Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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This is the answer, if the answer is the best-rated room. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club is the only AAA Five Diamond hotel within an hour of Jacksonville, and it has held that since 2002.
It's an old-school oceanfront club: golf, clay courts, a big spa and eight places to eat. The resort fee covers self-parking and valet, which helps.
It says nothing about your cruise. No shuttle, no distance, no cruise parking, and a fee Expedia puts at $32.34 a night.
Make it the night, and book a car to Dames Point the evening before.
Book it if
- Couples who want the best-rated room in the area
- Golfers and tennis players
- Anyone who wants the ocean outside the window
Look elsewhere if
- You want a short morning to the ship.
- You're bringing a pet.
- You want breakfast included.
What you’re paying for, and what you’re not
A splurge is worth it when you know exactly what the extra money buys. Green is on offer, gold comes with a cost or a catch, and grey isn’t there or isn’t stated.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Ponte Vedra Inn & Club publishes.
Oceanfront since 1928, with 36 holes of golf, 12 clay tennis courts and a spa with more than 100 treatments. The Inn Dining Room and The Tavern do dinner, The Sandpiper and The Bar at The Driftwood House sit on the beach, and room service runs 24 hours. Rooms run from historic inn rooms to oceanfront suites.
No port shuttle is published. The concierge arranges car and limousine transfers for a fee the resort doesn't list. A taxi or rideshare covers the trip.
Not free. The Inn Dining Room serves breakfast from 7 AM.
The hotel gives no distance to the JAXPORT cruise terminal. It's in Ponte Vedra Beach, south of the Jacksonville beaches. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
Self-parking and valet are both included in the resort fee. The resort doesn't mention cruise parking.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you’re coming from. Solid lines are rides the hotel publishes; a question mark is a leg you’ll arrange yourself. At a splurge hotel, that’s usually the morning ride.
No airport shuttle is published; Expedia puts JAX about 36 minutes away.
No port shuttle is published. The concierge arranges car and limousine transfers for a fee the resort doesn't list.
The hotel gives no distance to the JAXPORT cruise terminal. It's in Ponte Vedra Beach, south of the Jacksonville beaches.
From JAX without a hotel shuttle
zTrip runs the airport taxis from booths outside baggage claim and publishes no fares; Rome2Rio puts a cab to the cruise terminal at $28 to $35. Rideshare picks up on the lower arrival curb at Poles 1 and 2. Hotel shuttles use the north end of the upper departures curb.
Self-parking and valet are both included in the resort fee. The resort doesn't mention cruise parking.
Parking for your stay: Included in the resort fee, with valet.
No port shuttle is published. The concierge arranges car and limousine transfers for a fee the resort doesn't list.
The hotel gives no distance to the JAXPORT cruise terminal. It's in Ponte Vedra Beach, south of the Jacksonville beaches.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; see the airport page and the landing check.
Distance
No distance statedThe hotel gives no distance to the JAXPORT cruise terminal. It's in Ponte Vedra Beach, south of the Jacksonville beaches.
Source: pontevedra.comCruise shuttle
No shuttle statedNo port shuttle is published. The concierge arranges car and limousine transfers for a fee the resort doesn't list.
Source: pontevedra.comParking while you sail
At the hotel
Cruise parking unconfirmedSelf-parking and valet are both included in the resort fee. The resort doesn't mention cruise parking.
Source: pontevedra.comThe port’s own lot
$17 a cruise nightIf the hotel won’t hold your car, park at the port on sail morning.
JAXPORT’s own lot is next to the terminal building: $17 a day with Florida sales tax included, or $68 for a 4-day cruise. Oversized vehicles are $34 a day.
It takes credit cards only, and no new prepaid reservations since June 22, 2026, so you pay when you arrive. The lot opens at 7:15 AM, and a golf cart runs you and your bags to the door. Compare every parking option.
Source: cruiseparking.jaxport.comThe night you’re paying for
The evening
Oceanfront · Pool · Food or drinks on siteOceanfront since 1928, with 36 holes of golf, 12 clay tennis courts and a spa with more than 100 treatments. The Inn Dining Room and The Tavern do dinner, The Sandpiper and The Bar at The Driftwood House sit on the beach, and room service runs 24 hours. Rooms run from historic inn rooms to oceanfront suites.
Breakfast
Not freeNot free. The Inn Dining Room serves breakfast from 7 AM.
Address
Ponte Vedra Beach, on the ocean200 Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Hotel website
Ratings
AAA Five DiamondAAA rates it Five Diamond. Forbes Travel Guide doesn't list it. Both lists are for 2026.
Source: newsroom.aaa.comThe fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Ponte Vedra Inn & Club publishes it. Where it says “not stated”, the hotel doesn’t say, and a quick call will settle it.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
To check in, per the hotel.
Resort fee
Yes; $32.34 a night per Expedia, not on the hotel site
Wi-Fi
In the resort fee
Parking for your stay
Included in the resort fee, with valet
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Paid; Inn Dining Room from 7 AM
Pool
Not detailed on the pages we read
Pets
Not allowed.
Food and drink on site
- Inn Dining RoomBreakfast and dinner
- The TavernLunch and dinner; bar to midnight
- Golf Club Dining RoomLunch and dinner
- The SandpiperOn the beach
- The Bar at The Driftwood HouseOn the beach
- Room service24 hours
Rooms
Historic inn rooms, beachside and oceanfront rooms, oceanfront suites, a penthouse and a presidential suite.
Accessibility
The hotel’s pages don’t detail accessible rooms. Call before you book if you need one.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryNot stated
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedNo
Also worth knowing
- AAA Five Diamond since 2002
- 36 holes of golf and 12 clay tennis courts
- Luggage storage and changing facilities if late check-out isn’t available
Before you book
Worth knowing
- The resort fee isn't printed on the hotel's site; Expedia lists $32.34 a night. It covers Wi-Fi, parking, valet and the fitness center.
- Check-in is guaranteed at 4 PM; check-out is 11 AM. Luggage storage and changing rooms are available if you can't get a late check-out.
- The resort's awards page claims a Forbes Four-Star rating; no 2026 Forbes page we read lists it.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Distance and drive time to the port
- Cruise parking
- The transfer price
Rates and policies are as the hotel published them on September 25, 2026. Confirm anything you’re counting on when you book.
The other splurges near the port
Wake up across the river from the ship.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Ponte Vedra Inn & Club for the night before. No payment on the form.
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club FAQ
Is Ponte Vedra Inn & Club a luxury hotel?
AAA rates it Five Diamond. Forbes Travel Guide doesn't list it. It's the only AAA Five Diamond hotel within about an hour of Jacksonville, and has been since 2002.
Does Ponte Vedra Inn & Club have a cruise shuttle?
No. No port shuttle is published. The concierge arranges car and limousine transfers for a fee the resort doesn't list.
Does Ponte Vedra Inn & Club have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. No airport shuttle is published; Expedia puts JAX about 36 minutes away.
Can I park at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club while I cruise?
It doesn't say. Self-parking and valet are both included in the resort fee. The resort doesn't mention cruise parking.
How far is Ponte Vedra Inn & Club from JAXPORT?
The hotel gives no distance to the JAXPORT cruise terminal. It's in Ponte Vedra Beach, south of the Jacksonville beaches.
Booking the cruise too?
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