Here is what a stay at SpringHill Suites Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront looks like from behind the camera.
I collaborate with hotels and hospitality groups on photo and video work, and this stay was hosted through Shaner Hotels, who operate the property. What follows is my experience and the media that came out of it, not a rated review.
The hotel
SpringHill Suites sits on First Street North in Jacksonville Beach, right beside the pier and a short walk from the boardwalk bars and restaurants. It is one of the newer builds on this stretch, all suites, with an oceanfront pool deck and a fitness center on the upper floors. About an hour up the coast from us in Palm Coast, it is the kind of place we can drive to on a Monday afternoon and be on the sand before sunset.
The room
The suites are set up for actual living rather than just sleeping: a separate seating area, a work surface, a mini fridge and a microwave, and windows that face the water on the ocean side. Clean lines, light wood and a coastal palette that photographs well in morning light. We shot the room in the evening with the lamps on, and again early the next morning before the sun came around.
SandBar JAX BCH
The hotel's restaurant and bar opens straight onto the boardwalk, so it fills with locals as much as guests. The menu leans coastal, with craft cocktails and plates built for sharing, and the outdoor seating looks directly at the ocean. It became our base between shoots: a drink at the bar, a plate on the patio, and the pier lights coming on behind it.
Starbucks on site
There is a full Starbucks on the ground floor, off the lobby and facing the beach. It is the first stop every morning for anyone staying here, and one of the few places in Jax Beach where you can get a coffee with the ocean in the window at six in the morning.
Worth knowing
- Ask for an ocean-facing suite. The view is the reason to stay here.
- Breakfast is included and served early, which suits sunrise shoots.
- SandBar gets busy on weekend evenings. Go early or book ahead.
- The pier is steps away and the boardwalk runs both directions, so you do not need the car once you have parked.
If you are looking for an oceanfront base in Jacksonville Beach with a bar and a coffee shop under the same roof, SpringHill Suites Jacksonville Beach Oceanfront is a good one.
Photography and video by Blake Wisz, August 2024, for Shaner Hotels. Watch the full stay on YouTube. See more travel photography.