By Gerry Clare
Roving Reporter
Aug 3, 2017 3:00 p.m.
If you haven’t been to this premier oceanfront bed and breakfast or inn since 2014, now is the time to catch up on Amelia Island’s local jewel. Of course, many of us remember this lovely Nantucket-type inn which David and Susan Caples ran since 1997, but it is now a new family endeavor.
Jim and Gay Dunlop had previous experience with this type of inn in New Hampshire and the Hamilton Turner in Savannah, Georgia for over 13 years, before retiring. As Jim says, “retirement lasted seven months” before they decided to get back into the business and move to our small historic town in Florida Their son Brandon left his 15 year career in international banking to partner with his parents in the purchase of Elizabeth Pointe and Amelia Island Vacations (a vacation rental company) January 14, 2014.
Shortly thereafter, Brandon met Tarah, a local to the area working in marketing for the tourism industry and they later married. Today, Brandon directly oversees Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, Jim overseas Amelia Island Vacations and Tarah is the Director of Marketing. The Inn has become a family affair.
They met the Caples at one of their inn management seminars and the move to Florida and our small historic town seemed ideal. After purchasing the Lodge, they began refreshing the 25 rooms with a coastal look and bringing their special talents to the fore.
Jim and Tarah emphasized their new approach to dining for guests and locals. The Lodge provides full-time concierge service, breakfast , lunch, dinner, and happy hour get-togethers for their guests, as some don’t want to leave the beach to eat their meals. As many as 25% of their guests are celebrating special occasions as well.
Breakfast, lunch and a monthly Sunday brunch are also available to locals and the Dunlops have hired two special chefs to revamp the menus. Moustafa Ba is from Algeria and was trained in Paris. Rudy Smith has been an experienced local chef in our area as well. Dining is available in the oceanfront room with windows looking out at the ocean on two sides or on the back oceanside porch. Having eaten there several times in the past, I was impressed with the new lunch menu. I interviewed Jim and Tarah over my excellent chicken salad with tarragon on a croissant. The salmon burger and the roast beef sandwich with provolone and horseradish also looked wonderful. The prices were reasonable and the wine and beer offerings were impressive as well.
Tarah mentioned that they are working to use more local products although the seafood is purchased locally already. However, it would be hard to find a better view of the ocean and beach from any local restaurant. The Lodge’s blue beach chairs and umbrellas line up in front of the surf and provide a colorful sight.
The Dunlops also expanded the existing list of other vacation rental properties to thirty-seven. If the Lodge is full or you are looking for a different experience you can rent condos to beach houses. Also, the Miller House to the south of the Lodge and the Ocean House to the north, offer beachfront rooms with decks. And, if you are looking for a conference or meeting venue on the beach, the Miller House offers a 30 seat conference room. You may notice some of their rentals with the sign, Amelia Island Vacations.
We should not be surprised that, with all the hard work the family has done, the Lodge has won the Conde Nast Award of Excellence in 2017 and Jacksonville Magazine’s Award for several years in a row. Manager, Jeremiah Hobart, has a background in the cruise ship industry and is well-trained in the art of customer service. We took the elevator to view some of the rooms and the cottages next to the Lodge. We both agreed the ocean is the star and the rooms complement the views. There is an excellent marketing website at www.elizabethpointelodge.com or you can call the Lodge, located at 98 South Fletcher at 904-277-4851 for more information.
Editor’s Note: Gerry began free lance writing for fun and is the author of a published book (available on Amazon and at Books Plus) about funny real estate experiences. Gerry is a longtime member of our local American Business Women’s Chapter, a volunteer cancer driver and church deacon who loves to read, travel and meet interesting people.
Very well done, as usual.