New 136-room oceanfront SpringHill Suites by Marriott opens at Jacksonville Beach

A new oceanfront hotel with 136 rooms recently opened just a short walk away from the Jacksonville Beach Pier.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Jacksonville Beach announced its grand opening at 465 First St. N. on April 10. The site was formerly the Pier Cantina and Sandbar restaurant, which closed on Sept. 22, 2019, after nine years in business.

Miami-based developer Key International said in a Times-Union report from July the new hotel and restaurant will be an asset to Jacksonville Beach.

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"It’s a modern hotel directly on the beach of one of Florida’s premier oceanside destinations. We think it will be a great place to stay for tourists year-round," Colin Gorsuch, Key International vice president of development, told the Times-Union in an email. "The hotel is unique in that it offers a number of large suites perfect for families and extended stay vacationers."

The hotel's offerings include a daily breakfast buffet, direct beach access, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a family-friendly pool deck that overlooks the ocean. The restaurant and bar are open to guests as well as visitors, according to a 2022 news release updating the project's progress.

The project's estimated cost was $45 million investment, according to a Construction Journal, a provider of public and private construction project information.

The hotel opened later than its predicted January unveiling.

Springhill Suites by Marriott Jacksonville Beach Oceanfont

• Address: 465 First St. N. in Jacksonville Beach

• Location: Adjacent to Jacksonville Beach Pier on the former site of Pier Cantina and Sandbar

• Project overview: Construction of 136-room hotel including indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar

• Construction began: July 2021

• Project completion: April 2023

• Estimated construction cost: $45 million

• Developer: Key International of Miami

• Architect: LPB Atlanta of Atlanta

• Contractor:  Grace Construction Consultants of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Growth and development reporter Alexandria Mansfield contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: SpringHill Suites by Marriott open near Jacksonville Beach Pier