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Casa Monica Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection
St. Augustine, Florida, United States · Autograph Collection · Core Luxury
St. Augustine's 1888 Moorish Revival landmark: Franklin W. Smith's poured-concrete grande dame, later Flagler's Cordova Hotel, restored by Richard Kessler in 1999, operates today as Casa Monica Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection. A roughly $10 million 1997-99 restoration returned the building to hotel use; later work refreshed the lobby and dining (Cordova Coastal Chophouse, 2023).
- 138 rooms
- Opened 1888
- Neighborhood: Old City
- Rooms from 150 sq ft (14 m²)
- Architect: Franklin W. Smith; Howard W. Davis
About Casa Monica Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection
- Franklin W. Smith, a Boston hardware merchant and pioneer of poured-concrete construction, built the hotel in 1888 using concrete blocks made with crushed coquina.
- It opened on New Year's Day, January 1, 1888, then was sold just four months later to Henry Flagler, who renamed it the Cordova Hotel.
- The Great Depression forced its closure in 1932, and it later served as the St. Johns County Courthouse from the 1960s.
- Hotelier Richard Kessler bought it for 1.2 million dollars in 1997 and reopened it in December 1999 after a 10 million dollar restoration.
History
The Casa Monica Resort & Spa at 95 Cordova Street is one of the oldest hotels in the United States and among St. Augustine's most storied landmarks. It was built by Franklin W. Smith ; a Boston hardware merchant, abolitionist and pioneer of poured-concrete construction ; who purchased the land from railroad and Standard Oil magnate Henry Flagler in 1887 and designed the five-story hotel in the Moorish Revival and Spanish Baroque Revival styles, using concrete blocks made with crushed coquina and Portland cement. The Casa Monica opened on New Year's Day, January 1, 1888, with 138 rooms and 14 suites.
Just four months later, financial trouble forced Smith to sell the hotel to Henry Flagler for $325,000; Flagler renamed it the Cordova Hotel and ran it successfully alongside his neighboring Ponce de Leon and Alcazar hotels. The Depression forced the hotel to close in 1932, and after sitting vacant it became the St. Johns County Courthouse from the 1960s.
In 1997 hotelier Richard C. Kessler bought the building for $1.2 million and, after a roughly two-year, $10 million restoration led by architect Howard W. Davis that preserved the Moorish Revival architecture, reopened it in December 1999 under its original name. Now the flagship of the Kessler Collection and a member of Historic Hotels of America since 2001, the Casa Monica offers old-world grandeur with a hand-painted, gold-leafed lobby.
Restaurants and bars
- Cordova — Restaurant
Experiences
- Custom Catering & Private Dining at Cordova — Chef-driven menus featuring seasonal ingredients, served at the Cordova Room.
- Signature Spa Breaks — Signature spa breaks listed among the hotel's Thoughtful Touches.
Amenities
- Spa
- Pool
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
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