Four Seasons: Jacksonville’s First Five-Star Downtown
Four Seasons will open its first property in Jacksonville in 2027, directly on the St. Johns River. 170 rooms, 26 residences, and a football stadium next door.
//TRAVELFour Seasons is opening its first property in Jacksonville in 2027-and it’s not on the beach, but on the riverfront right in the heart of downtown. 170 rooms and suites, 26 residences, and ten floors directly on the St. Johns River. It’s the city’s first five-star address, and it’s deliberately urban.
Quick Facts
- First Four Seasons in Jacksonville, scheduled to open in 2027 on the St. Johns River in downtown.
- 170 rooms and suites plus 26 private residences with two to five bedrooms, starting at around 4.3 million Euro.
- Developer is Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, through his Iguana Investments.
- Location is the former Jacksonville Shipyards site, right next to the football stadium.
- The shell construction was completed in summer 2025, with financing in the triple-digit millions-reportedly the largest private financing in the city’s history.
If you’ve only read about Jacksonville in terms of football, its riverfront, or Florida sunshine, this project shifts the perspective. It doesn’t turn downtown into just a business hub but creates a destination where hotel, residences, stadium proximity, and waterfront converge.
A Luxury Hotel That’s Moving Right into the City
When you think of luxury in Florida, you think of Miami Beach, Palm Beach, the ocean waves crashing outside the lobby. Jacksonville doesn’t fit that image – and that’s exactly what makes the new Four Seasons so intriguing. The brand isn’t placing its first property in the city by the open sea but along the St. Johns River, which cuts right through the center. It’s a city hotel, not a beach resort. And that’s a statement.
The difference might sound trivial, but it’s anything but. A beach resort sells an escape from the city. A riverside property in the heart of downtown sells the opposite: the idea that the city itself is the place to be. Luxury city hotels in Europe have long embraced this principle. In Jacksonville, it’s the first move of its kind.
The Man Behind It Isn’t a Hotelier
The driving force behind the project is Shahid Khan, and his name alone explains why this hotel is where it is. Khan owns the Jacksonville Jaguars, the city’s NFL team. Through his investment firm, Iguana Investments, he’s been transforming the old shipyard site-the Jacksonville Shipyards-along the river for years. The Four Seasons is the centerpiece.
Khan isn’t a hotelier; he’s an entrepreneur with an urban vision. The stadium is next door, the hotel beside it, and office spaces are part of the plan. The idea? Fans who come for the game shouldn’t drive back to the suburbs afterward-they should stay, dine, spend the night, maybe even buy a residence. That’s the logic behind the location.
A resort sells an escape from the city. This property sells the idea that the city itself is the destination.
170 Rooms and 26 Addresses for Good
The hotel will feature 170 rooms and suites, along with 26 private residences. This division is at the core of the model. The residences are actual homes-two to five bedrooms, ranging from just under 180 to around 740 square meters – with full access to hotel services. Buyers get a home with a concierge, spa, and room service at their doorstep. Entry-level pricing starts at approximately 4.3 million Euro.
This is how luxury brands are reshaping city centers today. The hotel provides the name and the service, while the residences supply the capital. Twenty-six homes help finance what 170 hotel rooms alone couldn’t. For the buyer, it’s more than a home-it’s a statement.
Ten Floors Already Standing
This isn’t some rendering project that might materialize in five years. The shell reached its full height-ten stories along the riverfront-in summer 2025. Financing is locked in at a nine-figure sum and, according to the city, marks the largest private construction loan in Jacksonville’s history. The building is going up, not just being planned.
For any travel destination, that’s the make-or-break detail. Announcements are a dime a dozen; actual concrete skeletons are rare. If you want to book a room on the St. Johns River in 2027, you can count on a real opening date – not another vague postponement.
What the Property Will Offer
The amenities follow the playbook Four Seasons uses for its urban retreats: a spa, multiple outdoor pools with cabana service, a fitness center, and expansive spaces for events and conferences. Add four dining venues-from a rooftop bar with river views to an all-day restaurant, a poolside bar, and a lobby lounge.
The rooftop is more than a footnote. In a city without a single standout skyline dining spot, a riverside rooftop bar quickly becomes the place where the city gathers. That’s the whole idea: a hotel that draws locals as much as guests. An urban hotel only works if the city embraces it.
Why Jacksonville, and Why Now
Jacksonville ranks among the largest cities in the U.S. by area, yet it barely registers on the travel radar. That’s the gamble. A brand like Four Seasons rarely chases saturated markets. It goes where it can be the first major name and set the rules. In Jacksonville, it will be the first five-star property ever.
For travelers tired of the usual, that’s a selling point. Miami and Palm Beach are mapped out-every hotspot is known and booked. Jacksonville is wide open. A fresh property, a river instead of surf, a football stadium next door, and a downtown reinventing itself. Arrive early, and you’ll see a city in motion, not stagnation. If you prefer polished hideaways, three quiet retreats off the beaten path offer serene alternatives.
Will the Bet Pay Off
The open question isn’t the hotel itself, but the city around it. A five-star property can draw people downtown, but it can’t carry the load alone. It needs the stadium, the offices, the restaurants and bars still to come. Khan’s vision is ambitious, and ambitious visions take years to feel complete.
But the direction is right. A luxury hotel that deliberately plants itself in the heart of the city instead of on the beach is exactly the kind of bold move that transforms a place. By 2027, we’ll see if Jacksonville rises to the occasion. The address, at least, is set-right on the river, right in the city.
Key Details
When will the Four Seasons in Jacksonville open?
Opening is slated for 2027. The shell reached its full ten-story height in summer 2025, and construction is actively underway-so a vague delay is unlikely.
Where exactly is the hotel located?
On the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville, on the former Jacksonville Shipyards site, directly adjacent to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ football stadium. It’s explicitly an urban city hotel, not a beach resort.
How much do the residences cost?
The 26 private residences range from two to five bedrooms and start at around 4.3 million Euro. The units are tied into the hotel’s services, including concierge, spa, and room service.
Who is developing the project?
Developer is Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, through his investment firm Iguana Investments. The hotel anchors his larger riverfront urban redevelopment.
Source header image: Pexels / Jean van der Meulen
