The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse is a bed and breakfast that is a short distance away from Grayton Beach in the city of Santa Rosa Beach. Three buildings make up the establishment, and they have a grand total of thirteen rooms between them. While a majority of the rooms are unable to accommodate pets, there are multiple rooms that are specifically pet-friendly. The property has a much larger backyard area where guests are able to sit and enjoy the outside. They are also able to host events for special occasions, such as weddings, live music, and other events. Guests tend to compliment the property and appreciate the proximity and how close it is to nearby attractions. Along with the rooms and guesthouse, The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse also have a café that is called Hibiscus Café, which is where breakfast is served.
The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse is located in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, about a ten-minute walk away from Grayton Beach. The property has three separate buildings with thirteen rooms spread across them. The buildings, which consist of the Florida Beach House, Old Florida, and Florida Condo, were built in different years, the oldest being built in 1904. Each of the rooms has a theme and is decorated accordingly. Out of the thirteen rooms, three of them are pet friendly and allow pets within the premises. These rooms are the Art Deco, the Funky Bird Room, and Flat Two. Also included in these rooms are three flats, each equipped with a kitchen, small washer and dryer, private bathroom, and sofa sleeper. Flat Three and Four also have private porches with available seating. Each room on the property is equipped with air conditioning, private bathrooms, a microwave, coffee maker, mini-fridge, and television. Breakfast is provided when a guest stays in the room and is served in the café that is on the property. The breakfast, which is available to all registered guests, is mostly vegetarian and consists of things such as coffee, smoothies, waffles, frittatas, granola, and more. The workers at the café try to set out food that will accommodate allergies and diets and make sure there is a variety of things for people to choose from. Breakfast is available from 7:30-11:30 AM.
The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse is located in Santa Rosa Beach, a town surrounded by state parks and trees. Within the property, which is located on an acre and half of the land, there are trees, gardens, a small backyard with a stage where events are held, and seating arrangements. Many things are within walking distance of the property, including the beach, state parks, shops, restaurants, and other events. Some of these state parks include Grayton Beach State Park, Point Washington State Forest, and Eden Gardens State Park. Activities that can be done at the state park include hiking, fishing, paddling, and birdwatching. Other things guests can do include going to the beach and surfing, swimming, and making sandcastles. Restaurants that would be recommended by the staff members at Hibiscus include the Hurricane Oyster Bar, the Red Bar, and Shana Claire's. There are also several lakes and rivers nearby, involving Alligator Lake, Western Lake, Little Redfish Lake, and Big Redfish Lake. Also near the property is a section of the Gulf of Mexico.
In an attempt to provide the best quality of service they can, The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse has several policies in place. One important policy that Warren, a worker at the property, mentions is that pets are not allowed in the rooms unless it is one of the designated rooms. They do this to keep the rooms cleaner and to keep pet hair and dander out of the rooms in the event that patrons have allergies of some kind. If any pets are found in non-pet-friendly areas of the property, the guests responsible for the pet will be charged an extra 200 dollar fee. Another significant policy is that there is no smoking inside any of the buildings or on the screen-in porches to help keep the air cleaner. If a guest is caught smoking in one of the rooms or on the porches, there is a fee of 500 dollars that will be charged on top of their stay. Check-in for The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse is at 3:00 p.m., and check-out is at 11:00 a.m. However, if guests ask for more time at the front office, and there are no other guests coming in that room on the same day, then they may be able to get an extended check-out time and can be given an extra hour to depart.
The workers at the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse strive to create an environment where their guests can feel relaxed. To do this, they clean the rooms thoroughly and make sure that all the amenities within the rooms are operational. Warren has said that another goal of the establishment is to be "the best three-star hotel it can be." The owners of the establishment want the guests to feel comfortable and relaxed while they are staying at the property. One goal of the staff is to have their attitude focused on assisting the patrons and meeting whatever needs they may have. Warren, who works at the front desk in the office, tries to interact with the guests as much as possible without being evasive. If guests want to talk, he tries his best to interact with them. The property has been known for being quaint, different, relaxed, and not pretentious.
Guests generally come from Alabama and Georgia and usually consist of older couples and small groups of people. The guests often leave positive reviews for the property and compliment the owners and atmosphere of the property. One guest said it was a "very nice place, close to beaches, and much better than a regular old hotel" and that there are "different sized rooms to meet your needs." Another guest complimented on the room they were staying in as well as the area, saying, "we loved the Turner Room; the space was adequate. The bedroom and bathroom were very clean and quaint. It was a great location for the price. We enjoyed the restaurant next door and the grocery store. We caught the free shuttle down to The Red Bar and back, which ran every 10 minutes. The beach is very close, and we enjoyed the breeze. Also, one day we drove down to Seaside; we loved shopping and eating pizza at Bud and Alley's!"
The busiest season at the Hibiscus Coffee Guesthouse is during the months of July, June, and May because it is the off-season. Guests often come to visit the beach and state parks. Guests also come because of a music festival that is held every year in the area. The property tries to attract people outside of guests by having a small stage in an area of the property that is used to hosts events such as live concerts and weddings. More current events include live performances and the owners of the property plan on having a concert every month if possible.
The Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse was first established about 27 years ago, in 1994, though the buildings themselves are much older. Between the three buildings, the "Old Florida" is the oldest, with the year it was constructed being in 1904, and the most recent building is the "Florida Condo," which was built about 12 years ago and is where the flats are located. Over the years, all of the buildings have received general maintenance and renovations. One fix for the property that they did was to replace the windows in the café to allow better lighting and update the design of the windows. There are plans in the future to do more renovations to make the property more relaxed and updated. Among the ideas for potential renovating, one of the more important projects they have in mind is to put in a laundry room for guests' convenience.
Warren's father had an idea to set up a community business. To help make that idea come to life, he asked his family to join him and get involved. Ever since they first opened their doors, the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse has been a family business.
85 Defuniak Street
Grayton Beach, Florida 32459
United States
Bed and Breakfast
