Just returned from a five-night stay during my daughter's April vacation week. This lovely and quiet resort that was fun for the whole family. My husband and I were able to relax while my daughter played with the many friends she met at the resort. The children's playground and mini-golf area were both very close to the lagoon pool, so we felt comfortable allowing her to play in these areas with her friends while we stayed by the pool. We felt the lagoon pool was prettier and more inviting than the larger pool -- the larger pool felt like a standard hotel pool, whereas the lagoon pool was more unique and resort-like. The beach was clean and secluded. There was a bit of a rough undertow, but the water and sand were lovely. It was fun to see the cruise ships coming in and out of the nearby channel -- but some of the tankers and container ships were a bit unsightly.
Our accommodation, a one-bedroom poolside suite, was in the older building, but it was clean and comfortable. My only complaint was that the bedroom window was right along with open-air hallway, so I had to remember to close our shades before dressing!
The resort is indeed pricey for food and drinks, but the kitchen and refrigerator allowed us to stock our own breakfast and beverage items and save some money. We ate twice at the Italian restaurant, Acquario, for dinner. It would have been nice to have more of a choice for dinner. However, this is a function of the Lago Mar being a relatively small resort, which was a real plus to me.
About the 18% gratuity (not 20% as I've seen mentioned in other reviews here) -- yes, it does exist. However, my husband and I usually tip in the 20% range, so this made it easy in that we didn't have to calculate the tip. And maybe the resort has changed its policy, but I did not see it added to non-service items that I purchased in the Soda Shoppe (my daughter bought some candy that was subject only to tax, not gratuity). I recommend purchasing sodas and snacks at nearby shops, such as Walgreen's and Publix, if you want to save some money.
The free parking and free wireless internet connection were nice extras. We stayed at a far inferior resort near Miami last year where we had to pay nearly $40 each day for those services and a "resort fee."
In general I don't like Florida very much -- I think it can be tacky and can feel unsafe, but the seclusion of Lago Mar and its private stretch of beach make it a lovely hideaway. I can understand why people would return to the resort year after year, and I hope to do the same!







