The Beach on Longboat Key Resort — Hotel in Longboat Key

We have stayed at 2 RVA properties several times in the past. The Beach offers a nice beach with easy access, great Gulf views from the 2nd floor and good housekeeping service. Our most recent 10 day stay in February 2019 was marred by an uncomfortable situation with Murphy beds and a "bed in a box". It seems RVA management does not know the difference.When we made our reservation in April 2018 the unit was to contain a Murphy bed (with a comfortable mattress) as shown on the website and confirmed in telephone conversations with an RVA representative. Sadly -we - a senior couple- now know the difference.||On check-in, there was a bed already made up; this turned to be a "bed in a box". For the first night we used the "bed" - a very uncomfortable experience as the mattress was a very thin foam material with quite distinct fold creases (to allow storage in the box). We told on site staff about this, they were quite sympathetic but informed us there were no alternatives as the Beach was fully booked. In an attempt to solve the problem they set up the pull out sofa ; another uncomfortable night. One of the staff took the foam mattress and put it on top of the sofa mattress - still quite uncomfortable. Since furniture had to be rearranged we did not have full use on the unit as the sofa bed was left up all the time, there was no comfortable seating, only dining room chairs, coffee table pushed up against the balcony door , sofa cushions stacked in several corners. We made several complaints about the misrepresentation of the sleeping arrangements; the on site staff showed genuine concern but senior management was not the least helpful. ||Our comment - a bad back is a bad day and a very bad stay.||We did contact management and since there had been no solution to the problem we felt there should be some financial compensation for our discomfort and inconvenience over the 10 day stay. After several emails, RVA advised they would process a credit for $207.20, which consisted of $185.00 from the unit owner and $22.50 from RVA, which we felt was stingy, not even the cost of one night's stay. We expressed our disappointment and they offered us a free night if we came back in 2020! Unfortunately, at our age the future is a bit uncertain and 2020 is a...

We have been going here annually for eight years. We love the quaintness of the beach, the proximity of the hotel to the beach and previously the hotel and hotel staff. However, our last two visits have been less than satisfactory.

Two years ago upon arriving, our room was not ready, we asked to leave food in the room while we found something to do until it was ready. When we went in for lunch the next day, we found several items that we'd brought were no longer in the fridge. It took more than two weeks for the management company to satisfactorily resolve these issues but they never actually followed through on the resolution and I was too disappointed to continue to follow up.

Our latest visit, the weekend of August 12, left us feeling like we spent way too much money for what we got. In the eight years we've been going here, the units do not seem to have been updated. The floors were dirty when we checked in, there was still sand on them and my feet were blackened from walking barefoot in the unit within the first two hours The dish washer was rusted, pieces were falling off the bottom drawer and it leaked when it was run. The bedroom had very little air conditioning going to it and the fan was broken (it would only go one very slow speed but made noise like it was trying to go faster), making the bedroom very warm. Upon bringing the bedroom issue to Management's attention, they tried to tell us it was a one speed fan; we've stayed in that unit before and it wasn't a one speed fan or nearly as warm as it was this time. I can understand it not being able to be fixed during our stay but please at least be honest.

As a result of these last two experiences, we are disappointed to say we don't plan on returning to this location, or another RVA...

Very pricey, but second floor room has great beach and sunset views. I walk the beach a lot, and this one was pretty good,with good walking sand and not too many people or shells. ||Unit was fairly old, patio doors and screens barely worked, uncomfortable sofa and kitchen chairs tough to tolerate without extra cushions. It needs a good cleaning, as dust was accumulated on top of the fridge and under all furniture. ||The promised beach lounge chairs and umbrellas were the worst I’ve ever had in six or so Florida stays. Over half of the lounges disappeared mid week for restrapping and never reappeared, not even the next week. One couple hosting six others from off-property “reserved” four lounges thereafter, leaving only two for the other 12 units. The lounges left were somewhat saggy. The umbrellas were worse than ones I’d use in a sandbox at home, with only 3 or so poles to sink them onto the sand. The poles did not hold in sand. However, the property teases you with four other poles that corkscrewed into the sand, but would not hold the flimsy umbrellas due to differing pole diameters. ||Don’t depend on any cleaning or room assistance, except replacement towels and linens if you go ask for them and are lucky to find them in stock. If you want to remake your bed or clean the tub, go ahead, but they’ll charge for that or any other “mid-stay” service during your stay, as it’s not included in the $400 mandatory cleaning charge and admin fees. At least the unit had a broom and dustpan to daily sweep up the dust and sand that accumulates on the floors. ||For $400+ per night, I expected something better than just a good view and five minutes from...