The Inn at Jumbolair: Live Like a Jet-Setting Millionaire

If you have what my mother used to call "champagne taste on a beer budget", you can still get a taste of the high life at the Inn at Jumbolair in Ocala, Florida.

Centrally located just an hour northwest of Orlando, two hours from Tampa Bay, and a short drive from Daytona and Jacksonville, Ocala is horse country with a capital "H", the birthplace of recent Derby-winners Smarty Jones, Funny Cide and Giacomo.

Situated on over 500 lush, green acres, Jumbolair , the former home of Nautilus fitness guru Arthur Jones, was turned into a B&B in 2002, and also serves as the country club for Jumbolair Aviation Estates next door. In this luxury, gated community for pilots, each estate has its own hangar and taxiways. Sitting in the gazebo near the pool or rocking in the porch swing that hangs from the old oak tree behind the Inn, you can see a 707 parked by the home of the community's first, and most famous, resident, actor John Travolta.

Rates beginning at $170 a night (with a 2 night minimum on weekends) will get you one of 5 luxurious suites in the 8500-square-foot Southern mansion, furnished with antiques, whimsical art deco lamps, sumptuous bedding and an amenity-filled bath complete with comfy his-and-her Jumbolair robes. You also get a full breakfast and 24-hour access to a well-stocked kitchen that offers everything from freshly-baked cookies and tarts, to wine, cordials, and a variety of sodas and juices.

The friendly Innkeeper will be your personal concierge if you want to book a massage, make reservations for dinner, or take a tour of the property by golfcart. For an additional fee, you can ride one of the estates horses on a guided trail ride, or attend the spectacular "Fly In Brunch" if you happen to be there on the first Sunday of the month when dozens of private pilots "drop in" for a huge spread in Jumbolair's banquet-sized ballroom.

Although Jumbolair has given a new meaning to the term "fly-drive vacation", even earthbound guests get the V.I.P. treatment so you can try out the jet-setting lifestyle without breaking the bank.

If You Go:
The Inn at Jumbolair
1201 N.E. 77th St, Ocala, FL 34479
Innkeeper: Sean Kramer
(352) 671-3200
www.Jumbolair.com
Rates: $170-$395 per night, 2 night minimum on weekends
Photos available