Preferred hotels in Jacksonville?

[MsMagical]

Hi! We are driving in June to WDW and considering a stop for the night in Jacksonville. (I know how close it is to Orlando but with small children and school schedule, we prefer to break it up into two days.) So, my question is, what are your preferred hotels in Jacksonville? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[edbo77]

I drove to FL in February and stayed at a Fairfield Inn at Exit 344. Hotel seemed pretty new but if you're not at a Marriott person (I am) there's tons of other options at that exit that are right off the highway.

 

[Paging Tom Morrow]

We stayed at the Jacksonville Plaza Hotel and Suites. WE WILL NEVER STAY THERE AGAIN. (Yes, I know how obnoxious all caps are, but still chose to use them anyway because of how much I mean it).

 

[ellemenohpee]

In downtown Jacksonville, there is a Hyatt and an Omni which are perfectly nice. DO NOT stay at the Wyndham downtown.

Exit 344 is probably going to be your best bet for hotels in a decent area right off the interstate.

if you want to go a little farther, Exit 323 has a Renaissance and a Comfort Suites I believe, and Exit 318 has several Holiday Inn Express type places.

 

[DVC-Don]

I've used a Hampton Inn at the airport exit off I-95.

 

[cranbiz]

I would avoid downtown like the plague. There are several near the airport, convenient to 95. That's about 10 miles north of downtown. Your other option would be the south side of Jax, which will allow you to avoid the morning rush hour traffic. Something around exit 341, Baymeadows Rd ( about 10 miles south of downtown) will give you a lot of options.

 

[Robert P]

Two I would recommend:

Sheraton Jacksonville: Several miles below downtown, and accessible from either a straight shot thru 95 or the beltway (East) bypass around. Puts you past downtown traffic the next morning. A nicer hotel.

Aloft Jacksonville Airport: Easy on/off 95, but well above downtown traffic. Tons of food options within 250 yds of the hotel, but you will have to deal with Jacksonville traffic the next day when you leave, if heading South to WDW.

Both are part of the Starwoods program (SPG). We would not hesitate to stay at either of them again. We usually stay at Sheraton, as we are past the worst of Jacksonville traffic the next morning, no matter when we want to leave, when heading toward WDW. Booked too late our last trip in April, and had to stay at the Aloft, and were not disappointed.