark McCumber Royal Course and a private club experience. Golf instruction is offered.
Footsteps away
Atlantic Boulevard's Town Center begins just outside One Ocean's front door. It's a great place to browse for books, art, jewelry or resort wear, try a new flavor of ice cream or indulge in fine chocolate. Dining options range from hot wieners to elegant continental cuisine. By night, the area is a nightlife hub.
A free trolley system began as a pilot project for the 2008 summer season making stops at points of interest between South Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Town Center in Atlantic Beach every 15-20 minutes.
Fans of John Grisham may want to venture farther to Pete's Bar, a pool hall and the oldest continuously operating bar in Northeast Florida. The novelist hung out here and mentioned the place in his novel "The Brethren."
If driving or if you've rented a vehicle, head east and sample some of the local catch from the shrimp boats in the coastal village and naval base of Mayport.
Beyond the serene and elegant setting, One Ocean offers the opportunity to explore your surroundings and to expand your horizons, to savor fine wines and cuisine, and to discover a new interest or talent. You may choose to simply sit back and indulge in the pampering, comfort, and luxury the resort has made an art form. In any case, you will leave relaxed, renewed and ready for your next adventure.
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