Inn at Pelican Bay — Hotel in Bonita Springs

The Inn At Pelican Bay was full of surprises, some good, some not so good. It is located in Naples, right near several beaches. I really didn't think we were at the right place because we turned into a parking lot for the library behind a strip mall. In between those two businesses sits the Inn At Pelican Bay.

Check in was easy and the lobby was attractive. The people at the front desk are exceedingly pleasant. Heading down the hallway towards the elevator is where I realized how old the building seems to be. I think the inn tries to incorporate that into its charm, which is clever and refreshing in today's throw away society. However, there are some items that need attention or updating. The paint in the hallway and our room was in obvious need of redoing or at least a significant touch up. The bathroom is tiny although the shower is refreshed and lovely. It was fine for two people, just different from the cookie cutter hotels. The sheets were kind of worn and threadbare, but the beds were crazy comfortable. Our view was of the lake right behind the Inn and, honestly, you would never know that we were 50 ft off of busy route 41. All in all, it has charm.

I am glad I looked at my receipt before posting this review. I was astonished to find a $35 amenity fee added to my bill. I signed a card when I checked in to verify my rate and there was no mention of this $35 fee. My time at the hotel entailed changing clothes at about 4:00 in the afternoon and leaving by 5:30. We returned about 1:30 a.m., took showers and went to bed. We got up, got dressed, had breakfast, and left. I partook of no amenities at all unless the shower or bed or "free" Continental breakfast counts as an amenity. My understanding is I paid for all of those in my room rate. I did not personally make my reservation, so it's possible that it was disclosed then, but nothing on the website indicates that there is a substantial daily fee and the rate card I signed at check-in did not either. To not have a fee that in effect raised my rate by 18% clearly indicated when I checked in and signed to verify my rate smacks of dishonesty to me. As pleasant as a place may be, dishonesty never sits...

I had a reservation for last year, 10/5-10/6 (two nights). Upon arrival, I was told that my reservation was cancelled because I cancelled it. I was in shock as I did not cancel my reservation. They printed out a copy of a chat with someone's message asking to cancel a reservation for 10/7-10/9 with the same last name but with a number with an area code from Rochester. That wasn't me but they did not double the person's first name or address.

I did call my travel agent she said that the reservation was still active on her end.

I did speak with the front desk director who refused to speak with my travel agent at first. I passed the phone to him and he yelled at me that he doesn't talk on other people's phones other than his. He was very aggressive and agitated. So I put my iphone on speaker, and my travel agent tried to talk to him to figure out the problem. But he often ignored her and me. I did ask him for his name initially ( he was a bit far and I couldn't read the name of his badge) and he walked away to his office without saying anything. One of the kids (glasses, really thin with brown/reddish hair), told me "hold on!" quite rudely. Eventually, he came back and gave me a card without saying a word. His name is Robert Keane. And I wanted to confirm that the name on the card was his (English is not my first language, so I need to verify everything), and I did ask him if the name on the card was his and he screamed at me and asked me if I thought it was his mother's name. And then he called me an idiot. Yes, he called me an idiot several times! My travel agent heard it all and there were witnesses. Yes, he did insult me.

English is not my first language and to have a front desk director insult you like this is beyond belief. Please be careful with this place and don't be fooled by the glowing reviews you...

This was, by far, the cleanest hotel I've ever been in. Our room was spotless when we checked in. The hotel was beautiful and kept up really well; you don't see that much anymore. The staff were super friendly and helpful; everyone from the maids to the valet to the front desk staff. The lake view is very pretty. I recommend spending a little extra for the view if you can get a room with a balcony. The guest amenity fee can feel a little excessive at $35/ night, but we wound up using a lot of the amenities: beach chairs and umbrellas, the shuttle to the beach, the bikes, and the breakfast. Honestly with how nice the rooms are, the quality of the staff, and the cleanliness of the entire hotel, it's worth the cost. Some reviewers were not pleased with the breakfast, but I thought it was great. There were make your own waffles and pancakes, bagels toast, English muffins, yogurt with toppings, cold cereal and milk, fresh fruit, and donuts and apple fritters. And they didn't run out of anything by the end of breakfast. The hotel staff was continually refreshing the supply of breakfast items, so we had the same great selection of items whether we went down at 7:30 or 10:00 am for breakfast. They also have a guitarist playing music during breakfast on the weekends; he was really good. I thought that was a great way to get in the mood for a fun day in a tropical paradise. I was so impressed with pretty much every aspect of this hotel. It felt like a vacation; not just a place to sleep and store your luggage. 10/10 would...