OT: Hotel Advice-West Coast of Florida

[jd99]

We're thinking of combining a July trip with a few days on the West Coast of FL at whatever we can find to be the closest (to Orlando) Great Beach Resort. Looking for top shelf accommodations, a great pool and on the beach. Any recommendations?

 

[anniet]

The Don Cesar in St. Pete.


Never stayed there, but I've toured it and I'd love to stay there someday.

http://www.doncesar.com/

Only about a little over an hour away from Orlando.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

It's not close to Orlando but South Seas Plantation on Captiva Island (just over a bridge from Sanibel) is top notch. If you really want something different try North Captiva Island. No cars are allowed on the island. You have to take a boat to get there. You would rent a house and have a golf cart while you are on the island. Amazing place.

We have combined these places with trips to WDW. It's a drive but we think well worth it.

HBC

 

[DisneyHumbug]

Happy Birthday Cat - have you been there in December? We are thinking of going for Christmas, but the kids will be miserable if it's not warm enough for swimming.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

The earliest I have been is February. Even then it is cool for me to swim in the Gulf of Mexico. The heated pools are good but the ocean is still too cool for me. For really warm water you are going to have to head way south but that will take you even further from WDW.

HBC

 

[rejobako]

Originally posted by jd99
We're thinking of combining a July trip with a few days on the West Coast of FL at whatever we can find to be the closest (to Orlando) Great Beach Resort. Looking for top shelf accommodations, a great pool and on the beach. Any recommendations?

To be honest, I don't care for any of the beachfront hotel areas in Clearwater/St Pete, with the exception of the Don Cesar. My recommendations would be further south. If you want a "resort resort", absolutely first class, my advice would be to suck it up and drive the 3 hours to Naples and stay at the Ritz Carlton. It's still one of only a handful of Florida hotels that have gotten 5 Diamonds from AAA. Impeccable intention to detail; you won't want for anything. And you'll also pay for it dearly.

If you don't want to drive as far, the Sarasota area has several nice beachfront resorts, the class of which is probably the Longboat Key Club. My suggestion, however, would be to check out the Harrington House Bed and Breakfast just west of Bradenton on Anna Maria Island. It's not a "resort", per se, but the place is gorgeous; many of the rooms open directly onto the beach. Check out their website (any decent search engine will get you there) . . . anyway, good luck.