Bayfront Westcott House Bed and Breakfast

The Bayfront Westcott House is the classic St. Augustine romantic stay: a white Victorian house with deep porches and balconies on Avenida Menendez, looking straight across the street and seawall to Matanzas Bay, with the Bridge of Lions a short walk north. The house dates from the late nineteenth century, built for Dr. John Westcott, a figure in the history of the region’s inland waterway, and it now operates as a full-service luxury bed and breakfast of sixteen rooms with a garden courtyard behind the house. Rooms are individually decorated and vary a great deal, which is the point: depending on which you book, you get electric fireplaces, luxury soaking or jetted tubs, spa showers, private balconies or outdoor seating, and the best of them have direct bay views. Comforts are taken seriously, with good linens, large bath sheets and premium toiletries in every room. The day starts with a full cooked breakfast, and an early-evening social hour brings beer, wine and light snacks to the porch or courtyard, which is the moment the place feels most like a private house party with a view. The setting is ideal for exploring on foot: the plaza, the Cathedral Basilica and Aviles Street are a few minutes away, St. George Street and the Castillo a pleasant bayfront walk, and the Ximenez-Fatio House and Oldest House are in the quieter southern blocks right behind you. The marina, where the Schooner Freedom and the dolphin tours depart, is practically next door.

Choosing a room: bay-view rooms with balconies are the reason to book here, and they go first, especially on weekends and through the Nights of Lights season (November 21, 2026 to January 18, 2027), when the Bridge of Lions and the bayfront are outlined in white lights directly in front of the house. Courtyard and garden-side rooms are quieter and often a better value. Read room descriptions carefully: some have steep stairs, tubs in the room or smaller footprints, as is common in historic houses.

What to expect: this is a bed and breakfast, so expect personal service, set breakfast times and a calm, adult atmosphere; it suits couples far more than families with young children, and you should check the inn’s current policies on children and minimum stays when booking, especially on holiday weekends. Avenida Menendez is a busy waterfront street, and you will hear traffic and trolleys from front rooms in the daytime, though evenings are calm. Parking arrangements for downtown inns are limited, so confirm what is included before arrival.

Why book it: few places in town put you this close to both the water and the old streets. Morning coffee on the porch watching the bridge, an evening glass of wine as the lights come on, and the whole historic district on foot in between — it is the St. Augustine weekend people come back for. Its next-door neighbor, the Bayfront Marin House, is the comparison if you want a pool or a dog-friendly room.