The Dolphin Inn Resort — Hotel in Fort Myers Beach

I was surprised that this hotel was rated so highly. It's not that it was BAD, I just had higher expectations based on other reviews. Check-in went smoothly and the worker was friendly. Upon arriving in my room I immediately checked the bed (I always do) and noticed the sheets appeared to be stained. There were several orange spots on the sheets---some looked like old stains that weren't bleached out, but a few looked fresh and potentially looked as though the sheets were not clean. The front desk worker was in the laundry area and I asked if someone was available if they could change my sheets. She got a bit defensive and stated she was the only one there and insisted my sheets were clean. I then offered to change them myself, and she handed me a pile of sheets that were warm and fresh out of the dryer. While I was happy to get clean sheets, it was a bit off-putting that she had no problem allowing a guest who had just checked in to change the sheets! The new sheets were better but did have a few stains on them as well. The only reason I kept them is because they were warm and out of the dryer when she gave them to me, so I assumed they were clean. After I changed them, I left to go on a walk. While leaving the property the same worker apologized for the original sheets and asked if the new ones were a bit better. She went on to say that the orange spots were likley rust from the washer/dryer, and I did appreciate her apology, but the initial interaction still made for a sour experience. It should also be noted that the towels, which were white, did not have any orange stains on them. You would think if rust in the washer/dryer was a problem, it would also impact the towels.

At check-in I was told there were "kayaks out back"---which there were, but there were no paddles to be found and no one told me where the paddles were. I eventually foudn them (they're tucked away on the right side of the dock in a open-spaced closet type area) but by that time it was already late at night. The front desk worker appeared to have left around 5 p.m. so I was unable to ask her.

The room itself was fine---it was small (I was bay view) but it did the trick for my one night stay. Water pressure and temp in the bathroom sink was great, but water pressure in the shower was minimal. Other than the issue with the sheets, the room appeared clean. The room I had (3A) would definitely be cramped for even a couple staying together. Aside from a small table acoss from the kitchen sink, the only sitting area was the bed. Directly outside the door was some tables and chairs overlooking the inlet, which was nice. I could easily hear the people in the room behind and next to me, and it didn't appear these people were being loud, it was just that the walls are apparently thin.

Location was good; several restaurants located within .5 miles and there were neighborhoods all around to walk in the morning. The beach is right across the street and was beautiful. I did not utilize the pool but it looked nice. Bikes are also available.

Overall the property was average. I don't think I would stay again, but it certainly isn't...

Don’t let the Inn word intimidate you. We have stayed in places from vrbo, Holiday Inn, Renascence, Sandals, The Grand Moon Palace and etc. Dolphin Inn provides a terrific value. We were 2 adults and 2 kids. Our room was upstairs stair (1 king, 1 queen and 1 twin beds), 1 bathroom, 1 full kitchen and 1 tv room. Very spacious and quiet. Front door faces the bay. Back windows faces the pool. Very IMPORTANT: Place looks and smells CLEAN. They have only 20 appts so place is not crowded at all. Decent size “heated” pool with plenty of sitting and umbrellas. They are across street with the beach. All you need to do is to cross the road and walk the grass path way. They provide FREE: beach chairs, umbrellas, coolers, beach toys, bikes and kaiaks Beach is beautiful. Perfect for kids. Lots of sea shells and powder thin sand. Water can be calm some days. In February water was a tiny cold for me. Kids enjoyed. Left side of the beach you can find kites, chair, umbrellas and jetski rentals. There is also a restaurant with to go food. Due to covid no housekeeping for 3 nights stay. However, they will make available clean towels and cleaning supplies every day if needed. Inn is located in the quiet area. More seniors around. We had a hertz (stay away) car rental reservation that was NOT honored. We managed to go around with uber, trolley and bike. Uber rides (XL car - 1 way): Airport $ 65, grocery (Publix) $ 15 CVS( pharmacy) $ 10, Bridge party area $ 20. To go to the airport ask the front desk for a taxi recommendation. You MUST schedule a taxi. We used Mad Cabb to go back to the airport ($45 plus tip). Uber is known to not be available or cancel your ride. Dolphin Inn offers free parking. Please keep in mind that the bridge area is the party area and one of the Island 2 only entry/exit ways. Horrible heavy traffic specially between the afternoon and evening. No uber or lift available. So if you make any cruise appt leave like 3 hrs in advance. Unfortunately we missed ours as we didn’t know about the traffic problem. There is a trolley service ( $ 0.75 have change). Only minor thing and not the INN’s fault: road construction. During the week they started early and worked late night. Construction have been going on for 7 yrs as locals said. Hospitality from all but specially Mr.Travis was impeccable. Dolphin Inn was our home away from home. We are already book to return in 2 months. If you want a quiet, affordable and stress free break the Dolphin Inn is your place. This was our first trip to Ft. Myers and the vibe was definitely better for a quiet break then Ft. Lauderdale.

COVID INFO:

Hand sanitizer stations were available around the INN. Mask is suggested but not enforced. FYI If mask is something you can’t leave without FL may not be a place for...

Our flight was cancelled, along with about 4000 other flights that day. We had to drive 3 hours away to catch the only flight available to be home with our families for Easter. Every other hotel or resort we called were price gouging to take advantage of travelers in our situation. EXCEPT for the Dolphin Inn. I was quoted less on the phone than what any of the websites were offering. That is what initially grabbed my attention.

Yet, I continued to agonize over which hotel to stay at. I wanted to be directly on the beach, and staff at the Dolphin Inn were very honest about their location. But BECAUSE their prices were so low, I wanted to see it for myself before I booked. I was scared it would be a dump.

When we arrived and I got to see the place, I was THRILLED! The location really is a short distance from the beach. Just walk across the street. They had more to offer than any other big resorts around them. Plenty of cute bikes available for their guests, free use of coolers, beach chairs and umbrellas...very thoughtful owners. Then we got to see our room! It was HUGE! 2 bedrooms, full kitchen, large living room and bathroom and a neat grilling patio. The room wasn't quite ready but they were bringing in new furnishings, it was just a short wait. In the meantime, they offered to let us use an open room (sat on the bay side, which was also adorable) to change into bathing suits and we sat by the pool until the front desk employee came to get us.

I did get a chance to talk to Mike at the front counter and asked where the best place to leave a review for them would be. During that short conversation, Mike told me so many great things about the owners and that speaks volumes when an employee can rave about their employer! WAY TO GO!!! The owners clearly put a lot of time and effort into this location and still somehow manage to keep their prices affordable. I appreciate the attention to detail and was very happy to keep my money local rather than giving it to a corporation. The Dolphin Inn will be my first go-to when visiting Fort...