A Grand Hotel, Indeed!
This hotel was GRAND indeed! The location of the hotel was so relaxing. We booked an inside room, but were delighted to find that we were upgraded to a Jr. Suite that was right on the point. We were visiting during Memorial Day weekend, so we really felt blessed to be upgraded to such a wonderful room and view. Our suite had water views from every window and the layout of the rooms were perfect with a separate bedroom and sitting room. (featuring a loveseat/sleeper, which was very comfortable for our 13 yo. son.) The BR had a king size bed with a very comfy mattress, and a down comforter. It even featured a large closet , which is very rare in hotels these days. The bathroom was small, but had all the amenities we could want.
All the staff were so nice from the gatekeeper to the maids! It was much better than home with so many activities to enjoy. Our son thought the pool was wonderful until we explored the grounds and found so much more to do. We loved riding the catamarans. (Can you believe they were FREE for an hour each day?) We paid $20 to have one of the guides give us a sailing lesson and it was money well spent. You could also make use of the kayaks for an hour for free. They have croquet, horseshoes, ping pong tables, a putting green (eqpt. provided free), card games, and bikes (Free rental for one hour a day, then $10 an hour afterwards), and they'll even provide you with fishing gear and a free bucket of bait, too. Take your tennis and golf equipment to enjoy the courts or the greens. (they will rent equipment, too.)
Be sure to look at the daily recreational schedule that is delivered outside your door each morning. You can take a horticultural tour of the grounds, a tour of the chef's garden, a bike ride to the Civil War Cemetary, play UNO with other guests, and have an opportunity to parade around the grounds with the crew that fires the cannon each day at 4pm to commemorate war veterans. Although, you'll find it very hard to leave the comfort of the swings or your lounge chair on the beach.
Yes, it will be very difficult to leave the hotel grounds....but you won't want to miss visiting the lovely town of Fairhope, either.
When you get to Fairhope, stop by the visitor center for a brochure/map of the shops and businesses in Fairhope, pick up the local restaurant menus, and visit their clean restrooms. Sign the visitor book, and they will mark your hometown on their wall map. If you're visiting on Thursday, don't mis the downtown market!
Guy Fieri (host of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on the Food Network) recommends eating lunch at Panini Pete's in the French Quarter and so do we. The prices were good, the food was plentiful, and tasty, too. When they suggest cookies or beignets...go ahead and try them, you can always walk off the (very delicious) calories while you visit the wonderful shops of Fairhope.
Families with kids will love Papa's Pizza (can you believe we paid $14.99 for an extra large 16in. 3 topping pizza!) It's not a fancy place, but it was very interesting, quite clean, and the pizza was delicious!
Buck's Diner was a quiet and refreshing place for dinner. They offered a meat and 2 veggies plate that was good. We loved their fried green beans appetizer, too. It was a little more expensive for dinner, but my husband says that the macaroni and cheese made it all worthwhile. Their sign says open 'til...but when we called, they said they're usually "open 'til" 9 or 10pm.
As for the shops, we found it difficult to leave the comfort and convenience of the Page and Palette book store. You could find wonderful snacks in their cafe/coffee shop, as well. If you're here during the week, watch for their art classes.
This hotel was SO RELAXING that we didn't even need the spa. We really could have stayed longer. There was so much to do that we couldn't fit it all in to our 3 day stay. We we will definitely visit again very soon.