The Cloister at Sea Island Resort

The Cloister at Sea Island opened in October 1928 as the original work of Addison Mizner, a touchstone of 1920s Spanish-Mediterranean architecture on Georgia's coast. In 2003 the Anschutz family ownership razed the original structure for a complete reconstruction, opening the current Peter Capone-designed Cloister in 2006 with the same Mediterranean vocabulary at modern scale. A 2016 expansion added the 5,703-square-foot Garden Wing ballroom and 63 additional guest rooms; Cvent records a further renovation pass in 2023. The property today operates 18 indoor meeting rooms totaling 31,440 square feet at The Cloister itself, with another roughly 18,000 square feet of indoor event space across The Lodge, Retreat Clubhouse, and Beach Club. Outdoor venues add an additional 31,000-plus square feet at The Cloister alone, including the private five-mile beach, ancient oak-grove gathering spaces, and the 71-foot Sea Island Explorer yacht for waterborne events. The largest combinable bookable space, Cloister Ballrooms I, II, and III together, seats 500 banquet, 600 theater, 405 classroom, and 400 reception standing. Component ballrooms run 1,620 sq ft (I), 4,536 sq ft (II), 1,620 sq ft (III), and a 4,170 sq ft Retreat Ballroom. The 2016 Garden Wing ballroom adds 5,703 sq ft purpose-built around natural light overlooking the Georgia coastline. Sea Island operates an in-house Event Design Team, in-house catering led by award-winning chefs, complete in-house audio-visual support, and dedicated logistical transportation. The closest commercial airport is Brunswick Golden Isles (BQK), a regional facility approximately 25 minutes by ground with a single Delta Connection nonstop to Atlanta. Most attendees travel via Jacksonville (JAX) or Savannah (SAV), each approximately 75 minutes by car; both are full domestic hubs. The property holds the only four consecutive Forbes Five-Star awards across hotel, restaurant, spa, and golf categories for fifteen years, a distinction unmatched by any other resort worldwide. It is one of only six United States destinations to have hosted a G8 Summit (Sea Island, 2004). The November 2026 Link Conference, organized by Florence Nalepka of CapSource Productions, brings allocators and finance leadership to the property for a three-day program.