< UNITED STATES | ST. AUGUSTINE: Casa Monica Resort & Spa

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Built by Franklin W. Smith, a notable Victorian architecture enthusiast and social reformer, Casa Monica Hotel opened its doors on January 1st, 1888, with only three guests. Hotel had 200 guestrooms and one bathroom on each floor. After struggling for a few months, Smith sold the hotel to industrialist Henry Flagler for $325,000. He then re-named it Hotel Cordova, and business boomed.

The hotel closed its doors in 1932, later to be purchased in 1962 for $250,000 and served as the County Courthouse for another 30 years. In 1997, hotelier Richard C. Kessler, chairman and CEO of The Kessler Collection, acquired the extraordinary property. Following two years and $10 million worth of restoration, Casa Monica debuted once again as a luxurious St. Augustine hotel in the same splendor guests would have experienced during the height of the Guilded Age nearly 125 years ago.

Culture, worldly flavor and art combine at the historic hotel, inspiring unforgettable beauty and alluring discerning travelers, such as celebrities, artists, musicians and political figures – similar to the guest list more than a century ago. Upon arrival, guests are awe-inspired by the luxe grand lobby adorned with Moroccan frescos, fountains, tapestries and magnificent chandeliers, all contributing to the hotel’s mystique.

The 138 guestrooms and suites transport visitors back to an era of old world charm among Spanish-style romanticism, with custom designed interiors, including classical furnishings with gold accents and plush red velvet tufted headboards.

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