I spent the first 2 weeks of August at the Lago Mar with my husband and 2 sons aged 10 and 12 and had a great time.

Coming from the UK we have spent 2 weeks in Florida every August for the last 5 years but this is our first visit to the Atlantic coast, having previsiously visited various resorts on the Gulf of Mexico.

We searched for ages for this year's destination as we like to have lots of facilities on site as well as 2 bedroomed accommodation, kitchen etc. We were slightly disappointed that the hotel couldn't guarantee a full kitchen when taking the reservation but decided to book nevertheless.

Arrived after a long journey we didn't find the reception staff particularly welcoming. When asked if we had a suite with a full kitchen were told no, and that the hotel only had 1 2-bedroomed suite with a full kitchen. Never mind...... we went to our suite which was OK , not stunning but clean and functional. The suite was on the fifth floor, ocean front and when we went to bed we found the air conditioning to be unbelievably loud. My husband was unable to sleep due to the noise and eventually called the front desk (this was 11pm local time - 4am our body clock time). Maintanance arrived very quickly only to tell us that the AC units for the whole block were directly above our bedroom and there was nothing to be done. My husband spent that night on a very uncomfortable pull out sofa bed in the lounge and woke up in a foul mood.

He went to reception (after an excellent breakfast buffet) but again found their attitude somewhat off putting. When asking to be moved he was told the hotel was completely full and nothing could be done to help us, until possibly the next day when another suite may be available.

My husband, who travels regularly throughout the world, was appalled at the attitude and spent the remainder of the day looking for alternative accommodation on the internet.

Although we were by now both cheesed off with the place and picking fault with everything, we decided to be rational and wait until the following morning to see what was on offer. Our kids were having a ball, great pools, beach, shuffleboard, golf and lots of other children to play with.

The following morning we were moved to a suite on the third floor which thankfully was much quieter. Amazingly it also had a full kitchen!!!

After this unfortunate start we had a great holiday. Yes, the hotel is a little tired in places and isn't as plush as some of the massive hotels in Miami but it is completely relaxed for families. The children are welcome everywhere and free to roam throughout the grounds. There are plenty of things for them to do and lots of other children for them to mingle with. The pools are great and the laggoon layout is such that it never seems busy. We never had trouble getting loungers and the beach is also lovely.

I must say that I think the resort is extremely expensive. The 18% service charge on everything (even grocery purchases in the soda shop) is a rip off, especially when the staff then seem to expect an additional tip. I also think it is ridiculous to have to pay $10 (plus 18%) for a sun bed on the beach. In terms of food the breakfast buffet was delicious but we found the lunch and dinner choices to be very limited but the quality of what there was was good.

All in all we had a good holiday. We all prefer the Gulf coast, finding the people much friendlier and didn't particularly like the Fort Lauderdale area. The Lago Mar resort turned out to be a great family resort and in a nice secluded loaction yet within easy reach of restaurants, shops etc.

My husband and I just returned from a 3 night stay at the Lago Mar. The resort is beautiful and the staff is great. Everyone went out of their way to greet us using our names and attend to our every need. We took a taxi to the hotel from the airport and never left the resort during our 3 day stay. We ate at the restaurant all 3 nights. It is a little pricey, but worth it. We also had massages at the spa, which were wonderful.

The grounds are beautiful and well kept. We read the other reviews that said the grounds were not kept up; however, we did not find this to be the case at all.

We had a one bedroom suite overlooking the pool located in the main building. Our room was identical to the picture on their and other websites. It was very spacious and well laid out. The bathroom was hugh with a separate tub and shower.

We will definitely visit the Lago Mar Resort again!

I recently spent just one night at the Lago Mar on 8/16/06 with my two kids (6 and 10), although we had intended to stay there during our entire 5-day stay in Florida. On check-in, I asked if I might be able to have a late check-out since I had a late afternoon flight. I was promptly told I'd have to call that morning for availablility (which is understandable), and that anything past 11am would result in a charge equaling 1/2 day. So, I decided against paying for a 1/2 day when I needed only 2 extra hours, and asked if they would have a place for my family to shower after using the facilities. I got a shrug, and was told that there are showers in the Spa, but I can't use them unless I get a service there. I got my keys (which did not work until after 2 trips back to front desk) and figured I'd deal with the showers when I left.

After lugging our bags to our "Executive Suite" a second time, I began to get the impression that we had made a huge mistake booking this hotel. The room was hot, damp, dark and not clean by any standards, but I was tired from traveling and thought it could be okay since we were not planning on spending much time in the room anyway. We set the room A/C to 68 degrees, quickly unpacked, got into our bathing suits and went out to find the pool and beach. The grounds were virtually empty and very run-down (photos attached). This was a sunny afternoon in August. Anyway, we went to the Lagoon Pool which was also run-down looking, but the kids seemed to have fun for about 1/2 hour. We ordered lunch (almost $60 for myself and 2 kids, and I am NOT a big eater!) and then went to the "Soda Shop" to get groceries for the room, since, without a rental car, we were at the mercy of this hotel. There is no place within walking distance.

Ok, this was the beginning of the end. I personally picked up a grocery basket and filled it with the following items: 6 cans of soda, 1 bag of microwave popcorn, small box of cookies, 20oz. of whole milk, (2) ring pops and 3 baked cookies. My bill was over $30, and I was charged on top of that a 20% "service charge". I was stunned. I asked the counter girl,..."What is this 20% gratuity for? I didn't eat these items here, I personally walked around and picked them out, I'm carrying them back to my room. Where's the service here?" She shrugged (they are big on that at this hotel) and said, "It's just how I entered it in the computer".

As soon as I got back to the boiling hot room (the A/C had been automatically reset to a sweaty 75 degrees as soon as I had opened the door to leave since they claim to participate in an energy conservation program), I called front desk to complain about the tip on the sodas and microwave popcorn. I was told I would have to take it up with the front desk manager when I checked out. I told them, "...I am calling you NOW, why do I have to wait until I check out?" After some silence then a deep sigh she said that when you check in, you sign an agreement to pay an automatic gratuity on all the services in the resort. By "service", they mean everything. If you go buy a t-shirt in the gift shop, you'll be paying a 20% "service charge". A can of soda - that get's charged for service too. I tried to argue that in the real world, you don't go to 7-11 and tip the guy behind the counter. In the real world, a gratuity is discretional, and the amount should reflect the quaility of service. With an automatic built-in 20% service charge, they have absolutely ZERO incentive to try to make your stay pleasant. They countered this by responding that they are a 4-diamond resort and that is standard at most resorts (this is not true - dining, yes, but not for incidentals). I spent the rest of my night tracking down a new hotel to finish my vacation (We ended up at the Trump Sonesta Beach Resort in Sunny Isles. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! Friendly, immaculate, fun, alive).

The next morning I packed up at 7am and went on the balcony to take one last look at the dive they call a resort. I had a room overing the Lagoon Pool. From my balcony, I saw a whole wall in the pool covered in black mildew (picture attached). I knew I had made the right decision to leave.

When I checked out, there was another family there at the desk looking very unhappy and disappointed. When I checked out, I told the front desk I was going to post my review on Trip Advisor.

There is really so much more to mention, like, you have to have a bellman bring you ice (for a fee), the feeling of isolation (not the same as tranquility), the lackadaisical demeanor of the entire staff. Do yourself a HUGE HUGE favor and never stay at this dump!

We spent three nights at the Lago Mar post-cruise. I chose this resort because it was beach-front and the rooms had balconies. The resort is very highly rated and I can understand why. We had a terrific stay at the Lago Mar.

The staff there were fabulous. The porters and concierge were quick to attend to any of our needs. They were friendly and professional and treated us like royalty. Even though we arrived three hours early, we were greeted with a smile and allowed to check-in immediately. One evening I went to the front desk because we had picked up Chinese food and they had not given us any cutlery. The lady at the desk was so helpful and immediately found us some forks and knives.

We stayed in a standard room and it was very nice - a definite Floridian feel. The room was spacious and painted in shades of pink, yellow, and green, with lots of crown moulding. There was also a wicker dresser, nightstand, and desk, a round table, and two chairs. The closet was a nice size, complete with a safe and complimentary bathrobes for our use. The bathroom was a little small but nicely decorated. From our balcony, we had a partial view of the beach. The room was clean and comfortable with an understated and charming elegance.

The rest of the hotel is beautiful as well. There are two pools, including a lagoon style pool. The landcaping is lovely with lots of palm trees and flowers. The hotel has direct access to a private stretch of beach. You can rent chairs and umbrellas for use on the beach, or there are free chairs available. There is a nice kids' play area too. This resort would be a great place to stay with kids, and there were several families around. However, the guests seemed to be a mix, with younger and older couples as well.

The resort is a cash-free resort in that all services (spa, food, drinks) are charged directly to your room. We did not eat at the hotel or use the spa so I can not comment about these services. The only disappointment was that the water taxi no longer stops at this resort; when I booked the hotel originally, I believe the water taxi did stop there. Overall, we loved the Lago Mar and I would certainly stay there again and recommend it to others.