Wakulla Springs Lodge, Wakulla Springs State Park, Florida
July 2011 to November 2014
Wakulla Springs Lodge, located within Wakulla Springs State Park twenty miles south of Tallahassee, features 27 hotel rooms, a 95 seat full service restaurant, an old fashioned soda fountain/snack bar and a gift shop. This historic hotel was constructed in 1937 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
A trip to the Lodge is a trip back in time, with its interior spaces outfitted with much of the original antique furnishings. The floors in the public areas and in the sleeping rooms are marble, laid from stone quarried in Tennessee but cut and polished on site at the Lodge. Wrought iron balusters, worked into images of various wading birds found within the park, grace the staircase leading to the second floor, craftsmanship that was also practiced on site during construction. The rooms have no televisions, a nod to the Lodge’s heritage, providing a peaceful and restful environment for guests to enjoy the serenity and beauty of Wakulla Springs State Park and its first magnitude spring, located just 100 yards from the Lodge.
From July 2011 to November 2014, Cape Leisure, under contract with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection managed all aspects of the Wakulla Springs Lodge’s operation, including food, retail, lodging, marketing and stewardship of the historic building and its contents.
Overnight lodging is offered to both individual travelers as well as to business, association and social groups. The Lodge hosts dozens of meetings, retreats, family reunions and weddings each year. In addition to overnight accommodations, the Lodge has available five meeting spaces ranging in size from the 12-person capacity Magnolia Room to the Terrace Room, where functions for up to 150 guests may be serviced.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered daily in the Lodge’s full service dining room, featuring Southern cuisine and signature dishes such as the Lodge’s famous Navy Bean Soup. The dining room’s kitchen also prepares food for the myriad catered events hosted throughout the Lodge.
The Wakulla Springs Lodge Soda Fountain serves classic fountain treats including milkshakes and floats, sundaes and banana splits, and signature fountain treats such as Ginger Yip. The Soda Fountain also serves hot dogs, sandwiches and snacks.
In the Lodge Gift Shop, visitors may choose from a wide variety of souvenirs and gifts, ranging from regional and local books and crafts to tee shirts and caps.