Sunseeker Resort Punta Gorda - Cruise-Like Luxury on the Water…read more Sunseeker is a beautiful, modern resort that truly feels like you're on a cruise ship without ever leaving the dock. The buildings are new, the grounds are immaculate, and the harbor views are stunning. What We Loved * The bellmen and golf cart drivers were outstanding--friendly, welcoming, and always helpful. * The infinity pool is beautiful and offers amazing views of Charlotte Harbor. * We stayed in a spacious, modern villa that was stocked with complimentary snacks, coffee, and sodas. * Stretto Italian Steakhouse was excellent. It's pricey, but the food, atmosphere, and live piano player made it worth the splurge. * The pool food was good, and the service throughout the resort was consistently excellent. Things to Know Before You Go * Entering the pool area felt a bit like going through TSA. Bags are searched, and I even had to remove a banana from my bag, which seemed excessive for a resort. * Outside drinks are not permitted in the pool area. * The Buy One, Get One (B1G1) drink promotion is a bit misleading. It only applies at certain locations and is limited to beer, wine, and well liquor. * Reserved lounge chairs on the 8th-floor pool deck cost $25 each. * During the summer, not all restaurants and shops are open every day. Some restaurants don't reopen until Wednesday, and the ice cream shop closed at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, so it's worth checking seasonal hours in advance. * We ate at The Tiki at Half Cracked and ordered the crawfish shrimp & grits. It came in a tomato-based broth, which was unexpected and made the dish more acidic than we expected. It wasn't our favorite. * Several amenities and entertainment ended earlier than advertised. A number of venues closed early, and one evening the live band finished before its posted end time, which was disappointing. Overall Experience One unexpected bonus of visiting during the week was how peaceful the resort felt. There were plenty of open lounge chairs, the pools weren't crowded, and it was easy to relax. By the weekend, however, the resort became much busier. We couldn't find a pool chair by 12:30 p.m. Overall, Sunseeker is a beautiful destination with a luxury, cruise-like atmosphere, excellent staff, and comfortable accommodations. While some policies, extra fees, seasonal hours, and early closures took away from the experience, we'd still return and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing waterfront getaway.

We stayed at Sunseeker Resort over the July 4th weekend, so we fully expected it to be busier than…read morenormal. Overall, we had a wonderful vacation, but there were definitely some highs and lows. Let's start with check in. When we arrived, the lobby looked like the entire state of Florida had decided to check in at the exact same time. The line was LONG, but to their credit, it only took about 25 minutes. Before our stay, I specifically called the resort because my husband has severe allergies and asthma triggered by pet dander. I was assured we'd be placed on a non pet floor. At check in, we reminded the staff again, but unfortunately, we were assigned a room that had very clearly just had a pet in it. Within five seconds of walking inside, my husband's allergies went into overdrive. Thankfully, the front desk was very understanding and immediately moved us to another room, and inside that room he had no issues. However, there were at least six dogs on our floor during our stay, so every walk to and from our room caused his allergies and asthma to flare up. What was really disappointing was finding out at check out that there is actually a pet free tower specifically for guests with allergies. Had we been placed there from the beginning, it likely would have made a huge difference for my husband. Now for the MVP of our trip, Lauren Hill. She is the manager at level blue & she completely turned our experience around. When we booked our hotel stay, I was able to reserve lounge chairs for July 5. At the time, I was told that July 4 would be first come, first served and that reservations would not be accepted because of the holiday. However, when we arrived on July 3, we were told that all of the lounge chairs for July 4 had actually been reserved and were completely sold out. Needless to say, I was frustrated. While ordering drinks at the adult pool, I noticed Lauren helping one of the servers and asked if she was a manager because she was dressed a little differently. Thank goodness I did! She listened, genuinely cared, and somehow worked her magic to secure five lounge chairs for us on July 4. She also told us about the rooftop fire pit reservations for the fireworks, and we were able to book one of those too. Lauren did not just solve problems. She made us feel like valued guests. She is the definition of outstanding customer service, and honestly, if it were not for her, this review would look very different. Sunseeker is incredibly lucky to have her. She deserves every bit of recognition for the way she takes care of guests. The rooftop fireworks experience was a lot of fun. Watching both the fireworks from the adult rooftop should have been the perfect experience. Unfortunately, several people who had not paid for reserved seating decided to stand directly in front of us, completely blocking our view of the county fireworks. It would have been nice if staff had stepped in since many guests had paid for those premium seats. Thankfully, once the resort's own fireworks began, we had an incredible view. The resort absolutely knocked their fireworks show out of the park. It was beautiful! Now...the food. Unfortunately, the food was the biggest disappointment of the trip. I ordered the tuna poke bowl, and the tuna was a grayish brown color that did not exactly inspire confidence. But the real surprise was the two scoops of white rice, which were completely frozen solid. I honestly did not know frozen rice was a thing, but apparently it is. The pizza downstairs was ok. We enjoyed the BBQ Chicken pizza, which was our favorite. The family pool was beautiful and had a great atmosphere. One thing that caught us off guard was the towel policy. The lounge chairs had noticeable mold and mildew stains on them, so I asked for extra towels, . I was told the policy was strictly 1 towel per person. I'm sorry this is luxury Hilton Curio Collection resort, not a holiday inn.. Buy more towels so you can accommodate your guests, or have chair covers like do they upstairs at level blue. Now for the best part. The resort itself is absolutely stunning. The adult only rooftop pool and bar are incredible, the family pool is beautiful, and the rooms are gorgeous with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Charlotte Harbor. Waking up to those water views every morning was pure bliss. Despite a few frustrating moments, we genuinely enjoyed our stay. The beautiful property, amazing pools, incredible fireworks, and exceptional staff made for a memorable Fourth of July weekend. If there is one area Sunseeker could really improve, it is the quality of the food. The resort itself feels like a five star destination, but the dining simply did not match the caliber of the property. Elevating the food experience would take this resort from great to truly exceptional. And one last time, Lauren Hill deserves every bit of recognition she can get. She did not just improve our stay. She saved it!

We decided to stay in the Pinfish room (smallest room) and were pleasantly surprised with how…read morecomfortable it was. The Inn is in the perfect location as almost everything, including the beach, is within walking distance. Margarita (GM), front desk staff, and housekeeping staff were all very welcoming and friendly during our stay.

My daughter and her family stayed at the Palmetto Inn over spring break, 2018. They had a great…read morevisit in Boca Grande and were very happy with the Inn, very reasonably priced, clean, perfect location in the middle of town and the folks from Boca Grande Resorts were great. Today, they became more than great, they are wonderful. This year we booked two rooms for both of my daughters and their families to visit over Thanksgiving week. We had an issue with travel plans and reservations and the folks at the Boca Grande Resort office went above and beyond our wildest dreams to take care of us. I am a fan for life and we will utilize the Inn and resort whenever possible for all of our guests visiting the island. Great customer service is not dead but lives on at Boca Grande Resorts and the Palmetto Inn. Thank you and happy, happy Thanksgiving.

The folks here are great. I visit every summer and have had a great time on every visit. I love any…read moreof the rooms with a view of the water.

I have stayed at Buchan's about a dozen times. The owners are great, rooms are always clean and…read morevery comfortable. It is a very quiet area of town, good place to sit out back under the oak trees and have a cocktail or two after a day on the water. Very good dockage with a nice public ramp a few minutes away.

Pristine beaches, perfect atmosphere, and great food. It is heaven for my family and I.read more

I ate at the club 7 times in the last 10 days and it was never better than mediocre. The food is…read morebland, straight off the truck, what you'd expect in a cafeteria. What is especially disappointing is that the club used to serve well-prepared local fish, and now brings in frozen salmon and bottom-of-the-bilge sheepshead and tops it with supermarket crap like grated orange cheese and iceberg lettuce. When a diner visits Florida and pays $30+ for a simple lunch, the least he expects is fresh, local ingredients, not this mess-hall crap. I hope they run the chef out and step it up.

I loved the room, very clean and had small complete kitchen and dinnerware. The room had just a…read moretouch of old Florida. Management was most friendly and helpful. The other guests I met were like family friendly as if the place drew the best people to stay there. Many had been there before. The Resort was on the edge of town (Matlacha) and businesses were coming back from the hurricane. I visited The Perfect Cup and found it to be very good place for breakfast. I also ate at the Blue Dog which had great seafood. There were a couple other restaurants I will try on my next visit. The town had many places to fish such as the bridges and a couple parks. Fishing there was great. People were catching reds, snook, and snapper. The resort had kayaks, furnished grills, had a campfire pit, swimming pool and a homemade sand beach. It had docks to fish from or for people bringing their own boat. The management can set you up with dolphin tours or charter fishing. It is near Ft. Myers Beach, Bonita Beach, and Sanibel/Captiva Islands and not far from Punta Gorda Airport (my choice) or Ft Myers International Airport. My stay was only 3 days, but I will return and stay much longer next time.

This place was nice and probably convenient for the traveler wanting to be by the water and being…read morein vacation mode. I picked it out of necessity as I did not feel like driving all the way to fort myers to get a cheaper place. They were very friendly. This place is pet friendly which is an enormous plus. Everything outside is perfectly maintained which gives the best impression! The studio is very nicely set up. It had a clean but comfortable look. Everything looks modern and updated probably because it had to be redone after the hurricane. I loved the firm mattress, the large fridge and enormous flat screen roku tv. I liked they provided popcorn which I popped in the microwave. The shower got super hot very quick so no lack of hot water. Shampoo conditioner and body wash is provided as well as a sample of body lotion. There is a coffee maker which I personally didn't use. Really liked the little gazebo to sit out. Parking was available right outside my door which was convenient. It's still slow season so it was quiet. I did not use the amenities so cannot review on that. The little minor things were: I could hear the upstairs when they'd drop stuff. You can also hear every single word of the unit next door so I went to bed and got up with those people based on noise. The bathroom would sometimes make loud bubble noises probably related to plumbing issues. The place was not fully clean, it looked like there was construction type dirt in the bathroom. Also there were some ants but it's Florida so might be normal. And the outdoor light didn't work so it was very dark walking my dog. The AC is a wall unit and very loud, the lowest allowed is 70 degrees - I wish it was less because I was hot. Great place but there's some improvements possible here and there. I'd stay here again if needed! $125 for the night was a decent price especially for the location and amenities they offer. I'm sure it's more during season, I stayed end of September on a weekday.

If you decide to book a stay in Matlacha, I recommend this very quaint inn. It is very comfortable…read moreand have its on private dock for your boat. It is very conveniently located in the midst of the galleries and shops but yet off the beaten path a bit.

Right on the water, clean, quiet, and easy check in. Owners sent information via text that covers…read morethe process. Large rooms, refrigerator, and microwave. Even with the bathroom being a good sized room the shower is a bit tight for us larger folks....still manageable just a little tight. Located right off the main road its easy to find and get in and out of. Big lanai accessible through the sliding door was a nice surprise. Very happy with our accommodations.

Dear Pelican Shores, For decades my parents - The Brandts -…read morerented the big cottage on the left at the entrance to your safe haven by the sea. Months, weeks and especially Memorial Day Weekend every year. From the time we were obstinate brats just out of our teens and on forward to the days that saw my own parents become grandparents. Thirteen cottages, apartments and homes clustered together in a tiny conclave. Each residence is decorated differently (and updated regularly) and we have stayed in most of them as we eventually outgrew sharing the big cottage with our parents. But it remained the focus of our visits as we rented our own spaces within The Shores. All of the rentals are fully stocked with linens, cookware, flatware, dishes, pillows, beach towels, you name it. One of my favorite cottages is causally seated close to the stairs that lead directly down to the beach. It is clean and comfortable and reminiscent of the seaside cottages that still dot Cape Cod - wood paneling, small, compact appliances, screened porch and groovy mismatched patio and lawn furniture. (That's the ultimate beach compliment). All you need is an old transistor radio that can reach back in time and holler out some 1970s gold to complete a lazy afternoon of sunning. Cast a line into the sea from your own private beachfront, the local pier or rent a little skiff. Fishing is a big pastime as is grilling what you grab. Most cottages have grills you can use. The public beach is a walk up the street where you can also find great little places to eat and shop and even booze it up. After all, you're on vacation. The grocery stores (Publix, Winn Dixie and a local favorite - Sweet Bay), fancier eateries and fast food are a very quick drive. Pelican Shores is a place to go to and then go back to, in order to make some of your own family memories. Every Memorial Day for decades, my family squatted in the shared party pavilion (with huge community grills - just pick up your own trash!) and cooked for anybody and everybody who was around. My brother and I grilled lobster, shrimp, chicken, steaks, corn. My sisters served amazing salad creations and my Mom manned the camera as well as barked orders to keep it all moving. I have hundreds of photos from those holidays. One of the kids in the family, now a mother herself, caught her first fish at The Shores with Grandpa. She was so proud until it was time to filet him and she insisted he was thrown back. Every new baby that arrived in the family ended up playing in that sand. My nieces recall telling the grandparents they couldn't make it one year and surprising the family by arriving late at night and camping on the porch, sprawled across blown-up beach floats and scaring my Dad as he left early to go fishing. ("Who ARE you guys? The Manson Family? Get in the house before the neighbors think we're a cult!"). My grown son says some of his earliest memories are of the beach at Engelwood and being dragged across the sand on a board by his older cousins. My parents have gone on to their next vacation and even the words Pelican Shores make me a bit teary now. I miss those vacations that ended not so long ago. The last photo I took of my Mom in Engelwood was the one she would want YOU to see and NOT BE TEARY-EYED, but joyous as you pack up and head to over to The Shores. She's lazily floating in the water and calling toward the shore, "Come on in, the water's just right!" And of course it is. That's Pelican Shores. Now it's your turn!

Great place to vacation. Perfect views of the ocean. Beds are comfortable. AC inside the cottages…read moreworks good. Pelican Shores brand ambassador Margaret Fuson is a great hostess. Chief operations manager Danny was fantastic. Call "Ernie" for a good time. Highly recommend staying at the Pelican Shores cottages.

Watch out for surprise $200 deposit requirement. No sitting chairs in the room. Couldn't get the TV…read moreto work.. just your basic sleep and go for one or two nights.

Loved this place! Walked into a nice, clean one bedroom one bathroom unit! I would definitely…read morerecommend this place! Plenty of parking and it is only a two minute drive to the beach!