In‑state and close
No bridge, no state line, no 40‑minute return trip. Three drop‑off windows a day. Find us.
St. Marys private suites compared with an Amelia Island resort
Hot Paws Pet Resort on Amelia Island comes up often when St. Marys owners ask about boarding, partly because plenty of people here work or shop across the state line anyway. It is a locally owned, family‑operated resort offering boarding, day camp and grooming, and by their own account they have been at it for years in Fernandina Beach.
Woodlands is a small boarding facility in St. Marys itself, with private suites and no group play between unrelated dogs. The two genuinely differ on three things: how far you have to drive, whether dogs play in groups, and what is published about pricing. This page covers all three honestly.
Details come from Hot Paws' own website and chamber listing and may change. Check with Hot Paws directly for their current policies and offerings.
Our full rate sheet is published. Hot Paws does not publish nightly boarding rates on their own website, so we have not guessed at them.
A third‑party pet‑hotel directory lists Hot Paws as starting around $30 per night, but that figure is not published on their own site, carries no date, and does not specify room type or what is included. We are flagging it rather than presenting it as their price. For an accurate quote, call Hot Paws on (904) 277‑3075 or use the booking system on their website.
Two things worth asking them about, because they materially affect the total: whether there is a deposit, and whether holiday or peak periods carry a surcharge. Woodlands has none of either.
Hot Paws is on South 8th Street in Fernandina Beach, which from central St. Marys means crossing into Florida, typically 30 to 40 minutes each way depending on traffic over the bridges. For a two‑week vacation that is one round trip out and one back, and barely matters. For a long weekend, or for regular day camp, it is a different calculation entirely.
If you are already heading to Amelia Island regularly, that drive is close to free and their location is genuinely convenient. If your dog needs day care during a work week, Woodlands being in St. Marys with three daily drop‑off windows is likely the more practical option.
Hot Paws describes something we think is a genuine strength of their model: a daycare coordinator who assesses each dog and places them with playmates of similar size and temperament, in a large backyard. That is a thoughtful way to run group play, and for a social dog it produces the kind of tired, happy dog that solo care simply cannot.
Woodlands does not do that at all. Dogs are grouped only with their own household, and never with dogs from other families. Outdoor time and play happen with their own siblings or with us. This exists for the dogs that group play does not suit: the reactive ones, the anxious ones, the seniors who would rather not be bounced on, and the ones whose owners simply do not want to find out the hard way.
Neither is better in the abstract. Be honest about which dog you have.
No bridge, no state line, no 40‑minute return trip. Three drop‑off windows a day. Find us.
Every rate and add‑on is on the site, with no deposit, no cancellation fee and no holiday surcharge. See rates.
Each dog has their own indoor suite unless they arrived together. How boarding works.
Pines and water rather than a commercial street. See the photos.
Hot Paws may be the better fit if their group‑care model, island location, combined services or availability suits you more closely.
Our answers are on the FAQ page, with the building and yards on the facility page and full pricing on the rates page.
Come learn more about our boarding environment, rates and care approach. Tours are welcome before a first stay.
Comparing us with Hot Paws? Call or text (912) 674‑4709 and we will give you a straight answer.
Information about other businesses is provided for general comparison purposes and may change. Pricing shown for other businesses reflects what they publish themselves and may be out of date. Contact each provider directly for current services, pricing, availability and policies. Woodlands Pet Retreat is not affiliated with the businesses mentioned unless specifically stated.