Holiday Delight: Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton

Visitors are delighted as they step inside the lobby doors to see the life-sized gingerbread creation at the Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton each holiday season (watch video). Painstakingly baked and decorated by a team of Ritz pastry chefs, this year’s culinary feat is a 17-foot long pirate ship, the “S.S. Ginger Amelia,” adorned with gingerbread pirates, gingerbread cannon and chocolate cannon balls. Of course, there’s a treasure chest filled with candied bounty. Even Martha Stewart would have to be impressed. It's worth a visit to the Ritz just to see their gingerbread masterpiece each year, and smell the lobby's aroma from this amazing culinary accomplishment. This year the gingerbread pirate ship will be on display until December 28, 2009.


The gorgeous holiday decor throughout the Ritz sets the mood for a magical holiday at this seaside luxury resort. The gingerbread ship’s ingredient list boggles the mind, when you consider the recipe calls for 3,000 eggs, 435 egg whites, 1,200 pounds of flour, 900 pounds of sugar, 300 pounds of shortening, 15 gallons of milk and 14 pounds of special holiday spices. But it’s the elbow grease that makes this come to life to delight the young and old alike.

Anyone who has tried to make a gingerbread house from scratch (not a kit), just a tiny one, realizes that the Ritz creation is indeed quite remarkable. It took over 300 hours of labor, and we’d call it a labor of love.

Why a pirate ship? Well, there were plenty of pirates in Amelia Island’s past, and this ship is a tribute to the legends and lore of historic Amelia Island (ruled briefly by the privateer Luis Aury in the early 19th century). The 17-foot wide, 12-foot high gingerbread ship was inspired by Aury’s vessel, the Mexican Congress. It features a mast with sails and a crow’s nest as well.

From the Ritz lounge area, glancing toward the hotel’s rear courtyard at the seaside, a towering Christmas tree is dazzling, just steps from the beach, aglow with thousands of white lights. The palm trees around the property also twinkle with multi-colored lights. An outdoor fire pit was burning on the Ritz’s rear patio overlooking the spectacular holiday scene, but the sea breeze was too brisk last night to sit outside in front of the cozy fire. Not to worry, inside the flames were glowing in other indoor fireplaces. Sipping chocolate martinis in the Ritz lobby lounge does get one in the spirit of the season, I can attest.

The holiday ambiance at the Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton is hard to beat. This AAA Five Diamond hotel (the highest rating in the industry) puts forth a five diamond effort to make sure the holidays are magical for their visitors.

The Ritz is always one of the top island venues to experience every year around Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday. Put it on your “to do” list this holiday season.

W.B.L.