The Cloister on Georgia's Sea Island

Travel

The new main building at the Cloister at Sea Island, opened in 2006, echoes many of the architectural cues included in the 1928 design by Addison Mizner and is meant to suggest a luxurious old residence. The renovation also introduced a new destination restaurant, the Georgian Room, to appeal to food-savvy travelers and local diners. Photos show the main building, the Georgia Room and the sumptuous beach club.

The new main building at the Cloister at Sea Island, which opened in 2006, echoes many of the architectural cues included in the 1928 design by Addison Mizner and is meant to suggest a luxurious old residence.

A circa-1930s postcard shows Sea Island's Cloister resort, which opened to much fanfare in 1928 and set the standard for refined Southern coastal resorts.

With its crystal chandeliers and sumptuous decor, a dinner at the Cloister's new Georgian Room says "grand." Coats and ties are required for guests.

Some pickled, some poached: Beet salad that is out of the ordinary. The AJC's John Kessler calls this this dish "a colorful wheel of beet wedges, free of their tiresome union with goat cheese."

From the menu at the Georgian Room: Foie gras tortellini with sherry vinegar jam and butternut squash puree.

Georgian Room chef Scott Crawford has earned the coveted five-star award from the Mobil Travel Guide.

Guests at the Cloister on Sea Island can choose from three outdoor pools and they have access to five miles of private beach. Other outdoor activities are available, too.

Guest room floors are covered in custom-commissioned hand-loomed Turkish rugs, created in Turkish villages using ancient spinning and dyeing techniques. Bedsheets have a thread count of 500.

The Spanish Lounge, one of the Cloister's most memorable features, was dismantled and reassembled within the new structure.

Stained glass windows frame a deep tub that's just right for a relaxing soak in a treatment room at The Cloister Spa. The room is also used for facials, massages and other treatments. There is also a shower in this room.

The exterior front motor court area of The Lodge at Sea Island.

The architecture of The Spa is a classic Mediterranean style that encourages relaxation of its guests.

Bicycles with woven baskets, perhaps to carry a picnic lunch prepared by the kitchen staff, await guests at The Lodge who wish to take a two-wheeled adventure on Sea Island.

Marcia Meeks (left), of Evansville, Indiana, and friend Joan Keck, also of Evansville, sit and chat on the terrace at the the Lodge at sunset before heading to dinner with the rest of their group. The women were visiting The Lodge on a "girls trip".

A courtyard fountain welcomes guests as they enter The Spa for beauty, health and rejuvenation treatments. The water that flows from the fountain runs throughout the entire spa facility via glass topped channels in the floors at the spa. Guests can see the water beneath their feet as it circulates throughout the entire main floor of the building.

Tables are prepared for dinner service at Colt & Alison restaurant at The Lodge at Sea Island.

Michael Cappitelli, a member of the wait staff at the 100 Hudson restaurant, checks a glass as he polishes them as tables are set for dinner at the restaurant, which is located at The Cloister at Sea Island. The restaurant features a seasonal menu that could be described as Mediterranean with a Southern twist.

Chad Heckle walks past a row of Adirondack chairs as he plays the bagpipes in front of the terrace at The Lodge as the sun sets. Guests often sit with their pre-dinner beverages to watch and listen as the music bids farewell to another day on Sea Island.

A treatment room at The Spa at Sea Island awaits a guest who will be pampered with luxuirant facials, massages and other treatments. The room features stained glass windows, a deep bath tub, and shower.

Chad Heckle plays the bagpipes in front of the terrace, which faces the beach, at The Lodge as the sun sets. Guests often sit on the terrace with their pre-dinner beverages to watch and listen as the music bids farewell to another day on Sea Island.

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The new main building at the Cloister at Sea Island, which opened in 2006, echoes many of the architectural cues included in the 1928 design by Addison Mizner and is meant to suggest a luxurious old residence.

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