Marker 8 Hotel and Marina

A Marina Hotel at the Foot of the Bridge of Lions

Marker 8 sits on Anastasia Island at the southeast corner of the Matanzas River and the Intracoastal Waterway, right where the Bridge of Lions crosses into downtown St. Augustine. The 26-room boutique hotel shares its address with a working marina built for 24 slips and boats up to 103 feet, so the view from a Waterfront or Marina View room is a working harbor rather than a landscaped lagoon. A cantilevered boardwalk and a newer poolscape connect the rooms to the water's edge, and the whole property reads like a dockside inn that happens to have upgraded itself into a boutique hotel, rather than the other way around.

Why It Works

We loved that Marker 8 earns its waterfront claim rather than just naming a view after it. Membership in Select Registry, a collection that only admits independent inns and boutique hotels on inspection, backs up what the marina and the boardwalk already suggest: a small property run to a standard, not a motel with a dock attached. Marina guests get the same welcome drink, continental breakfast, and social hour as hotel guests, which tells its own story about where the hotel's attention goes.

Why This Location

The Bridge of Lions is the hinge of the location: cross it on foot and St. Augustine's Historic District, the oldest continuously occupied European-founded city in the country, starts immediately, with its forts, museums, and restaurants within easy walking distance. Stay on the Anastasia Island side and the hotel's own stretch of the Intracoastal has restaurants, markets, and live music venues within walking distance too, without the crowds that build up across the bridge in high season. For anyone arriving by boat rather than by car, the marina's 24 slips put the hotel a few steps from a room instead of a taxi ride.

Fast Facts

• Prix: €€€

• Vibe: waterfront, boutique, marina life with a view of the Bridge of Lions

• Chambres: 26, Waterfront View King, Marina View King with patio, Marina View Queen, Double Queen Suites

• Best For: boaters docking for the night, couples wanting a walkable waterfront base for the Historic District

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the cantilevered boardwalk running along the marina at sunset

• Dining: Captain's Table, continental breakfast and a social hour included for hotel and marina guests

• Amenities: marina with 24 slips up to 103 feet, outdoor waterfront pool, fitness center, spa pool over the bay

• Attractions: St. Augustine Historic District across the Bridge of Lions, Anastasia Island restaurants and live music, the Matanzas River and Intracoastal Waterway

Rooms Looking Out Over Water

The room plan reads like a marina's own logic: Waterfront View Kings and Marina View Kings with a private patio face the docks and the river, Marina View Queens are built for accessibility, and Double Queen Suites give families or groups of boaters more room without losing the water view. Rain showers and contemporary furnishings run through all 26 rooms, a quieter design choice than the historic-inn look much of St. Augustine trades on, better suited to a hotel whose main view is a working harbor rather than a cobblestone street.

What to Know Before You Check In

Marina slips take boats up to 103 feet with 30, 50, and 100-amp power, potable water, Wi-Fi, laundry, and showers, so this is a genuine stop for anyone cruising the Intracoastal, not a hotel that merely overlooks one. Guests arriving by car should expect a short walk or drive across the Bridge of Lions for the bulk of St. Augustine's historic sightseeing, with Anastasia Island's own restaurants and parks covering most needs without leaving the neighborhood.