Where to Stay in Saint Augustine

View from our room at the Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront. Photo: Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz, all rights reserved.

Filled with hundreds of years of history St Augustine is considered to be the first city in the USA.  My family and I visited recently and where truly blown away with it’s beauty and the countless places to visit and things to do there for everyone in the family.  The most important thing when choosing a place to stay in St Augustine is to find a hotel that is centrally located in the historic district.   The Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront is just a short walk away from some of the most popular and interesting attractions in the city including the Castillo de San Marcos, Plaza de la Constitucion, The Pirate  and Treasure Museum, St George Street and the City Gate.

Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront

Nestled in the old town, the hotel’s architecture blends in with the surroundings and gives it a more personal scale.  The Hilton Historic Bayfront is the the smallest Hilton in the Americas which translates into a hotel that has all the amenities of a Hilton but with a personal and home like atmosphere that you usually do not get from big Hotel chains.

The location provides a great base to explore the town on foot which is wonderful since there are few places to park a car in St Augustine.  There are also numerous trolley services that will stop at the hotel and take you around the city and into town.

Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront room. Photo: Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz, all rights reserved.

The rooms are large, clean and comfortable and have a distinct Spanish old time immersing you in St Augustine’s Spanish history and architecture.   The lobby is small but very cozy: decorated with a fountain, colorful painted Spanish tiles and iron wrought railings you feel like you just entered an indoor patio in a Spanish home.

From the moment we checked in we felt welcomed and right at home.  As we where sitting in the lobby waiting for the rest of our group to head out and explore the manager came out and handed all the kids St Augustine postcards.  I just love it when people take the time to feel all the guests, even the smaller ones, really welcome!

Saint Augustine Hilton Historic Bayfront Lobby. Photo: Paula Bendfeldt-Dias, all rights reserved.

The Avilés Restaurant is located adjacent to the lobby of the beautiful Historic St Augustine Hilton Hotel.  It offers a buffet breakfast each morning which was plentiful and fresh and has many different options including made to order eggs.

The lunch and dinner menu has a nice selection of appetizers and entrees and a vast wine menu. The freshness and quality of food was truly outstanding and we enjoyed being able to pick from a selection that included many Spanish dishes.

Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront Avilés Restaurant. Photo: Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz, all rights reserved.

My husband ordered the a chicken dish which was really good. I ordered the paella and was pleasantly surprised as I’ve had bad experiences with paellas even in Spanish restaurants before. This paella was truly delicious: the rice was just perfectly cooked, there was lots of seafood on it and the all of the flavors in the dish came together making it a truly delectable paella.   There is a kids menu and the restaurant is also very flexible and will prepare special dishes like pasta with marinara for the picky eaters, like mine.

Hilton St Augustine Historic Bayfront Avilés Restaurant. Photo: Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz, all rights reserved.

What we loved about the Hilton Historic Bayfront

• This hotel is centrally located and the Fort, shopping, dining and historic St. Augustine shopping district is within walking district and we never needed our car. There is also numerous trolley services that will stop at the hotel and take you around the city and into town.
• The central location just can’t be beat and just a short walk from most major attractions and historic sites.
• The staff was friendly, accommodating, attentive and great with the kids.
• The hotel was prefect for families providing lots of services that are not available in B&Bs and Inns like room service, on site gym facilities, a pool where the kids can relax after a fun day exploring and a full service restaurant.
• The rooms looking towards the Matanzas bay in the higher floors give you a wonderful view of the bay, the bridge and the sunrise.
• The food was fantastic, our meal at the Avilés restaurant was the best during our stay in St Augustine.
• I thought the hotel was a great value for the amenities and location.

Things to consider

• There is a $21 daily valet charge but it’s clearly included on the Hilton reservation website. Historic St. Augustine has very little parking and all of it is paid so this is just something to take into consideration.

For more information about the Hilton Historic Bayfront Hotel in St Augustine you can visit their website HERE.

For more information on events, activities, holiday getaway and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com, like Florida Historic Coast on Facebook and follow @FlHistoricCoast on Twitter to stay informed of the latest events in St Augustine.

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