Island Inn — Hotel in Sanibel

We loved our stay at Kimball Lodge #305 condo at Island Inn. It is a very nice condo, very close to the beach, they have beach towels, beach toys, beach chairs/umbrellas and a cooler for use on the beach! Very helpful since I didn't have enough room in my luggage for a beach towel! The managers in charge are very quick to respond to questions. It is close to restaurants, maybe only a 15 minute drive. There is also a restaurant at the Island Inn, but we didn't go there as we had other places we wanted to try!

But…certain things need to be updated here: the toaster isn't even from this decade and it burns one side of your toast and leaves the other side raw/not toasted. :( We're lucky our bread didn't catch on fire, it burned it so bad! (I did contact them after our vacation to let them know it was faulty.) There's no pizza cutter or pizza pan/baking sheet really suitable for a pizza, it's not that big of a deal, but I thought people should know. There is also no dishwasher here either (just to let people know, as it's been said before), but there isn't really much room to put one in the kitchen either. My friend and I took turns washing dishes, so not a real big deal. They could use a few more plates only 4 large and 4 small (they had a bunch of glasses though!). They also had a nice selection of spices (salt, pepper, cumin, etc. I don't remember all of them). The plastic chairs on the lanai could be changed to something a bit more comfortable. I see now that the lanai can be in the direct path of rain but you can't relax in a chair that sits up right. Plastic Adirondack chairs would be nice here instead especially since I just wanted to relax on the lanai, listen to the ocean and read my book! The lanai could use a ceiling fan, as it does not really get much of the ocean breeze, since it is on the side of the building and can become extremely hot. We actually thought our lanai was hotter than it actually was outside! The sofa in the living room area could be changed to something other than white, as there were a lot of stains on the seat cushions and I felt like we sank to the floor sitting on it. The beds were pretty comfy but the pillows could be changed. I didn't feel like they supported my neck at all and I doubled them up.

There is a nice high efficiency washer and dryer in the hallway in the unmarked door directly across from the elevator and to the left of the stairs. The key for it is in your welcome binder. I wish they would have specified which door was for the laundry. I opened the janitor's closet with my key and felt awkward trying to open all the doors at the end of the hallway by the elevator.

Overall, I think I'd definitely stay here again! I'd give this condo a 4.5/5 but just some minor things that may be me just being a bit picky!...

We have stayed here several times in the past and never had a problem. It’s a nice, quiet location. We booked a three night stay with two rooms, but needed to shorten the stay by one day. I’ve stayed with many hotels and they are generally very understanding especially if you been with them multiple times in the past and spent as much as I have done with the Island Inn over the years.

This trip I booked two rooms and was staying with my family as a little holiday/getaway/staycation/get out of the house expedition. I was informed of the change in policy when I checked in, BUT it sounded like they were going to work with me to resell the last day of my stay, so that I didn’t have to pay for it, which is typical. I asked the clerk checking me in if they had been busy and he said yes, that they were very busy. But, as I could tell from the numerous vacant rooms, I don’t believe that to be accurate. I was also informed that they changed their policy on bike rentals and kayak rentals. When I have stayed there in the past, these extra items were all courtesy. I also found out that there was no longer a complementary breakfast.

Here is the most confusing part, they say they will not charge you for the extra night, if they can resell that night online. But, how can anyone be expected to know if they are simply booking rooms and intentionally avoiding renting out your room to still bill you. Also, if they were truly as busy as they said they were, then why the big deal? Or, if they are dead, like I suspected why not treat your paying customers with a little more respect and courtesy? I just booked two rooms for two nights and spent $200 in the restaurant. And that is another problem I have with this establishment. I have eaten at Traditions numerous times with no issues. This time, all the food tasted stale. It was like it was on a warmer for too long or overcooked.

To be fair, I did call the Island Inn to request a reversal of the charge before posting this review. They would not cooperate.

All told, I spent over $1200 on this stay alone at their establishment and this is how I get treated. I will certainly take my business elsewhere next time. I recommend that you do the same. This place is not even a shadow of what...

I would have rated this place much better until I tried to take a shower. The miserly water pressure is inexcusable in a motel that charges over $350 per night. Pathetic. I do not recommend this place if you expect a good hot shower.

But now for the better things. The beds are very comfortable and the rooms are oversized for a motel. The beach is quiet with limited public access and my wife had a great time shelling. The pool is small but clean (the resort was fairly empty during our stay). The location is convenient to several good restaurants. The back deck is a great place to sun, watch the sunset, or stargaze at night. We met several guests who were very friendly in the public areas.

And now the weird stuff. The lodge is run like a one star motel behind the facade of a boutique beach resort. On the surface everything looks clean and quaint but on close inspection the operators cut costs in the strangest ways; pinching pennies that seroiusly diminish the experience. It's just weird. The cleaning service cleans what you see but move the coffee pot and you have 6 months of dust. The floors are never swept so sand accumulates during your stay. And of course the water restrictor in the shower.

The resort could easily be a 3 plus star resort if the owners would focus on the customer experience and a little less on pinching pennies. It's all those little things that add up to a creepy feeling instead of a luxury experience.

Sanibel is for the older crowd and young couples looking for a quiet get away. It's literally lights out at 9 pm because of turtle nesting. Don't overlook Captiva just a few more miles up the road. It's even more beautiful and a...