A New Boutique Hotel Fills a Niche

Chancey Designs The Lodge at 30A

Story courtesy of Chancey Design | Photography by Jean Allsopp

“Stay where your heart is full and your spirit is free,” bid the creators of The Lodge 30A, a boutique hotel nestled among the idyllic beach communities of Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. The Lodge 30A at Greenway Station is an enchanting boutique hotel inspired by its rich natural setting among flatwoods trails, quartz-sand beaches, and beautiful architecture, giving it a unique sense of place. Beyond its stylish rooms and thoughtful creature comforts—high-speed WiFi and organic artisan soaps, for example—The Lodge 30A is a place to dream beyond the white-sand shore, past the pines, and into the night sky of a thousand stars.

The Lodge 30A, situated in the heart of the Emerald Coast’s famous scenic corridor along Highway 30A, was developed to provide visitors with a more affordable hotel option in the area. This project was spearheaded by Chancey, an architecture and interior design firm with offices in Tampa and Seagrove Beach, Florida. Celebrating thirty-five years in the industry, Walt Chancey, the senior managing partner of Chancey Architecture, and Sandra Chancey, the managing partner of Chancey Interior Design, collaborated on the design and interiors of this boutique hotel.

“The concept of utilizing a biophilic design approach for The Lodge 30A at Greenway Station was the foundation and direction of our designs,” Sandra shares. “Scenic Highway 30-A, world-renowned for its indigenous beauty, with its white-sand beaches, pine and palmetto-lined trails, sparkling emerald green coastlines dotted with tall dunes, brackish water inlets, and protected wildlife, was thoughtfully integrated into The Lodge’s interiors.”

She continues, “A mid-century organic freshness sets the undertone throughout the boutique hotel. Blackened polished concrete floors harken to the brackish waters along the coastal dune lakes and inlets, walls clad with natural pine vertical planks evoke the area’s landscape, corridor carpeting patterns mimic cypress hammocks, and furnishings and art integrate to evoke an easy, laid-back comfort. An oversized green wall sculpture by Miami artists known as Plant the Future idealizes the State of Florida and its many waterways.”

“A mid-century organic freshness sets the undertone throughout the boutique hotel.”

Visitors can travel the picturesque 30A route by car, cart, bike, or foot to neighboring beach settlements to explore all the area offers. From Gulf to golf, they’ll find what their hearts desire—beach club leisure, festivals, iconic restaurants and watering holes, frozen treats, coffee spots, local shops, live music, and nature adventures. The Greenway Station lifestyle center has shopping, dining, art galleries, and more, all steps from the hotel.

One of those galleries at Greenway Station includes well-known photographer and author Jonah Allen, whose beautiful fine-art photographs offer a vivid look at the coastal area as they complement the natural theme inside The Lodge.

Its common areas include Corten wall panels, lighting in the shape of pine needles, and other natural treasures that highlight the beauty of what lies just outside the doors. There is even a newly opened 30A Trailhead at Greenway Station, beckoning guests to explore the gorgeous landscape of Point Washington State Forest by foot or bike.

Sandra points out the main lobby’s focal point: a collection of antique bee skeps (hives made from straw) accenting a long sharing table where guests can leisurely commune on laptops, engage over coffee, or enjoy a glass of wine together.

In addition to Jonah Allen’s coastal landscapes, large prints of the region’s endangered wildlife species, taken by acclaimed National Geographic wildlife photographer Joel Sartore, line the hotel’s central corridor.

When it’s time to turn in after a long day enjoying the outdoors, guests at The Lodge 30A will find all the comforts of a luxury hotel at their fingertips. “Each of the eighty-five guestrooms is outfitted with a small kitchen and various comfort amenities where families, couples, or singles can come enjoy the Florida Panhandle in style and within their budget,” says Sandra. “Walt and I, along with our exceptional architecture and interior design teams at Chancey, were thrilled to work with owners BRW Development and The St. Joe Company on this beautiful new destination along the Gulf Coast.”

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To learn more or see more projects, visit ChanceyDesign.com or follow the team on Instagram @chanceyarchitecture and @chanceyinteriordesign. See more from photographer Jean Allsopp at JeanAllsopp.com and on Instagram @jallsopp.