Peninsula Island Resort & Spa

Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is a mid-range vacation hotel popular with families on a budget who want self-catering options. Rooms and facilities are situated in pale-yellow, six-story structures situated on a flat stretch of land between the main road and the beach. Common areas here feel rundown in many places, with patchy grass on the hotel's lawns and worn concrete floors in the semi-outdoor hallways. The lobby here is simple, with a few modern art prints and a predominantly neutral color scheme, though most guests hang out at the pool at the heart of the resort anyway. Competitive rates, big apartments with multiple bedrooms and cooking facilities, and easy access to the beach make this a popular pick with families, but those with a slightly bigger budget are probably better off staying elsewhere.

The Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is located on the southern part of South Padre Island, which helps make it feel quieter than hotels in the middle of the hotel sprawl. It's along the beach, though reaching the sand from the pool takes about two minutes via a wooden boardwalk. A vacant sand lot separates the parking area -- closer to the road and somewhat of a walk -- from the hotel. Nearby attractions include Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Port Isabel Lighthouse & Museum, and the South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center, all within a five- to 10-minute drive of the hotel. It's 12 minutes by car to the South Padre Island Convention Center, while getting to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge takes about 45 minutes by car. Factor in at least an hour to get to the Rio Grande Valley International Airport, depending on traffic.

Rooms at Peninsula Island Resort range from entry-level hotel room-style Deluxe units (added to the property in 2016), clear up to a three-bedroom Presidential suite, with One- and Two-Bedroom Apartments in between. Decor across categories is simple, consisting of beige walls brightened up with large colorful abstract or underwater scene prints, off-white tile floors, comforters in neutral or green hues, and sliding glass doors that lead out to furnished balconies. Some of the views aren't that great, particularly in pool-facing rooms towards the coastal side of the building, which have partial pool views and partial views of a parking area and a barren patch of land. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs with cable channels, minibars, safes, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi, and all of the units come with sofa beds or plush benches that can be made up as small beds, a good choice for those traveling with young children. All but the Deluxe rooms are set up like apartments, having fully equipped kitchens with stoves and ovens, or kitchenettes with microwaves, toasters, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers. Simple bathrooms have cream-colored tiling, granite countertops, and either shower/tub combos or walk-in showers. Basic toiletries and hairdryers are provided. Note that a cleaning fee is added on to final bills and that there have been many complaints of maintenance issues. Housekeeping is also reportedly sloppy, which means that toilet paper isn’t always replenished and that there might not be enough towels for all guests staying in the same room.

The star feature at this resort is the huge outdoor pool, which has a beach-style entrance on one end, a small splash area with a mini basketball hoop on the other, two submerged whirlpools, and plenty of space to accommodate lap swimming and people who just want to hang out in the pool and relax. There's a gigantic chess board off to one side and tons of lounge chairs, with more down on the nearby beach. Back indoors, there's a fitness center with a few pieces of cardio and weight-training equipment, but the space is dark and tiny. There's also a small spa offering massages and other treatments using Aveda products.The hotel's on-site restaurant, Las Olas, is open for breakfast and lunch every day of the week, but it doesn't offer dinner service daily. The focus here is on seafood and Mexican cuisine, and there's a large wine list with lots of offerings both by the bottle and glass. Room service is also available. While there are no proper meeting spaces, the hotel does do destination weddings, with services out on the beach. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and there is plenty of on-site parking, also for free.