Our Stay at One Ocean Resort & Spa
For those of you who are not familiar with One Ocean Resort & Spa, it is situated in Atlantic Beach, which is located in Jacksonville, Florida. It is a Four Diamond resort, yes you heard that correctly, Four Diamond... we're talking better than 5 stars! The resort is actually on the beach so you can walk out and be steps away from the beautiful white sand beaches. It offers valet, docent service, full-service ocean front spa, exquisite cuisine, etc.
There are 193 rooms/suites along with many banquet rooms for meetings, conferences, weddings, etc. The pictures above were from our stay and specifically our room. Since it was just Lane and I, we requested a king size bed. The bedding tells a lot about a hotel/resort and I will say everything was so cozy and comfortable. The bed was perfect, as well as the sheets/comforter. It was so inviting! I love the gorgeous shades of blue throughout the entire resort and the modern ocean inspired design. The interior designer for this resort did a marvelous job! Your honestly treated like royalty and you feel like your in the comfort of your own beach house/condo.
Little notes like this is what makes me love my job more and more! How sweet is the staff at One Ocean. Plus, I spy with my little eye, a half eaten macaroon. Haha! Couldn't help myself, everything was delicious!
This was the sunset the night of our stay! Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous?! It was breathtaking, that is for sure! Lane and I sat outside and watched the colors change for a good 30 minutes. It was so quiet and calm.
Oh, Hugh! He is AMAZING and he's been making amazing drinks for 18 years. The main bar in the lobby is called "Hugh's Bar" and the man behind the bar is named Hugh and he is the best mixologist I've ever met. When we had our initial tour with Courtney, she told us that people would call to reserve a room and if Hugh was not working, they would politely wait until he returned. That is how popular and amazing he is. Some time in the last few years, Hugh was diagnosed with cancer.... he took some time off of work to go through the process of chemo and today, he is cancer-free! He is such an inspiration and we had a great time talking with him for over an hour and a half. He told us all about his 4 sons which 3 out of the 4 are professional surfers. We watched their surfing videos that were filmed all over the world in exotic islands like Bali, Costa Rica, Panama, etc. You can tell by the way he talks about them, he is one. proud. dad. I could tell by the way Lane was intrigued that he is going to be the same way when baby pressley's start running around. ;) We couldn't have enjoyed our time with Hugh any more. We are so blessed to have this opportunity and to be able to meet people like him... plus his cocktails are bomb!
That brings us to our dinner at Azuréa, which is the restaurant inside the resort! We were all liquored up (thanks to Hugh), so by this point, we were STARVING! To start off, we had a few appetizers and bread such as a (huge) seared scallop (pictured above) and miniature Cast Iron Seared Jumbo Blue Crab Cake, Mayport BBQ Shrimp & Grits, Niman Ranch Braised Short Rib (pictured below). To be honest, I've never had a Blue Crab Cake or Scallop in my life and I am extremely happy to say I LOVED it! All of these starters were so fresh and cooked to perfection.
Now for our main entree's, we kept it quite simple in what we ordered, but the taste was out of this world. I went with the Coriander Dusted Sea Bass and O.M.G., it was the best seafood I have ever eaten! I was very pleased and VERY full. Lane picked out the 1855 Cast Iron Angus Filet and it was probably the best filet I have ever had... I wanted to go with the filet too, but really needed to venture out and pick something different. I know, I know I keep saying everything was the best, but I would be 100% honest with you all and I don't think I have ever had a better meal. It was fun to try new items and be surprised at how much I like seafood! ...and of course, I had to pair everything with a delicious Moscow Mule, my fav!
The next day we got up and ordered coffee from our docent (which is a fancy word for butler). It was definitely needed from the night before (too many drinks!). We enjoyed watching the sunrise from our room and then headed to the spa. We had such an amazing time at One Ocean Resort & Spa. It was a great staycation! I would recommend this resort to anyone who is looking to stay on the coast in NorthEast Florida. It really is the perfect location in Atlantic Beach with many shops and nightlife you can walk too. That is always something we consider when picking a hotel/resort to stay!
We are so excited for our next stay with One Ocean! Maybe for a girls night next? :) Stay tuned....