Photos courtesy Golden Isles
Where is Georgia’s Golden Isles?
The mainland city of Brunswick, Ga., and four barrier islands — St. Simons, Sea, Little St. Simons and Jekyll — are known as the Golden Isles. With a population of 80,000, the area is 75 miles south of Savannah and 65 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla.
How do we get there?
Brunswick Golden Isles Airport is in Brunswick, 20 minutes from the barrier islands. Delta Airlines has daily commuter jet service to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Jacksonville International is about 45 minutes south; Savannah-Hilton Head International is about an hour north.
What types of meetings are a good fit?
The islands’ resorts seem geared to corporate retreats and meetings; more moderately priced hotels and resorts suit association and SMERF groups. The new Jekyll Island Convention Center is attracting larger gatherings.
What’s new?
• The biggest meeting news is on Jekyll Island’s beachfront: the Jekyll Island Convention Center, with 78,000 square feet of meeting space that makes the best of being on the beach. The building was designed to be easy on the environment.
• The PGA Tour’s McGladrey Classic returned to Sea Island Golf Club for its third year in October. Davis Love III, who lives on the island and was the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup team captain, hosted the tourney.
Tell me about places to meet.
There are more than 2,500 guest rooms in such wide-ranging properties as limited-service hotels and condos to luxury resorts and small inns.
• On St. Simons Island, the oceanfront King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort has been in business since the 1930s. It has 146 rooms and suites and 41 villas and the ocean is in view from parts of its 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
• Sea Palms Resort, in the island’s center, has a mixture of accommodations, 7,000 square feet of meeting space and three golf courses.
• Sea Island is a luxury destination with two Forbes Five-Star properties, the Cloister at Sea Island and the Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club. The resort, with its 25,000 square feet of meeting space is famous for hosting the G8 Summit.
