This fall, Omni Hotels & Resorts plans to have secured full ownership of the Amelia Island Plantation, outside Jackson in Florida, following its highest bid of $67.1 million for the resort at an auction August 23. Success of the acquisition would continue Omni's recent expansion, including the addition of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Bedford in Pennsylvania, in January 2009, and the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, September 2010.
The deal is subject to the Amelia Island Company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization plan, which will need approval at another court hearing on August 26. Looking forward, plans of the brand include the addition of approximately 125 guest rooms and suites and a 16,000-square-foot ballroom for additional meetings and events at the island resort.
Located 29 miles north of Jacksonville, at the state's northern tip, the luxury island resort is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, green marshlands and the Intracoastal Waterway. Three and a half miles of beach, three golf courses and a full spa are among its 1,350 acres of property, which has been designated a sanctuary by Audubon International and a certified Green Lodging Destination by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Accommodations include the Amelia Inn, which has 249 ocean view guest rooms, and the Villas of Amelia, which features one-, two- and three-bedroom villas with ocean, golf or resort views. Meeting and event space includes 50,000 square feed, and the Conference Center has two ballrooms and 15 breakout rooms, pre-function areas and outdoor venues. Other amenities include the resort's tennis center with 23 courts, several pools with available swimming lessons, shopping center, nine culinary sites, sports, including fishing, sailing and horseback riding, and open areas for hiking, segway tours, bike rentals and island hoppers.
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