Florida features so many destinations, and hotels are so numerous, that making a choice can be overwhelming. Even narrowing down a list of prospective hotels can be daunting. At the high end, chances are you won’t really go wrong no matter how you choose a place to stay. At more modest levels, though, success can be a bit more dicey. No one really wants to end up in a bad neighborhood at a rundown hotel that’s nowhere near viable attractions.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
With me, some vacations are upscale, and some are low. When embarking on the latter, all I really want to know is someone who’s been there who says it’s okay. On my most recent visit to Sanibel Island, Fla., I choose the Holiday Inn Sanibel Island Beach Resort—and it’s more than okay. I am amused by its orange-peachy color and by the good view of the Gulf of Mexico cars have from the parking lot. I like much more the alligator habitat even though I haven’t actually seen one there.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
The rooms are fine and clean and cool, the service is helpful, the hotel sits right on the beach. I like the little grassy area for those days when work compels me to tote laptop and be busy. It’s a relatively sand-free space where I don’t fret about destroying my Dell.
Would I recommend it to a friend? In a heartbeat. Would I visit again? I can’t get back soon enough.
—Lori Tripoli
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini