Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa

We’ve had much better stays at other Omni properties, and this one was extremely disappointing. At check-in, nobody recognized us as Select Guests, which had never happened at an Omni before. They first said noon was the latest checkout; only after I mentioned my Icon status did they extend it to 4:00 p.m. The interaction felt awkward, not welcoming. In the first room, a bug crawled on a feather pillow even though my profile says no feather pillows. There was no mattress protector, the phone was sandy, the table was sticky, and the thermostat was set to 77 degrees. The cheese in the welcome amenity was a little melted and wasn’t refrigerated as we’d been told. We were exhausted and didn’t want to move, but relocation was presented as the only fix. The second room’s shower was set to hot but ran cold for 10-20 minutes. My husband had to shower cold because room service arrived. Maintenance eventually got the hot water back; once the shower steamed, the sinks also started running hot. The fridge gave off a lot of heat and stayed at room temperature even on “Max Cold,” so it had to be replaced because we needed to refrigerate medication. The next morning the hot water failed again. We ran the shower over 30 minutes, and the sink and shower only started warming almost an hour later. We recorded video and shared it with management. We hadn’t been told about the ongoing construction. If we’d known, we wouldn’t have booked. Then we were moved to a room with construction directly overhead, despite my specifically saying a quiet room was my only priority. In the third room, the Chromecast and phone didn’t work, and the bathroom vanity light was out. Weeks before arrival we’d been promised a bottle of wine in the room. It wasn’t there. We were then told it would be delivered personally, but that didn’t happen, and my husband had to go downstairs to ask before it finally came up. We were also promised a complimentary dinner at Surfcasters several times, but we got a check and the charge is still on our bill. Between all the room changes, cleanliness issues, maintenance problems, construction noise, and promises that weren’t kept, what should have been a relaxing getaway turned into constant frustration. We understand the occasional oversight, but there were so many issues that this stay felt unacceptable and unlike the Omni we trusted. We thought a full or partial refund was warranted. I was given “two free nights,” but those are a basic room and have blackout dates. This morning I got a call saying they’d refund the dinner, two weeks after I checked out.

The views from the ocean-facing rooms are amazing, and the oceanfront pool and private beach paths are great. The renovated lobby looks nice too. But for the price, I expected a lot more. The rooms themselves are nothing special beyond the view, the walls are thin and noisy, and the exposed, unenclosed breezeways make the hallways feel cold and motel-like. The restaurant food was mediocre for the high prices, and the resort fee doesn’t stop them from charging another $80 a day for the “special” loungers. With no other restaurants in walking distance, nearly every dining option comes at a hefty price. I was disappointed: it costs top dollar for an experience like an ordinary hotel. Not worth it.

I booked on a whim, and now I’d like to make this my quarterly solo retreat. It’s family friendly and has an excellent pool deck, but I mainly wanted ocean views, beach access, and to park the car and leave it alone until checkout. The rooms were excellent, and the staff and service throughout the property were outstanding. The food was excellent too. Add the breakfast option at Florabella. I got far more than my money’s worth at Omni Amelia Island.

The Omni staff were among the nicest I’ve met at a hotel. Everyone seemed ready to go above and beyond, and when we had a small room issue after arrival, they fixed it in under an hour and followed up to make sure it was sorted. My husband and I were here for a conference and really enjoyed the stay. The outdoor pools were properly warm even in cool weather, which was a pleasant surprise since many places barely heat their pools despite advertising them as heated. The hotel seemed to be doing some updates during the slow season, but that didn’t get in the way of our stay. I’d definitely recommend the Omni for a conference or getaway.