SUNNYSIDE HOTEL

Built in 1876, the Sunnyside Hotel was by T.F. House on land once owned by Dr. Andrew Anderson. As was his routine, Henry Flagler moved the Sunnyside Hotel from its original location, where the Ponce de Leon is located, to the current location of the Casa Monica Hotel. For a short time the hotel was under the control of Franklin W. Smith -- Flagler hoped Smith would run the Sunnyside Hotel and attempted to persuade him not to build the Casa Monica.

​

Franklin Smith renamed the hotel "Vilulla" and then later renamed it in 1886 to "Villa del Sol". The hotel included many amenities including a bath house and indoor plumbing capable of reaching all floors in the hotel. The remains of the hotel now stand in the West King area of St. Augustine, making it the oldest standing hotel in the area.

​

Text by Clayton Junkins