WaterColor Inn & The Pearl Hotel Selected Among the World’s Best in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” Awards

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of an award-filled year, St. Joe Resort Operations, LLC (“St. Joe Hospitality”), a subsidiary of The St. Joe Company (NYSE:JOE) (“St. Joe”), today announced that both WaterColor Inn® and The Pearl Hotel^SM (“The Pearl”), which the company manages, have once again earned spots in Travel + Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best” Awards.

WaterColor Inn ranks among 2020’s Top 25 Family-Friendly Resorts in the U.S., and The Pearl ranks among the Top 15 Florida Resort Hotels, in the magazine’s acclaimed readership survey, now in its 25th year. The distinction honors the top travel destinations, hotels, cruise lines, airports and more, as voted upon by Travel + Leisure’s valued readership. This year’s complete rankings can be found online at https://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/worlds-best. This is the third consecutive year in which both hotels have landed among Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best.”

“To be once again recognized among the world’s best hotels is not only an incredible honor but a testament to our team’s dedication and attention to detail, as well as the level of service that goes into making each guest’s stay a distinct and memorable one,” said Patrick Murphy, Senior Vice President of Operations for St. Joe. “St. Joe Hospitality’s legacy of offering the finest in hospitality management is what continues to make our portfolio one of the finest in the country.”

St. Joe Hospitality’s managed properties are no strangers to industry distinctions. The Pearl has been named to Forbes Travel Guide’s prestigious list each year since 2015, and WaterColor Inn has maintained its four-star rating since 2013. Earlier this year, both properties each received a Gold Badge in U.S. News & World Report’s annual hotels rankings, awarded to the top 10% of all ranked luxury hotels in the U.S. The Pearl was ranked #25 and WaterColor Inn #28 among Florida’s best hotels, and both properties have maintained their AAA Four Diamond rating since 2015 and 2007, respectively. Additionally, last year, The Pearl was named #2 among the Top Hotels in Florida, #10 in the U.S. and #37 in the world, and WaterColor Inn was selected as #12 among the Top Resorts in Florida – based on more than 600,000 votes cast by Condé Nast Traveler’s valued readership.

Nestled within 500 acres of sugar-white sand beach, pine forests and the surrounding community alongside Western Lake, the WaterColor Inn is the flagship of South Walton’s WaterColor community. Opened in 2002, the 60-room boutique hotel perfectly encapsulates the spirit of an intimate beach getaway – while providing the functionality necessary for a family vacation. From the David Rockwell-designed accommodations to the pair of Adirondack chairs on each private balcony (at precise sunset-level), guests can expect to have a relaxing, comfortable and fully Gulf-inspired stay – their own seaside oasis.

As the only full-service, adult-oriented hotel in South Walton, The Pearl provides an idyllic setting for an intimate beach getaway. Opened in 2013, the 55-room boutique hotel boasts elegant, modern accommodations and amenities, a restaurant, rooftop bar, a poolside spa and a central, walkable location in the charming Rosemary Beach® community, which provides the iconic backdrop for each guest’s experience. Throughout the hotel, local artwork further elevates The Pearl’s connection to its West Indies-inspired community, which was founded as an eclectic coastal retreat for city dwellers to escape to an upscale beach neighborhood.

For more information, visit watercolorresort.com and thepearlrb.com.

About The St. Joe Company

The St. Joe Company is a real estate development, asset management and operating company with real estate assets and operations in Northwest Florida, which the Company predominantly use, or intend to use, for or in connection with, various residential real estate developments, hospitality operations, commercial developments and leasing operations and forestry operations. More information about the Company can be found on its website at www.joe.com.

About St. Joe Hospitality

As Northwest Florida’s leading hospitality management company, St. Joe Hospitality oversees a premier collection of award-winning hotels and restaurants, recreational amenities and one-of-a-kind resort offerings, including a private membership club, The Clubs by JOE®. For more information about St. Joe Hospitality and to see a full list of properties and community involvement, visit stjoehospitality.com.

©The St Joe Company 2020. “St. Joe®”, “JOE®”, the “Taking Flight” Design®, “St. Joe (and Taking Flight Design)®”, “WaterColor®”, WaterColor Inn® and other amenity names used herein are service marks of The St. Joe Company or its affiliates.

The Pearl Hotel is a service mark of The Pearl on 63 Main, Ltd.

ROSEMARY BEACH is a registered trademark owned by Rosemary Beach Holdings, LLC.