Rooms were comfortable and spacious. Lots of common areas to relax. Walking distance to several activities. The Mertens fixed a wonderful breakfast an hour and a half earlier than usual so we could get to our meeting on time. Appreciate their... read more

Our hosts, Ila Rae and Tom Merton, were very personable and the breakfast excellent.

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Love home. Breakfast was excellent. Light an delicious. The Orange juice is the best I have ever drank! Ila Rey and Tim were just wonderful hosts. 10 minutes and we were downtown. Only thing was that there was no A/C in the main house. Rooms were... read more

Have stayed with Ila Rae and Tom twice and both times were very pleasant!! The stay was a great deal considering a wonderful breakfast is included with freshly ground organic coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice!! Plus their green efforts in the... read more

With a wonderful breakfast and even better conversation, the Jenks House is the best eco-FRIENDLY place to stay!

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It would be good if there was a list of local restaurants and local attractions in the binder that was on our bed in our room. We were lucky that Tom was available to give us recommendations in person. We especially like the environmentally-friendly... read more

The house and rooms are beautiful. The owners are friendly, professional, and helpful. They provide the best breakfast in Jacksonville and it is all organic.

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My husband and I recently stayed two nights for a three day weekend at this wonderful B&B. You will instantly feel relaxed and enamored with this lovingly restored home! The owners Tom and Ila Rae have spent 30+ years bringing the life of the... read more

Wonderful hosts, great food in a beautiful home. We loved the atmosphere and really enjoyed the other guests. read more

Ila Rae and Tom are the most interesting innkeepers we have met! the food was to die for and the history they shared with us was amazing. The attention to small details is a rare find in these times.

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I stayed in the "Live Oak Room" at the Jenks House recently. This was a great alternative to the typical hotel...convenient, easy going, Green, and grandly nostalgic. The Mertens are hosts with a generous spirit. I didn't see a TV for the... read more

Tom and Ila Rae were some of the most gracious hosts and people I've ever met. It was hard to leave such a wonderful B&B ~ delicious fresh squeezed OJ and hand roasted coffee were part of the amazing homemade breakfasts, a gorgeous home and... read more

We stayed at The Jenks House overnight on our tour South. It was a highlight of our trip as we enjoyed the house which is delightful, an excellent home-cooked breakfast and particularly the company of our hosts, Tom and Ila Rae, so much. House is in... read more

Warm and friendly hosts. Excellent breakfast and freshly roasted coffee. Very informative about the surrounding area. Lively and engaging discussions. Lovely home with a comfortable bed. read more

We were delighted with our stay at the Jenks House. Tom and Ila Rae not only shared information about their house and Jacksonville but provided a dining recommendation that was superb. Our room was lovely (with wonderful ironed sheets), the... read more

We had a wonderful time staying at the Jenks House....Tom and Ila Rae are fantastic hosts and we had several great conversations with them during our stay...the house is warm and inviting and the room was very clean and quiet....we recommend to... read more

We sat at the beautifully presented breakfast (different menu every day) and talked about politics, life, religion, container gardening, real estate, kids, and, once I got Ila Rae alone, we talked about how soft the sheets are and how does she keep... read more

We immediately felt welcome in the Merten home and we're invited to make ourselves at home. Our first visit to Jacksonville was a wonderful experience due to the accommodations and conversation with the Mertens. We felt more like a part of the... read more

My wife, son and I spent a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend in Jacksonville and the highlight (other than visiting our family, of course!) was staying at the Jenks House. A beautifully restored family home in a quiet neighborhood with wonderful hosts,... read more

I stayed at Jenk's B&B the night before my interview. I had a comfortable night sleep and a wonderful breakfast with best tasting Sri Lanka tea. I was refreshed and ready for my big day. The owners take pride in their little gem of a house.

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Very nice place to stay if you have business on the East side of Jacksonville. Everything was clean and quiet throughout the night.

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I had a wonderful experience at the Jenks House. The owners were wonderfully hospitable and the breakfast was outstanding. Their fresh squeezed orange juice comes right from the back yard. The house was very clean and accommodations far exceeded... read more

When one places a reservation at a bed and breakfast, it is easy to assume lodging will be comfortable and the meal filling, not to mention the attention to detail one receives when compared to a hotel-little did we know just how memorable our stay... read more

Excellent place. Beautiful house, great folks and good food.

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We met friends for a weekend of socializing- good food, fun, bridge, outdoor activities, etc. Tom and Ila Rae were fantastic hosts, providing excellent service and suggestions! read more

When I arrived at the Jenks House on a rainy evening, Tom was waiting for me in the driveway with an umbrella and that was just the beginning of his and Ila Rae’s thoughtfulness. The house was very welcoming at night, but the next morning the... read more

My wife and I spent three nights at the Jenks House and we had the best stay. The breakfast blew away any expectations we had. The room was great and the little history book they had put together for each room brought us up to speed with a little... read more

This is a beautiful house and the accomodations are very comfortable and the hospitality excellent! We especially enjoyed the sunporch for reading and chatting. The location is excellent, quiet and close to shopping and dining. We look forward to... read more

Great location- we could walk to the game. Tom and Ila Rae were exceptional hosts and the coffee and fruit was to die for, Breakfast each morning was wonderful and they were great to just sit and talk- very gracious and helpful. We loved our... read more

Tom & Ila Rae are very nice people to stay with, they were very attentive to our dietary needs. The breakfast they served was fabulous and so was the conversation. My husband was a bit unsure of the whole bed & breakfast idea but, when we... read more

B&B at it's best; friendly, helpful, comfortable. Outstanding.

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As a frequent traveler, I've rested my head in many places, but I rate the Jenks House among the best. Lovingly and impeccably restored by its innkeepers in the "arts and crafts" style, the house combines modern conveniences (wi-fi),... read more

We live seventy five miles from Jacksonville and found this to be the perfect weekend gettaway. We had visited the "Five Points" neighborhood before and enjoyed its history and charm. The Mertens are gracious hosts and the house is... read more

Jenks House had everything we want in a B&B--a convenient location, it is spotless, the bed is great with heavenly pressed sheets; after the first course I would have rated the breakfast excellent...and then the main course arrived! Excellent... read more

I lived in Jacksonville in the 70's and have tried ever since to explain what I loved and still miss about North Fla. The Merten's B&B catches the essence of the beauty, peach, simplicity, and friendship of the Fla. that I remember.

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A beautiful, skillfully restored old Florida house filled with light, peace, and beauty. Not cluttered with cute stuff like so many B and B's, but with artfully selected Floridiana (NOT Mickey!), comfortable period furniture, and the best range of... read more

My ratings speak for themselves, however they cannot convey my personal feelings for the place and the people. Tom and Ila Rae took care of me, not just my needs, for an entire week. I would not have made it that long away from home had it not... read more

My wife and I spent a lovely time here. Tom and Ila Rae were great hosts and a joy to talk with. The orange grove is a real treat and the breakfast is the best we have ever had at a B&B. We plan to stay here the next time we get a chance to... read more

My husband and I recently enjoyed a stay at the Jenks House during a visit to attend our goddaughter's high school graduation. Tom and Ila Rae were wonderful hosts and even insisted on serving us breakfast extra early on a day we had to depart for... read more

Ila Rae and Tom went out of their way to make our stay with them one of our best B&B experiences. We hope to return soon.

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This was a charming bed and breakfast beautifully maintained by the innkeepers and very convenient to all the spots in Jacksonville by public transportation. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the Mertens, and the food was absolutely fabulous. I... read more

Having stayed at 100's of B&B's this haven is my most favorite! With only two rooms it is small enough to allow for making new friends with ease and being treated like special family by the innkeepers. The property is beautiful and our room... read more

I was in Jacksonville for a work conference. Staying at the Jenks house with Ila Rae and Tom Merten was exactly what I needed every evening after long days of meetings and training. The beds were comfortable, the house was spotless, the bathroom was... read more

While recently in the US we stayed an The Jenks House in Jacksonville. The house was beautiful and our hosts couldn't have been more helpful. Ila Rae and Tom were great with dining recommendations, directions and general information about... read more

We had a wonderful stay at the Jenks House, which has been lovingly restored by innkeepers Tom and Ila Rae. The breakfasts were fresh and delicious with many ingredients coming directly from their organic garden. The highlight of this experience... read more

I was able to book a last minute reservation at the Jenks House and am now so glad that I stumbled upon this gem of a B&B! The innkeepers are wonderfully friendly and accommodating people, not to mention excellent cooks and conversationalists!... read more

A wonderful home with charming and attentive host. They were most helpful with info on where to eat. They also provided a wonderful breakfast each morning.

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Knowledgable and friendly innkeepers take wonderful care of this beautiful home and their guests. The food was incredible, fresh, and varied.

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A different breakfast each day for our four-day holiday. Friendly host & hostess. read more

They provided the ideal B&B environment – Peace & quiet, excellent food & comfortable spaces. They have stayed true to architecture of the home, making it a destination itself! read more

We had a great time staying with Ila Rae and Tom, they are great host. We loved the stories and conversations. The smell of the hot cinnamon rolls really get you down to breakfast. You will enjoy the fresh papaya and other fruits grow right on the... read more

The Jenks House is wonderfully cozy and the innkeepers are exceptionally hospitable. What wonderful breakfasts - fresh squeezed OJ and home roasted coffee! Doesn't get any better. We loved the "green lodging" experience.

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Tom and Ila Rae are justifiably proud of their recent designation as a “Green Lodging.” In actual fact their normal lifestyle for the past 30 years made the award an obvious choice. Gracious hosts and wonderful décor made this a wonderful... read more

Once owned by local restaurateurs, the Jenks house is in every way a “little taste” of the history of Jacksonville. Every furnishing in the house has a story to it, which the proprietors, long time residents of this historic district, love to share.... read more

I recently visited Jacksonville and stayed at the Jenks House. It was the perfect choice for lodging. Tom and Ila were gracious, friendly and attentive to all of my needs. They served a splendid breakfast while accommodating my vegan diet. The... read more

I visit Jacksonville frequently and the Jenks House is my home away from home. Ila Rae and Tom Merten provide a beautiful and comfortable place to stay, incredibly delicious breakfasts, freshly squeezed orange juice, freshly roasted coffee, and... read more

The Jenks house is an excellent choice for many reasons - the flexibility and friendliness of the owners, the beauty of the home, various choices of lounging areas for guests, the house-related antiques, porch swing, the pillow assortment, fresh... read more

We came to Jacksonville for the first time for the Jazz Festival. The Jenks House neighborhood is definitely not upscale, but is a great location, not far from downtown events and with onsite parking. We have rarely encountered such gracious, yet... read more