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Hotel Effie At Sandestin Joins Marriott Bonvoy’s Portfolio of Hotels

June 21, 2024 by SoWal Staff

 Hotel Effie, the 250-room boutique hotel located at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, has become a part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection.

As a newly-minted member of the Autograph Collection, Hotel Effie enters the brand’s unique portfolio of diverse properties, with more than 295 hotels globally. Carefully selected for hotels’ thoughtful vision and passion, each Autograph Collection property creates a singular and special guest experience through its inherent craft and distinct perspectives on design and hospitality.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Marriott Bonvoy’s distinguished Autograph Collection,” said Sara Becnel, president at Sandestin Investments LLC. “By tapping into the millions of Marriott Bonvoy loyalty members, while allowing Hotel Effie to continue to immerse travelers in its unique brand story, we believe that the Autograph Collection affiliation will position the hotel perfectly for future success.”

Located within the 50-year-old Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Hotel Effie is part of a family legacy. Named after owner Tom Becnel’s grandmother, Hotel Effie exemplifies all the charm and personality of its namesake as the ultimate hostess. Hotel Effie welcomes guests as part of the family, serving her homemade chocolate cookies, iced tea and her signature biscuits within the hotel’s food and beverage outlets. Known as the ultimate Southern hostess, Hotel Effie offers refined Southern taste, feminine charm, savvy social grace and authenticity.

The 250 guest rooms are styled with a vision to create a relaxing space for guests to lay their heads and feel right at home. Boasting a coastal color palette to create a soothing oasis, thoughtful details like multiple vanities with natural light and electric mirrors, oversized rooms for extra space and comfort, hydration stations located on each floor with water carafes in every room and bulk amenities by LATHER, for a greener approach, the rooms are sure to delight. Some rooms and suites offer spacious balconies and views of the Choctawhatchee Bay whereas others offer gorgeous resort views, one just as beautiful as the other.  

Hotel Effie’s signature restaurant, Ovide, embraces the local food and cherished flavors of the Gulf Coast and presents them with a sophisticated and refreshing style. Ovide has its own identity and atmosphere yet feels at home within the ground floor’s open format. Helmed by Executive Chef Juan Bochenski, Ovide serves a diverse menu that highlights the fresh, forward flavors and local seafood of the Gulf Coast.

Hotel Effie’s signature rooftop is home to Ara Rooftop Pool & Lounge, which has a full menu of poolside bites, wine, craft cocktails and bottle service served daily. The rooftop pool has a stylish vibe, and amazing views of the resort, Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. As Northwest Florida’s only hotel rooftop pool, Ara’s open-air event environment is ideal for relaxing poolside vibes, providing chill music by day and up-tempo beats by night. Interactive game space allows for competitive fun and creates a vibrancy for the overall experience. Highlights include luxury cabanas and chaise loungers on the pool perimeter.

The hotel’s wellness center, Spa Lilliana, welcomes guests with a tranquil pampering experience featuring 10 spacious and well-appointed treatment rooms. Guests start their journey when the elevator doors open to reveal floor-to-ceiling, mother-of-pearl walls bathed in warm candlelight.  Innovative facial treatments from Paris-based Biologique Recherche are offered, in addition to an array of organic treatments by OSEA. More recently, Spa Lilliana introduced new exclusive treatments featuring award-winning products such as the transformative LYMA Laser, luxurious Miriam Quevedo hair and scalp care, and the multifaceted Hydrafacial MD.

Guests at Hotel Effie have access to the full complement of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort amenities including more than seven miles of pristine beaches and bayfront, four championship golf courses, 12 world-class HydroGrid clay and three hard tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts, a 226-slip marina, and an additional 65,000 square feet of meeting space. Additionally, the Village of Baytowne Wharf, a charming pedestrian village with events, shopping, dining and nightlife, is located within walking distance of Hotel Effie.

Rates at Hotel Effie Sandestin, Autograph Collection start from $299. For more information, please visit www.hoteleffie.com.

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