Captiva Beach Resort

The 1954-built Captiva Beach Resort is a value property that’s geared towards budget-minded travelers with children or couples, offering a quiet location that’s a short walk to the beautiful Crescent Beach via a brick pathway that cuts through tropical landscaping. Beach chairs and umbrellas dot the powdery white sands, where there are great shelling opportunities in the early morning. The retro hotel is a single-story building with a laid-back atmosphere, shaded by a few palm trees and sharing many of its facilities with neighboring properties. Pathways lead through lawns that offer modern patio furniture for sunbathing. An artificial grass lawn lines the area outside of the tiny lobby, which is a simple, functional space that provides free coffee, newspapers, and small takeaway breakfast items.

The hotel is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood on Siesta Key, a three-minute walk to the beach. Several similar properties surround the hotel, and there are restaurants and shops within walking distance. Sunset drum circles -- which aren’t affiliated with the resort -- are often held on Sundays on the beach. Siesta Sports Rentals is a few blocks away, offering bikes, kayaks, and scooters. Paddle-boarding at Turtle Beach is a five-minute drive. There’s a livelier nightlife scene in Siesta Key Village, on the north side of the island, which is a 10-minute drive. The Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is a 30-minute car trip. Tampa’s Busch Gardens is an hour and 15 minutes by car and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is a two-hour drive. 

Light tile floors and sparsely decorated white walls create a clean feeling in rooms and one- and two-bedrooms suites. Pops of black furniture, neon light accents, and brown textiles add a touch of modernity, however, space is limited and some rooms have dated decor. All rooms have either kitchenettes with two-burner hot plates or kitchens with microwaves, coffeemakers, refrigerators, and oven/stoves (and some have dishwashers), as well as a standard set of amenities that includes flat-screen TVs, ACs, irons/ironing boards, beach towels, and free Wi-Fi. Suites also have living rooms with sofa beds. Bathrooms have modern or retro tiles and walk-in showers. Cribs, rollaway beds, and interconnecting rooms are available. To request cleaning, housekeeping signs must be displayed.

Captiva Beach Resort’s property is small, but it shares additional tropical landscaped grounds and facilities with five other hotels. Palm-tree shaded pathways lead to the heated outdoor pool and its brick-lined deck with a wheelchair lift and lounge chairs. Four shuffleboards are also outside and surrounded by benches. Propane gas grills, which are cleaned daily, are on the resort’s property exclusively for guests. Beach supplies can be rented through the resort, including wagons, umbrellas, and three-wheeler bikes. Beach chairs, towels, and toys are provided for free. Outdoor parking is located near the office, but spaces are limited.