We are actually still at this hotel. Like someone else said, the pictures on the website make it seem really nice, but it's not. Both my friend and I said that it was definitely not as nice as on the website!

The good: The beach is close and the water is warm. The pool was good and the kids enjoyed it. The bartenders are nice. The view from the room was nice. Lots of stores and restaurants nearby, such as Walgreens, IHOP, Subway, Gondoliers pizza (great!), and overpriced souvenir shops.

The bad: Elevators are scary. Linens are yukky. Lighting is poor in the bathroom, especially in the shower. There is rust on the inside walls and the walls are generally dirty. Just generally old.

The front desk staff was less than pleasant. I asked if there was an ATM and the man grunted "Across the street." I asked again since I wasn't sure what he was saying and he didn't even look up and just muttered "Across the street." Not very friendly.

We lucked up on this hotel after problems with our reservations in St. Pete Beach. This place is great although maybe in need of a little repair. The beds are not very comfortable but who stays in bed very long when there are so many things to do and see in the area. We liked the private beach because we have two small grandkids and we felt they were saver here than on a public area of the beach. The water is beautiul. The staff is great especially the maintenance man who fixed our air conditioner the first night. If you are looking for a great hotel for a great price, stop here.

I stayed at the Clearwater Beach Best Western Sea Wake ‘Resort’ a week ago while on business, and I have to say, the hotel’s website gives an image that the hotel doesn’t quite live up to.

The good (which keeps it from being a 1 star review):
Staff was pleasant, especially the nice woman running the breakfast area.
View from the private beach was nice.
Selection of cable channels was impressive; it had even some quite obscure channels.

The bad (or undesirable at least):
The hotel clearly hasn’t been renovated in decades. Although the lobby looked great, after stepping into a sketchy, very small and slow elevator and looking out at the ugly blue/yellow paisley carpet design, I knew I was in for a treat.
Multiple appliances/amenities in the room were in bad shape. The clock/alarm clock didn’t work, the shower head sprayed erratically, the ceiling fan was old and unsteady, and the heating-A/C unit was poorly positioned to where it could get caught blowing all the air straight into the stained curtains.
Bed was very uncomfortable; I didn’t sleep well at all any of the 3 nights I stayed.
The channel/local guide waiting in the room probably hasn’t been updated in likely 10+ years, the print had worn off much of it and it was inaccurate as is.
The beach towels they offer ($20 charge each if you lose them?) are no larger than their bath towels.
The breakfast is not substantial enough to be charging customers for it; the cereals are even knock-off brands.
The private beach, while decent, wasn’t the cleanest, and near the edge, has some rocks that are caked in sand and could easily result in someone hurting themselves. The fact that there’s a huge, clean public beach a short walk away somewhat diminished the value of this “resort” aspect.
If you’re uneasy with the cramped, old elevators, the stairwell oddly won’t lead into the lobby, but goes straight outside. Be wary of letting the door close if you come back in from there; it slams thunderously loud.

Unfortunately, the Sea Wake ‘Resort’ is a hotel that appears to be resting on its laurels and doing next to nothing to keep a great environment for its customers. I can see a family excitedly planning a trip there after seeing the website and being highly disappointed at the state the hotel is in... especially as they get their bill with “resort fees” tacked onto each day they spend there.

While I was in Clearwater on business, we had our conference at the Hilton nearby. I’ll say, if you can afford it and get a room, that hotel was leaps and bounds better than the Sea Wake ‘Resort’. It was clean, contemporary, and the beach area they had along it was just gorgeous.

stay away!!! This hotel is right on the beautiful beach. That's where the nice stops. The rooms clearly have not been fixed up since the 80's. They smell musty. there are only 2 elevators - very small and slow!! our phone didn't work. we checked out early.