For many years I had heard that The Cloisters was one of the very special hotels of the world but, because my travels rarely take me to the State of Georgia, I never had the opportunity to stay there. Recently, however, after a pleasant but hectic visit to Atlanta, I decided that it would be appropriate to devote two days to pure, unadulterated pleasure. I made my way by car to the Atlantic coast, crossed the small bridge that connects the small city of Brunswick with the narrow, eight kilometer long strip known as Sea Island and within minutes had arrived at the hotel.

As its name implies, The Cloisters is a sanctuary, not only in the sense that it offers the opportunity to lead a secluded, quiet and safe life, but that it also offers an escape from the mundane. Opened in 1928, primarily for vacationing American millionaires, the entire hotel was designed with luxury, romance and an atmosphere of quiet sophistication in mind. The original buildings consisted of low sprawling stucco buildings with red-tiled Mediterranean roofs.. More recent but no less luxurious additions reflect the deep eaves and roof lines of the Caribbean.

As I quickly came to realize, this is a hotel where the service is as important as the beauty of the buildings, the comfort of the rooms or the quality of the food. Although the service is never obtrusive, the staff is so attentive that it is almost impossible to light your own cigarette.

Although one need not be wealthy to book a room here today, staying at The Cloisters went a long way in making me feel like a millionaire. Set back from the ocean, and with a private beach for the use of guests, nearly every room has a patio or faces on a large terrace. To my great delight, every entranceway, every public area and every one of the rooms is furnished with heavy, tasteful antiques, the main building has a large comfortable lounge with a high wood beamed ceiling and the gardens are an exquisite subtropical balance between natural and cultivated beauty.

Even though I can sympathize with those who enjoy golf, tennis, horseback riding and any of the other sports in which one can indulge here, I found myself busy doing nothing more than leisurely exploring the antiques, the gardens and the paths leading to the sea. I confess that during most of my explorations, my right hand was occupied with a tall glass that held a mint julep, the most traditional drink of the south.

Sea Island is one of a chain of tiny little land masses known as the "Golden Islands". Knowing that these islands are famous for the quality of their seafood, I made saw no reason to hold back and later, in the hotel's formal main dining room I started off with half a dozen boiled shrimps, which I enjoyed with nothing more than a bit of lemon juice. I continued with a crab and sherry bisque and then went on to what I consider one of the ultimate American treats, soft shell crabs. Soft shell crabs are nothing more than young blue crabs that have been trapped during the molting season, that is to say when they have shed their old shells and are just starting to grow new ones. So tender are these crabs that they are meant to be eaten whole, soft shells and all. The ones I received had been first boiled, then fried in lemon butter, stuffed with crab meatand finished under a hot grill. During the course of my three hour dinner I had no trouble at all in finishing the bottle of Grand Cru Chablis that I had selected from the hotel's excellent wine list.

The next morning, after touring Sea Island and adjoining Jeckyll Island in a horse-drawn trolley, I found myself on Tim Goddard's charter boat, the "Dixie Lady", making a tour of the bay leading to the ocean. Sailing out past the shrimp boats, then coming in close enough to the shore to see the oyster fishermen at work, and then going out to sea just far enough to be joined by a school of friendly, playful dolphins, this was an excellent and relaxing way in which to see the islands. My companions and I had asked Tim to make a light breakfast for us. Even though his idea of a "light breakfast" was a huge basket of herbed shrimp, an enormous pile of New Orleans style spiced crab-legs, an unbelievably large amount of fresh crab meat in a spicy cocktail sauce and an abundance of fresh fruits, we managed to finish off just about everything he had set out.

THE CLOISTERS: Sea Island, Georgia 31561. Rates for an oceanfront room for two vary between $300 - $475 per night, depending on season. Prices include three full meals and service. Golf and tennis rates are available on request. Telephone 001 912 638-3611 or Fax 001 912 638-5159.

THE DIXIE LADY TOURBOAT: Captain Tim Goddard. Telephone 001 912 635-2891.

© Daniel Rogov