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This Moorish revival hotel was built in 1888 as a luxury hotel by Bostonian and YMCA founder Franklin W. Smith. Unfortunately, Smith never really opened it, since the furniture he'd purchased for the hotel never made it to St. Augustine, thanks to Henry Flagler, who owned the railroad the furniture was to be shipped on as well as the neighboring--and thus competing--hotel. In a bind and losing too much money, Smith finally sold the hotel to Flagler, for 25¢ on the dollar of what he originally spent, and the furniture mysteriously appeared almost immediately! (This Spanish-Moorish-style building--look for the atmospheric, arched, old-time carriage entrance near the present garage--was also used as the St. Johns County Courthouse from the 1960s until 1997.)

Now totally restored, it's easily the best hotel in town, with top-notch rooms and services. Most of the lovely guest quarters are spacious and fully modern hotel rooms, with Iberian-style armoires, wrought-iron headboards, and tapestry drapes. "Premium" rooms have sitting areas with sofas and easy chairs. All units have big bathrooms equipped with high-end toiletries and either a large walk-in shower or a combination tub-shower. Much more interesting are the "signature suites" installed in the building's two tile-topped towers and fortresslike central turret. Each of these one- to four-bedroom units is unique. One in the turret has a half-round living room with gun-port windows overlooking the historic district, while a three-story town house model in one of the towers has a huge whirlpool bathroom on its top floor. The 95 Cordova restaurant, which serves regional fare (such as Calypso-spiced mahimahi and sweet and sour rubbed Long Island duckling), has an excellent wine list, great service, and is beautifully decorated. However, though a lot of people swear the food served there is the best in the city, we couldn't find much to our taste. A player piano provides music in the adjoining bar. Guests here can pay $15 a day to use the swimming pools, restaurants, and other facilities at The Serenata Beach Club, an exclusive oceanfront club located ten minutes from the hotel.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.