I am here to update my review of South Seas Resort because last week my family and I were able to stay for the first time since 2022 and Hurricane Ian as resort guests. South Seas is a resort, but has many buildings that are privately owned which is how we originally began staying here via Air BNB. As a family, a trip to Captiva has been something my parents started doing when they were dating, and now it is a family tradition that is 3 decades strong. We have been keeping an eye on the progress of the island after the devastation from hurricane Ian and we were THRILLED to see the resort reopen and the island making strides to welcome folks back. Our family of 7 booked a 3 bedroom beach villa which had ocean views with a quick walk to the beach. The villa featured a master bedroom, guest bedroom with a twin bed and two bunk beds, and a loft with a queen size bed. It also had three bathrooms. There are a ton of options when it comes to room sizes and villas, but we like ocean view for the ease of going to the beach. We were in the 2600 building which is right at the entrance. The kitchen was brand new, and looked out at the living room and screened in balcony. For a group this size it is a comfortable space, and the kitchen makes it easy for you to not have to eat out every meal. I will say one piece of feedback would be to have a sheet pan and chef's knife as part of the appliances, in the past with our Air BNB there were definitely more kitchen utensils included - however I know that they are just getting back on their feet so it was totally fine. Now onto the pro reason you should stay as a resort guest - the amenities. We got to enjoy the pool with access to their restaurant and bar, as well as the shell city burger food truck on the sand. Service at every venue was amazing and everyone was so friendly. If you are not a resort guest, you cannot enjoy these amenities as the charges are directly to the room and they don't take cash/card. They currently have Red Fish Grill which is a restaurant but also poolside bar, Shell City Burgers which is a food truck, and Harborside which is a fancy steakhouse. It goes without saying vacation is all about ease and relaxation - so opting to dine on property when we didn't feel like cooking was awesome. I also enjoyed the resort gym - the equipment is phenomenal. It is also very clean. Overall, you should note that as of right now they are still working to rebuild. You should expect some construction as South Seas 2.0 is being worked on, but it is all for the best for something truly special. In the works is new hotel rooms, a water park, and a beachfront restaurant. I am so happy to see Captiva Island rebuilding and open for folks to enjoy. It is such a special and beautiful place. Thank you to South Seas for continuing to make our family vacations so special. read more

Rooms are very dated and in need of repair. Toilet did not flush properly, shower fixtures loose, moldy grout. Just after taking a shower, and walking across the wood floor, noticed bottom of my feet were black as I was putting my shoes on. Floors were filthy. I don't think the sliding glass door locked either. With the room fee and taxes and all the other "fees" room was close to $700. Outrageous for the quality. View was the back of the pool house. Not appealing. read more

We've all heard the same sob story about this place, family coming here for 25 years, and suddenly everything is different and you can't use the amenities that you were promised when you signed the contract 20 years ago. There's a huge new water park but their loyal customers can't use it? Restaurants aren't available? it feels like your trying to push away the customers that don't own mansions on the property. No more candy shop, arcade, spa, beach side bar. Are we not going to be able to use the pool next year? A lot of my childhood memories were made here and now i can relive them. read more

My family has been coming here for 25 years. Stayed in the same condos and done the same activities and ate at the same restaurants. When we arrived this year we find out the resort owners have decided to take almost all amenities away. They have changed the candy shop to the most disappointing looking building on the island and the most depressing selection of candy. There is no longer a beach side bar to eat at either. We no longer have access to the big pool, and we will not ever get access to the water park, beach house restaurant, spa, and more. It's a trivial thing to complain but the greedy people at the top are taking away the places our family has cherished the most for 25 years. I understand the hurricane wiped a lot of things way but revoking amenities and remodeling certain buildings (candy shop and arcade building) to look like every other plain building painted white with one sign with color and no arcade or kids area at all is depressing. Not to mention the outrageous price increase of every single thing shows that the greedy people who bought the resort don't care about its guests and only care about money. Disappointing and enraging. read more

ts sad they r taking all the amenities and nothing is the same as it used to be

The need to bring back letting residents park third party carts at the pool and beach. It's the dumbest rule and a pure money grab! If they did I probably wouldn't have written this review, but they wanted to harass me so here's the truth... We own a Plantation House 2 bedroom condo and have been coming here for 28 years with my family. The new owners are the worst. 1. The "Ranger" rent a cop spent the entirety of my trip following around my golf cart and lecturing me whenever I tried to park it anywhere. Mind you we have a parking pass and own a week here, but the new rule is no third party carts. South Seas charges $1400 compared to Sanibel Carts $800 for a week. Pure money grab! Shame on you! 2. There were roaches in the bathroom on the second night. I'm attaching a video and photos. Meaty courageous suckers too! 3. There is obvious issues with the workmanship of the renovations as there were pipes leaking in the garage the whole day and my closet door doesn't close. I'm attaching videos. 4. They told my ten year old he couldn't throw a small palm sized foam football with his father in the pool. There was nobody else in the pool. It was the kids pool! This was not listed on the Pool Rules, but instead a new rule. 5. The prices are the same and the ship store is closed, the beach bar is closed, they have a food truck(?) instead of a restaurant and I just can't... 6. Our key for the rear entrance to the pool and the T dock doesn't work. We called the day after checking in on a Friday, and were told it's not an emergency and to call back on Monday. No answer. If someone would even return my texts and calls to their customer service desk 239-747-1695 I could have handled these issues but with no customer service...here you go! read more

South Seas - Here's another roach in the bathroom at south seas plantation. Yuck! They stopped allowing third party carts. Bring it back. - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

The new management has turned this previously family oriented resort to a money making only scheme. Only full time owners and South Sea Club members ($2,000 per year dues) can use most of the restaurants and big pool areas. Restaurant costs are ridiculous--$22 for a hamburger. Weekly rentals are $3000 -$25,000 in prime weeks. Find another place for your family to go. read more

We had a great 4th of July celebration weekend, Thursday to Monday, 1 pm late check out. Beach Villa 2118, spectacular views of the beach. We enjoyed all the activities and amenities of the resort. I see a lot of complaints about that, is simple, if you don't reserved directly with the resort then you aren't able to do that, and you know it. Last year I couldn't as well and I didn't whine about it. Next year will be better as the new slides and lazy river part, spa and cafeteria will be finish. Can't wait. read more

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wonderful water-based experiences; beaches, pools, water park, all great. Overall, some of the worst experiences in relation to cost were regarding facilities inside our unit. from bathroom fixtures from the 60's (literally all toilets, tubs, faucets and shower heads) to the complete absence of cleaning services (towels changed twice and sheets once during 5 night stay) meaning literally no cleaning service, to the absence of rolling carts to get luggage to units combined with threatening signs in elevators about liability for replacement costs if doors not allowed to close, I would rank this a 2-3 level hotel at best. The staff apparently are unable to communicate simple facts. I called 6 times to ask what kind of coffee filters I needed to purchase, since I bring my own coffee on vacation. The garbage and recycling waste containers in the kitchen have no tops and cannot be closed. There was no pitcher, no unit to boil water for tea, no sharp knives for basic cooking, no dish towels, sponges, or hot pads for moving dishes in and out of the oven. When we arrived, there were 3 pods for the dishwasher, and the staff took 3 days to bring enough for the duration of the stay. We were told that "light" cleaning services were offered, but what that actually means is changing towels and taking out the garbage. A "full" cleaning may be requested with 24 hours' notice. We were told this on the next-to-last day of our stay (the information does not appear in any paperwork given at check-in or on the website) and requested it. Nothing changed; no toilets or sinks were cleaned. It may be that the vacuum cleaner was used, but if so, it was only on the first floor, not the second floor. There was one person, in housekeeping, who made an effort to respond to my calls, Andy Nova, who deserves an A for attentiveness. That said, his good communication skills could not make up for the absence of cleaning services. In summary, unless the water park is a necessity, there are many private homes to rent on Captiva, and many ways to rent a home on the South Seas resort property that allow a short-term stay, with details disclosed to allow a relaxed vacation for adults. I was deceived by the website and assumed the facilities would be as described. Hopefully, this review will provide others with the data the resort will not provide. read more

Incredibly- with new facilities, and great new restaurant at sunset beach, they restrict use to guests that didn't add it to the "package". We have been coming to captiva over 20 years, and family for more than 50. To be turned away from an otherwise empty restaurant was offensive, and quite sad, as the staff would have benefitted from the business of our large group. This is a beautiful property with a side of poor management decisions. read more

To all the Captiva veterans, unfortunately, this place is not what it once was - and I do not mean hurricane damage. Golf carts can now be rented on the property! However, the new management/owners are making a push to ONLY allow their carts on the property. Signage everywhere. We used their cart. it locked up on property. Good times. Sunset beach! It used to be this vibe right? Taco stands, water sports, frozen drinks... then the sun starts to dip and you get acoustic guitars, the kids instructed to throw shells in the water as the sun fades to make a wish, Yeti cups abundant, everyone sun kissed, just self reflecting as the sun slowly sinks.... ALL GONE. Sunnyside rentals doesnt exist anymore - the shacks are gone. The singer/guitar player gone. Staff leaves long before sunset. Place looked abandoned at 7pm. Their answer is to build some huge pernamant restaurant there. Vibes DESTROYED. The service used to be so amazing! I was there 4 nights, never got a room refresh service. Had to call down for towels - they dropped them off in a trash bag. Asked if they wanted my old ones? They stood by the door while I collected them and handed them a large pile of dirty towels. Man. What happened to this place? The pool! Oh the memories! You'd walk in, Yeti filled up... climb in the pool, find an empty corner, maybe throw the ball with your son as you watched the dolphins frolic by T dock... Drop a couple hundred on food and more beverages.... Yeah, that vibe is GONE too. Yetis must be poured out and only filled with water. Ball throwing is stopped immediately - even in an empty pool. We asked to take one towel to sit on in the golf cart for the ride back - we were told no. Towels disappear too easily, and they cannot leave the pool area. Food came out all wrong. Drinks came out weak. Don't worry though - Cabanas can still be rented for just over $800. Just don't bring your own cup. Golf course? GONE. Snaking your way to the point? GONE. Cruises allowed to leave from the Marina? GONE. Want a charter to pick you up at the marina? Enjoy the all new $100 pick up fee. Harborside is open - of course, you can't even get sat there (even when empty!) unless you have an amenities package. This place will likely never be what it once was. I for one hate to see beautiful South Seas turn into an island Disneyland - but with the water park being built and chill vibes being steamrolled - it is clearly the goal. We are not ready to give up on Captiva - the locals, the food, YOLO, the other spots, all still pass the vibe check - but I'm afraid South Seas is no longer for us. Until next year.... read more

I cannot tell you how much fun my kids had with Tariq on the slide, what a personality!! He knew all the kids by name going down, got them all fired up giving them speed challenges, etc and then cheering for them. He also remembered my older two from a past visit! The personal touch by Tariq gave us that warm fuzzy feeling here, we can't wait to come back! read more

South Seas - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Beautiful island and location, wildlife is stunning. Sadly not everyone has same access to amenities, if you're staying in a timeshare you cannot use the pool or beach facilities. Such a shame. Atmosphere would be better if everyone was on the same level. Hopefully things will improve. read more

Wow, I have been coming to this resort for years and always enjoyed the Tiki Bar at the pool and of course having a frozen margarita while lounging at the pool. I was told at the Tiki Bar today that they no longer can make a frozen margaritas and no plans in the near future to do so! Sometimes it's the small basic things that make a great experience, I guess I will be looking for a new paradise to take my friends & family to. read more

South Seas I on Captiva A Disappointing 4th of July We rented a beachfront home inside the South Seas community for a multi-generational July4th celebration grandkids and all. On our first outing, we took the kids to the resort's ice cream shop ("Scoops & Slices"), thinking a cool treat would be perfect. We were the only customers in the shop. When the counter girl spotted we had no wristbands (we hadn't rented directly from the resort), she grinned and told us bluntly: "I cannot serve you." Watching her seemingly relish denying little ones ice cream was strange, even sad. Inside that moment was the message: if you don't officially rent through the resort, they simply won't serve you and they enjoy it. We have been coming here for years and have seen it decline in service, upkeep, and overall attention to detail" read more

Like others have mentioned, this is still very much a job site. Rented a 2 br tennis villa and it was not ready at check in due to an air conditioning issue. Staff was not at all helpful and we left to visit friends in the area. Once we were able to check in, the room had an overwhelming mold/mildew smell. Top floor was worse than bottom but both were bad. The air vents need to be sanitized or replaced. I have been coming here for years and very disappointed in the current level of service and rooms. Great service was always a big part of the South Seas experience in the past. This ownership group seems to have little interest. read more

This is a mixed review. The property is beautiful. One must also consider the damage done by hurricanes. The reception and app associated with the resort is pathetic and dysfunctional. The pool area at the north end of the island is beautiful and highly recommended. There is nonexistent housekeeping. Don't bother to call, email or use voicemail. It's pointless. Despite that the resort may be exceptional in a year or two, once the management decides to take an interest in the present customers , instead of building new residences. For perspective, this is our forth stay at this property over the years. read more

We have been coming to the resort for years and have a timeshare in one of the cottages. We love it here, but are disappointed in so much construction and so many limitations on amenities. When we first purchased our timeshare week, we had access to everything and now the gym and the fishing pier are off-limits. As far as the cottage is concerned, it was not cleaned well. More attention needs to be, given under furniture and the dust on the lamps and surfaces also in the kitchen needs to be tended to. Everton is always a pleasure, he is courteous and professional, and very friendly. We love our time By The Pool with him. He goes above and beyond the call of duty. Johnny was also wonderful. We were disappointed in the fact that we cannot sit by the gulf because umbrellas are not allowed to be placed there and it's much too hot without an umbrella. Thank you. read more

During our 4 day stay : no maid service at all. When we called to ask / request we were told they needed 24 hour advance notice. We then requested it for the following day. Still nothing happened. We are leaving tomorrow so at this point there is no sense to continue asking for basic services. We are staying in a 3 bedroom villa. The trash is overflowing even though we have emptied the bins already several times. No extra trash liners were provided. The floors are super sandy and dirty after 3 days here. There are also other nuisances that I won't bother to discuss here. Enough is to say that this resort is not ready for prime time right now. Don't spend your hard earned dollars on a vacation here - things may eventually improve but it will be a while until ( if) I return This from a fan of this resort for the past 30 years. I wish them well. They are a far cry from what this resort was in the past. read more

I have been a timeshare owner for 23 years. I could not recommend anyone coming to this resort based on our final stay this year. The resort is a construction zone. Our timeshare unit with HGVC (Plantation House) has 'amenities' for what that is worth now. The main pool was nice but the trek to Sunset Beach was not worth the effort with the lack of golf cart parking close to the beach. The overall quality of the resort has declined considerably and the new 'water park' is quite simply an eyesore and not what South Seas DNA has been over the years. Selling our unit as the vacation there is no longer enjoyable. Timbers is ruining a once idyllic retreat. Stay away. read more

Family has been coming to South Seas Resort since the 80s--we own several weeks. We've seen multiple hurricanes blow through and watched South Seas rebuild and change ownership. Each time, we've been pleasantly surprised with the changes. However, I'm very sad to say that the new developers (Timbers) are probably going to ruin this property for good. This was the first time I've ever seen the property so empty. It's very clear they're pricing out everyone, especially timeshare holders, with mediocre food to outrageous rates and stupid rules for golf cart rentals. The biggest kicker is the scam they're running--forcing people into bogus "Club Captiva" memberships. Most recently, Timbers has stopped allowing boaters to dock at their marina. The new rule claims that you can only dock your boat at the marina if you...wait for it...are a hotel guest. Too bad they tore down the hotel rooms! Not a single boat was tied up at the marina the whole week! Such a joke. read more

I have a good review of some staff members at the resort. I've been coming for 13 years but not every year and Everton the sever at the pool remembers me and takes care of anything I need food and beverage wise. He is professional and courteous. Johnny, Mitch and Tarek, also pool attendants were so friendly and helpful, they gave me all the info I needed to enjoy my stay. Professional and kind. Now for the bad review, when purchasing my Cottage unit I had access to several amenities, this year they were taken away, no reason given just no access allowed. The towels at the pool are now at the children's pool and none are kept at the adult pool so not as convenient. No umbrellas are allowed at the chairs along Pine Island Sound which is my favorite place to sit and watch the sea life and birds. The ridiculous excuse is it ruins the view. The umbrellas are very tall and don't ruin a thing. My unit was not very clean and I needed a lightbulb which I had to request twice however I discovered it wasn't the lightbulb but the lamp itself. One side of the LR was dark all week. I requested an exterminator and my email was never received (a poor excuse because she got my arrival sheet). My unit was never exterminated. Many frustrating things this visit, accesses to the beach is no longer possible along the Sound. A large fence prevents it. I still enjoyed my time but have second thoughts about keeping my Unit. read more

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE Very overpriced and abysmal service My family and I just returned from a week long vacation at South Seas. Here's what we got for paying over a $1,000 day just for the room (dont worry, theres a daily resort fee PER PERSON and other hidden charges too): - a dirty room to greet you on your arrival - constantly broken toilets - no cleaning service whatsoever - paper thin walls to keep you up at night - Non-HD, basic cable TVs that are constantly interrupted by your neighbor's TV remote - no one to help take your bags - long lines at registration since only 1 staff person is working there - an overpriced, understaffed, roach infested restaurant in Harborside - no ice machines - teeny tiny bathrooms Also, you will need a golf cart to get around. They do not tell you this before you arrive. The golf carts are very limited and we were only able to rent one, but for only 2 days of our 7 day stay due to the limited availability. Spend your money elsewhere... read more

We took a long weekend over labor day and visited Captiva. We scored an AirBNB room here at the resort for the duration. We stayed at the southern end which after riding down to the northern did see differences. Although our room was really great and huge! Because we went the AirBNB route we could not use the resort amenities without paying a fee but we got our own bikes which is all we really wanted. We also did get to use the pool and BBQ near our room. So the room was well stocked with everything we needed. Bedroom was large and AC worked great. Having 2 bathrooms was also very convenient. We made our own breakfast and sat on the patio a couple of mornings. Being right on the water it was very relaxing. The resort itself was pretty nice although the buildings do show wear which I expect being on the ocean and old. It is a convenient walk to 'downtown' with a walk along the beach or the streets available. No complaints at all about our stay and the resort. Looking forward to returning. read more

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It's a working job site.....it's basically a motel on water with a pool. Very misleading on what's offered......a food truck and Starbucks are the amenities.......avoid at all costs. read more

South Seas has been a family favorite of ours for many years. After the hurricane, we were patiently waiting for it to reopen and were so excited to make a return for spring break. Yes there is construction occurring and yes certain amenities are not available like we were used to, but this was all known to us before arriving. South Seas is communicating this all on the website and happily answered many of our questions over the phone before we arrived. Our family had an amazing week at South Seas this past week. We spent the majority of our week swimming at the main pool with the water slides, which was wonderful. Even though many amenities are not currently available, there are two food trucks currently serving food by the pool and beach. We visited Shell City Burgers twice and it was delicious. The grouper sandwich was my favorite meal all week! Any time we had any issues during the week from needing items from house keeping to questions about our golf cart, the staff were very timely with their responses and always went above and beyond to help us! read more

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I swear whoever writes the bad reviews here are the same entitled people who leave trash behind on the beach, thinking that someone will come and clean up after them and it gets washed away in the ocean. Seriously clean up after yourself please. The resort is AMAZING. It is true paradise on an island, with its own energy of beautiful slow island life. The beach is beautiful, the restaurants are delicious, lots of things to do. I am loving and enjoying every second of the time, spent here and definitely coming back next vacation. Guys, if you see all these imperfections in the room : you are spending too much time inside...GET OUT OF THE ROOM AND ENJOY THE BEACH read more

South Seas - The view - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Horrible service. I encourage you to read the other reviews and take heed. I wish I would have read them first. We arrived at 2pm and were told our room wasn't ready. They would text us by 4pm check in time. This didn't happen. At 6:36 we finally received the text that our room was ready. This was Monday. On Friday we had friends join us and as I type at 6:50pm they have yet to receive their room. They like us have been trying to call, btw, no one ever answers the phones here. We are furious at the delays and lack of service from the front desk, housekeeping delays, and quality of the so called Seaside Villas. They are not Seaside Villas, they are one bedroom apartments in large apartment buildings. See image of the view. They aren't on the beach, there is a large marsh between the building and ocean. Oh, during the Coronavirus pandemic which is still going on during June, they aren't cleaning daily, no trash removal, no fresh towels. Instead of cleaning more often they only clean rooms now before and after you checkin and checkout. Beware also that amenities are few and far between. You have to travel around this property which spreads out over several miles with many single private homes, many condos, timeshares, spread about. I wouldn't call this a resort, and certainly not high quality. See images of the so called resort shower heads and craftsmanship. I feel like I'm at a 70's roach motel. For the money, I would highly suggest looking elsewhere. read more

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Labor Day weekend was a fun and relaxing one. I had the pleasure of staying at the "south seas" resort for the whole weekend and it was a nice experience. The rate for the room was approximately 231/night which is not bad when considering location and the size of the room. It was huge!. Full kitchen, plenty of parking, clean with nice beds and great view of the ocean. The only issue was the bathrooms are a bit too small and we had a problem with the shower water pressure. We did call maintenance while enjoying the pool and by the time we got back the issue was resolved. I recommend you buy groceries before arriving if you're on a budget, because items at the market are island priced. If not on a budget, you're good. Food on the property is not bad. The favorite spot was "Scoops and Slice." It's like heaven for a kid or adult. Beer selection, ice cream, chicken wings and pizzas just to name a few. The decor inside is also great. Reminds me of the diner from "saved by the bell" with red seats and tables with the black and white floors. Then there's the pool complex. Ocean front pool area with a great tiki bar serving drinks to satisfy all. Great location for a romantic getaway from it all! read more

South Seas - Beach - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Coming here for over 15 years....love it! Just saw a magic show - Joey Evans! What an awesome show!

Totally not worth the price paid. Was expecting much better accommodations that matched what I saw and reserved online. Staff friendly and welcoming but other than that, do not recommend. They need to match the accommodations to what they advertise online. Very deceptive. I wish I checked reviews here before I booked. Very disappointing. read more

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The good: gorgeous grounds, fabulous beach, something to do for all ages. Loved hanging out at sunset beach at night, sipping beer and listening to live the music. We had a marina hotel room with a comfy bed and gorgeous view. There is a nice little shopping area close to a Starbucks near main entrance. We loved taking the shuttles around the resort. We saw many manatees and dolphins in the marina, at night the beautiful lighting coming from all the yachts made for a very tranquil and relaxing scene. The not so good: WiFi was terrible, resort restaurant food is all pretty average. Harbouside Bar & Grill is good for breakfast, dinner not so much. Doc Fords has much better food and not affiliated with the resort but was our go to a few nights. Poor lighting in the bathroom and no magnifying makeup mirror which I need because of my poor eyesight. I called housekeeping and they do not have any so be warned to bring your own if you're like me and can't see! read more

I am not giving 5 stars due to lack of security. Yes there is an entry gate but that was the last I saw of any type of security on this huge complex Personally we wound up with neighbors on our floor that has a ton of young men who spent their week fishing, leaving blood and fish outside their door in dirty coolers along with their filthy clothing and a suitcase roller from the lobby area. They got up early, stayed up late, were extremely noisy. Thank goodness South Seas is well built and noise did not penetrate the walls. They brought in girls and hung out at the building pool If no entry key they came around the outside of the building. Many other young men were sneaking in to steal ice and fill up their fish coolers with no entry key to the area. Had no idea who they were We called a couple of times to report some of these activities and at one point someone came and asked the fishing group to please remove the fish coolers and dirty clothing from the exterior. They adhered and threw it right back out tbere the next day. Never once saw any kind of security walking around to keep an eye on things or for instance follow up on our reports. Love this place but having tenants like this next to you or above/below you can ruin your entire vacation at this beautiful resort You really need to amp up your security read more

South Seas has gone through a lot of ups and downs over the years. It took a major hit when Hurricane Charley slammed into Captiva in 2004. Fifteen years later South Seas is better than ever. Since most of the condo units are privately owned, not all are equal. The Lands End Village units are the best two and three bedroom accommodations on the Resort. Be warned, you can only used the amenities/restaurants if you rent through the Resort. read more

South Seas - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Do not stay here! My husband and I stayed at the South Seas Island Resort in June 2021. We were scheduled to stay one more night but our experience at this hotel made us decide to leave sooner than we planned. First impressions are important and when we arrived at the check-in we were greeted by the pungent smell of a public bathroom. Yes, it smelled like a toilet in the check in. That was the least of our problems. We rented a bayside villa. First off, when we drove to the villas from check-in we saw that there was very little signage to guide us to our room. When we finally found it we went upstairs, unlocked the door with the key card and once again another pungent smell hit our nostrils. This time the smell was mold. The entire room smelled like something dank and musty had been rotting behind the walls for years and the damp scent smothered us in its noxious chokehold. We decided to inspect the room. There was clearly water damage, evidence of mold on the walls, the ceiling and in the bathtub drain. We also noticed that whomever last "renovated" the room left cans of paint in the kitchen cabinets. It seemed like there was an attempt to cover up the mold with paint. My husband called the front desk, he told them about the issues in the room and whomever he spoke to told him to call the manager. So he did and when no one picked up we decided to go back to the check in area to get a different room. The person who worked there was unapologetic, and they did not seem surprised about the state of the room. Had they received complaints like this before? Well before we unloaded our suitcases, this time my husband decided to check out the room. I waited in the car until he gave me the heads up. This room was okay. Not good, and still very disappointing and unacceptable for the price. I mean these rooms were going for almost $600 a night at this resort and they had a Motel 6 kind of vibe. The bathrooms were tiny and looked like they were straight out of 1985. The towels should have been retired ages ago as they were rough and also had visible stains on them that could not be washed out. A dirty glass was left in the kitchen sink. It was loud, you could hear doors slamming and people talking through the walls from outside. But the bed was clean, it was almost midnight and we were tired. We decided to stay the night and leave in the morning. The next day we both realized that the second room also had a hint of mold and mildew smell to it and yes, there were paint cans under the sink in the kitchen as well. We ended up complaining to the front desk where once again no one reacted to our dissatisfaction nor were there any apologies for the unsatisfactory rooms. On the plus side we got a refund for the remainder of our stay. But it was very odd that none of the staff seemed surprised. Clearly this is the norm at the South Seas Island Resort. Stay away, do your research and go somewhere else if you want to visit Captiva Island. read more

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We had mixed feelings about South Seas. While I think it makes sense to be at a resort on Captiva, for convenience and access to activities, I expected a bit more as far as amenities. Our bay side room was below average for the price. The bathroom could not have been smaller (could barely open the door) and the decor was dated. Our King size bed was caved in as though it was missing a support underneath or perhaps it was an old mattress that was past it's useful life. The resort definitely has potential and may be a good place for families however we felt it needed an injection of capital to upgrade things. Doc's Rum Bar is a good spot, although not part of the resort. The Harbourside was good for breakfast however extremely overpriced. Scoops and slices was good for ice cream and casual pizza for families. We did not visit the poolside bar as the weather was too cold on our trip. We don't play tennis but they seemed to have many courts and they looked updated. read more

Houses are much better than the villas. We thought we were booking a 3 bedroom villa but it was really a two bedroom condo with an upstairs wide open loft with a bed and with tiny stairs leading to it. Manager followed up and was very helpful though at helping us solve our problems, which brought our stars up from 2. read more

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We stayed at SSIR at the end of Feb 2019. It was my husband and I with our 2.5 year old. From check in to check out - we were continuously impressed with SSIR. We truly felt like a valued guest of the resort. ROOM: We stayed in the Beach Villas near the entrance of the resort - second floor. I was hesitant at first about being on the 2nd floor being 7 months pregnant & having a toddler, but the elevators cured that worry. Our Villa was clean and well maintained with plenty of utensils/ kitchen items. We had asked for a pack n play during our booking, however, there wasn't one in the room when we arrived. One call to Guest Services & it was delivered and set up 20 minutes later! It was nice to find that our balcony was fully enclosed with a screen - this helped prevent any bugs and keep our belongings secured during any wind. We found the housekeeping services to be thorough enough and timely. We only had one day where we arrived back to the room for nap time and it wasn't cleaned - this wasn't a big deal for us. At our villas there was a trash receptacle near the stairs on every floor - I found this VERY handy for diapers and leftover containers. TRANSPORTATION: Since we were at the entrance of the resort, we were VERY thankful we rented a golf cart. The resort it 2.5 miles long - so transportation from one end to the other is necessary (if you are staying near the entrance). You are able to drive a car & there is a trolley, however, the golf cart was part of the experience for us and our toddler loved it! Plus, you are able to take the golf cart off premise to explore Captiva a little more. BEACHES: We had a walkway to the beach right at our complex and the beach was equipped with chairs, umbrellas, and towels. There was a LOT of shells in this area, so it wasn't nice, soft sand (aka ideal for a toddler to play in) however, the dolphins swam SUPER close to shore and were so much fun to watch. The beach near the point - Sunset Beach - is great! Chairs, towels, toys, umbrellas, Tiki Bar with food and drinks, bathroom, etc. The sand is much nicer here, too. The great think about the beach is that you can walk for MILES! POOL: We did not visit the pool at our complex - only the main pool area. The three pools they have are great! All are heated and are the perfect temp. The two we frequented were great for toddlers due to them having the gradual grade into the pool instead of steps or ladders. Our little guys was too little for the water slides, but those seemed to be a hit. LOTS of seats around the pool, I was actually shocked that there were so many. One morning we were the first ones at the pool at 9AM and were the only ones there for about an hour - it was awesome. Not only are there lots of chairs, they are very comfortable. There is also a lot of shade - umbrellas and lots of palm trees. Great for getting the kiddos out of the sun. There is also a few games - Foosball & giant connect 4 - for kids to play with. One thing we loved about the pool area was the service staff. Super friendly, very attentive, and FAST. Food and drinks came out promptly! Tiki Bar & The Point for food - made sitting at the pool SUPER relaxing and convenient. FOOD: The ONLY downside I saw to the resort was the lack of restaurant options. Only one place for breakfast - at Harborside for the buffet - & that was expensive. Dinner had 3 options - a nicer restaurant (as front desk told me, not ideal for toddlers), the pizza & ice cream place, & Doc Fords. We ended up venturing into town for dinner half the time we stayed. We grabbed snacks and food at WalMart before we got on the Island - this was a life saver for us! We ate breakfast in the room & had plenty of snacks and lunch stuff for the kiddo. There are places on the island but not very close to our resort and probably more expensive. Disclaimer - We did not check out the little store by the pool - but i think they had some food or snacks!? SERVICE: We made the comment more than once that all the staff was SO friendly. From grounds keeping to house keeping, servers, etc. Always smiling, always had a hello. Not only that but we felt everything was very well kept and clean. We found there was a decent amount of stuff to do for our 2.5 year old - pool, beach, golf cart rides, animal watching (manatees in the marina!), scoops & slices, etc. There is an arcade, tennis courts, golf, etc - we did not take advantage of those places. All in all - we were super impressed & we would definitely return! read more

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This is my first low star review after traveling around the world. Pros: beach is beautiful and private and the pools are very nice and the people at the resort are nice. Overall the beach and the pools and food are wonderful. Cons: PRICE. Also, each unit is individually owned so we got no outdoor space, mold and mildew, and the front desk isn't helpful which is frustrating. So you could get a great unit or a horrible dated unit like we did... which was dirty. So for the money it's surprising- Don't waste your time. We paid about $1600 a night for a 3 bedroom that was bay view (wouldn't recommend you are far away from everything). The front desk doesn't care that you're checking in( it's 1600 a night- you'd think they care ) We were given no information about the resort. We got to our room and surprise the baseboards were filthy and dirty. And there was no outdoor space. We were told you were one of the few units there's no outdoor space.... in Florida but everyone else had a screen in porch. I updated this review from 1 star to 3 stars because they did move us - although they the room was minimally better at least it had outdoor space. 4318 stay away- do NOT rent!! Holiday inn and holiday in express is better and cleaner and they are at least nice to you. We have had the best experiences in Florida- this is my first bad review. The resort itself is good- but just not for the price honestly. read more

South Seas - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

Our room has barely been cleaned. We're in the tennis villas. Bathtub is full of mold and doesn't drain. You can see crap thrown on the part where the ceiling and loft meet. This place is super pricey and not. Worth. It. No service. No new towels. Just insane for the amount of money per night. Also, Don't expect anyone to pick up the phone. Ever. If you ever need anything, oh well. Need new towels? You won't get them? Need trash removed? It'll be there till the end of your stay. This is NOT WORTH THE MONEY AND HIDDEN FEES!!! Bring your own cleaning items to ensure your room is actually clean. EDIT TO UPDATE: The dust in here is pretty impressive. If you didn't have allergies before, you'll surely pick them up while here. Not to mention the roach that we found and were unable to capture so this tennis villa now has a friend. Cheers! read more

South Seas - Zoom in - Resorts Near Me - Captiva, Florida

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