The Gasparilla Inn — Hotel in Englewood

From the moment we arrived, until we stepped off the veranda into our car, our stay was absolutely magical. To say this place is special is an understatement.||We have been going to the Gasparilla in on and off for over 40 years. It is a place that retains its history, sense of tradition, and supreme hospitality throughout every visit. It is old Florida luxury at its finest. It is a place to meet other People who love this place, to enjoy great food, beautiful surroundings, incredible amenities, and beautiful stores. It is a place to feel valued and welcomed with authentic care.||My review would be remiss without remembering the incredible professionalism and kindness of Tim Clements, of food and beverage. This young man is a superstar. He made our visit extra special in his wonderful, friendly manner, hospitality, and help. He recognized us by name after meeting us, and we felt we had made a friend for life. We were beyond impressed with the elevated food at the Inn. Nick Marchand, executive chef was not only friendly and reachable, but a delight to talk to and learn from. Another stellar addition to the staff. His experiences in Charleston at some of the finest places are clearly seen in the menu and how he has masterfully elevated the tri and true dishes, so dear to the Inn. Additionally, Logan, another executive chef was not only delightful to meet, but went out of his way to provide a bag of grits for my husband from Edisto Island, where he grew up visiting! My husband loves to cook and so enjoy speaking with others and learning from them and sharing with them. They were all so terrific. Truly, they made the dining experience special in ways that extended beyond their superb craftsmanship of such lovely dishes.||We fell in love with Sarah Bullock. She is a concierge, like no other. She communicated with my husband before our arrival and was mindful to take care of every possible detail of our stay. She was so kind, generous with her time and knowledgeable about all things Gasparilla. Her sweet demeanor touched us both. We shared some hard things with her, and she made sure that our stay was full of healing. I am so grateful to this young lady!||We also loved Allison in reservations. Not only was she able to get us what she wanted for next year, but she was friendly and fun, loving every time we ran into her. She made us feel seen and special.||It was a pleasure to meet the GM Mr. Brent Cross. We met him on the last day before the enclosed for the season. He did not rush, although I’m sure he was thinking of 1 million things he had to accomplish. He was so professional kind, and friendly to us. We wanted to tell him how much we appreciated his leadership over this incredible staff and stewardship of this incredible place. He was humble, but thankful. I don’t know where you find people like this. But they all seem to congregate here to create the most wonderful atmosphere of kindness, civility, gentle appreciation for nature, history, and beautiful surroundings, both in nature and physical.||The Inn is one of the most beautiful places we visit. It is immaculate. The housekeeping, staff, and in particular Charmaine, are always so happy and cheerful to help. There is never anything to want. There is ice in your room without being asked. There are beautiful amenities and fluffy, luxurious towels. There are wonderful L’occitane amenities in the bath. |Even the water bottles that are provided are fabulous. ||We have stayed in a cottage, but prefer the Inn. He simply like to be near the public areas to sit and chat with other guests and learn interesting things about the end and the people that love it as we do. Every accommodation is beautifully appointed and beyond comfortable||In writing this review, I realize I may be inviting more people to discover this incredible treasure. As long as I can keep my reservations yearly, that’s OK. But please. Treat this beloved treasure with respect and care. And appreciate the finest staff of any hotel. I have stayed in in...

My family visited The Gasparilla Inn on for a couple of days on our way home from visiting family. We intended to stay 2 nights mainly because that's all that was available when we booked, but after one day we decided that 2 nights was not enough and asked if there were any cancellations. Our Cottage was not available for the additional day but they were able to accommodate us in the main inn. While we weren't stoked about downgrading to smaller inn room, but we accepted bc the island is great and we knew that we'd spend little time in the room. However, the Inn room far exceeded our expectations! It was large, bathroom was big and it had a large closet. Perfect for me, my husband and our 3 year old.

Our original reservation and first two nights was in cottage 47. I was not expecting to have a sitting room , wet bar and good sized bathroom plus a front and back porch! We were more than happy with the room. There was a musty smell in our bathroom, but it wasn't that big of a deal to me. I did make a note of it on our comment card on the last day and was so surprised to have received a letter a week after arriving home from the manager with an apology and note that they had already addressed the issue. Really went above and beyond on that one for me! That really goes to show the attention to detail we observed while staying there.

The beach club was amazing, with 2 pools and plenty of chairs and towels (we went in July). Bar service was a little slow some days with only one or two people working and no server serving to lounge chairs or to you at the pool. That could have been improved, but it was also end of their season so i understand staffing issues at this time. Beach club food was good. Service was attentive and kind. Prices were decent, drinks were around $15 each, but to be expected in a place like this.

MUST RENT A GOLF CART! Everything is pretty close, but since inn and cottages are not on the beach or at the pool, the golf cart was a must for us and a fun after dinner event for our 3 year old. She loved driving down Banyan street at night.

We ate in the main dining room once. Food was good. Service was excellent. I think her name was Patricia- went ABOVE and beyond on another night when we missed the icecream shop and weren't even eating in the main dining room. We swung by with a sad little girl and Patricia made she to send us out with mint chocolate chip ice cream. She could have very easily just told us to order room service from our room and not be bothered by us, but she obviously understood volatile toddler life.

Honestly, the only downside of the GI/GI Beach club is the giant cell tower right in the middle of the island. Certainly not the Inn's fault, but it did make me cringe a little each time I saw it. it was VERY close to everything. yuck. Nothing would keep me from visiting GI again, but that cell tower does give me pause as I don't like to be so close to EMF. Something to consider if you have the option to pick the location of your cottage.

Shout out to the kind concierge who helped with last minute dinner reservations and Ariana at the front desk who helped us stay an...

Have your wedding at the Gasparilla Inn. If you have ever been to the Inn, you already know how special it is. Attention to detail is not only on display in design of its many unique common spaces, but also in its service to the guests.

Months later, I still get comments from our wedding guests about how incredible the service was and about how they wish they had properly understood how remarkable the Inn is so that they could have booked an extended stay. The small island has a great way of making a large wedding feel more intimate; the Gasparilla Inn has a great way of elevating the entire wedding experience.

Starting with the service, I could not thank the staff more for everything they did to make us feel cared for. My entire family was doted on, including my elderly grandparents who needed special accommodations. Our rooms were managed impeccably and every service we requested arrived on time and exceeded expectations. Deciding on a venue which requires their own catering to be used may sometimes give pause, but the Gasparilla Inn should be considered an exception. For both our welcome party and a wedding reception, compliments on the food and service quality were voiced by many of our guests. This leads me to mention the sales and catering manager, Rachel.

Rachel was my main point of contact during the planning process. She was such a professional with timely responses, personal suggestions and kindness that made her a joy to work with. She helped me coordinate everything from accommodations for my family to minute catering details and everything in between – many tasks which I am sure are not in her job description, but that she handled graciously. She obviously couldn’t do everything on her own during the wedding events, so I absolutely have to remark on all of the other staff working our events and how they collectively made everything feel seamless. The entire weekend, the staff made us feel at home and showed genuine excitement to be a part of our wedding.

It is always a pleasure to spend time at the Gasparilla Inn, but our wedding weekend felt magical. Having been a guest in the past, the service matched our previous experiences and I know that our wedding weekend would have felt special regardless of the venue…but magic is in the details, which The Gasparilla Inn is in no short supply. Their consistent quality is the reason why I would highly recommend the Inn for your wedding, or even just for a weekend getaway.

From the bottom of our hearts: Thank you, Gasparilla Inn! Every one of you!...