A morning on the twelfth-floor balcony
The balcony faces east, which means the sun arrives before you do. It is the best hour of the day on the twelfth floor, and the one most guests end up planning around.
The Residence
The first hour
The balcony runs the full width of the residence and faces straight out at the Atlantic, so first light does the waking up for you. Long before the beach fills, the water below turns from grey to a hard blue, and the only sounds twelve floors up are the wind and, if the windows are open, the surf. Coffee helps. The kitchen is a full Miele suite built around an island that seats four, so it is no trouble to make a proper pot and carry it out while the rest of the residence is still asleep.
There is a table and chairs out there for exactly this. Most guests tell us the morning is when they use the balcony hardest — breakfast, a book, the last of the coffee — and save the pool and the beach for the heat of the afternoon. If you are the kind of traveler who is up early anyway, ask for a stay that lets you have a few of these unhurried, because they are the thing people remember.
Planning around the light
Because the residence is east-facing, the light is a morning event and the afternoons are cooler and softer indoors — good for a nap or the spa. If you care about catching sunrise, it is worth knowing roughly when it happens in the month you are visiting; our when-to-visit guide breaks the seasons down. And if you would rather see the residence before you book, the gallery has the balcony at several times of day, and the residence page walks through it room by room.
More from the journal
All posts →
The turtle hospital at Juno BeachA free sea-turtle hospital sits up the coast in Juno Beach, on one of the country's densest nesting beaches. Here is what it is, when the turtles nest, and how to keep the beach dark for them.Read →
A day in Miami on the BrightlineMiami is a little over an hour down the coast, and the train turns it into an easy day trip. Here is how one goes, from the ride to the station to sunset back on the balcony.Read →
Why September is the island's quietest monthThe crowds thin, the ocean is at its warmest, and the beach is nearly your own — with one honest caveat worth planning around.Read →
Stay at OASENA
A private two-bedroom home on the twelfth floor of the Happiness Tower: floor-to-ceiling ocean views, a wide balcony, and the resort's wellness centre an elevator ride below. Dates and rates are on Airbnb.
OASENA is a privately owned residence within Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences and is not operated by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the resort. See credits & notes.