Excellent service and facilities. This was a very restful, beautiful space, and just as clean as earth-friendly as they're famous for. We arrived around 7pm and were greeted by Steve who asked us if we would be attending yoga on the beach with them the next morning! Just wonderful. Our schedule didn't allow us to enjoy the raw food breakfast (8-10am, M-F) prepared by their chef, but we did have a delightful organic Sunday breakfast under the peaceful tiki hut in the garden outside our apartment. We found other couples and families staying at the Desoto wile we were there, but never noticed any bother or noise. The atmosphere of the inn is just so calm and peaceful. Signs saying "Welcome" in many languages, "Please Recycle," and "No smoking" created a friendly, healthy environment where we felt much at ease.
The unit itself (Studio apt. E) was large and full of everything we might need for cooking on our own. We enjoyed the Terra Green amenities in the bathroom, and appreciated that there were even beach towels available for our use. The bed and bathroom linens were soft and perfectly clean, and the floor was so clean that we didn't have any reservations about walking around barefoot. That says something! Steve and Josias were very accommodating, and made our stay very enjoyable. The Keurig coffee bar, next to a little bookcase for sharing books, included rice and hemp milk in the mini-fridge to cream your coffee with, and had a sign charging 60 cents for a cup of coffee on the honor system, which I thought was just fabulous. For any Keurig user, you know that 60 cents is right at cost per cup. Everything about this place seemed caring and honest.
This area of Hollywood is as quiet and tucked-away as it can be, even while being near to some non-beach activities (nature preserves and parks, shopping, movie theatres, etc) if you wanted them. The hotel is literally 2 minutes walk to the gorgeous ocean, and if you're into fishing, party-boat-style fishing trips leave less than half a mile away at Sea Legs III. Since we visited during sea turtle nesting season, we were thrilled to be able to walk the public beach and see marked nesting sites. We ran into some turtle protection volunteers who told us that Las Olas (accessible by Fort Lauderdale Public Beach parking lot, about 10 minutes north of the Desoto) had lots of nesting turtles, and it was there that we got to meet one of nature's great mysteries, the mother sea turtle. (Bring a red flashlight, since bright lights are not allowed on the beach during turtle season May - November. Prime turtle viewing time is between 10pm and 3am. Parking at Ft. Lauderdale Beach was about $2 for an hour.)
It rained a lot during our vacation, but with a positive attitude and a serene oasis at the Desoto, we enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you to Steve, Josias and Wendy for the wonderful hospitality. What a pleasure to get to spend a few days in your little paradise. We'll see you next time! read more