Let me preface this review by saying my husband considers me "a high maintenance hotel guest" . Over April vacation we spent 5 days at the Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa and had a wonderful time. The past reviews were pretty accurate...the views are awesome, the bed's great, fun and festive pool area, restaurant options limited and expensive, great location stones throw from Sanibel without the congestion, having a car a plus. A key point many reviews did not mention was the level of service. Everyone we came in contact with from the front desk, concierge, waiters, spa attendents made sure our stay was a memorable one. They delivered service with a smile from the moment we arrived to our departure. The kids hated to leave and made us promise to go back for April vacation of 2009. We had such a great time we plan on doing just that!

The Sanibel Harbour Resort is on a strip of land right before you head over the bridge to go to Sanibel Island. It is not on Sanibel Island, and you must drive over the toll bridge to any of the shops/restaurants on Sanibel Island. As long as you are aware of the above, you are in for a pleasant stay. The rooms face the amazing harbor which is a beautiful view. The rooms are pleasant, although decorated in a very suburban aesthetic. The walls are somewhat thin between the rooms, but I wasn't too bothered by this. The rooms all have patio doors and balconies, which was a wonderful way to experience the sunshine, and the storms.

The only thing that I found disappointing at this hotel was the staff. I arrived around 10pm after flying all day from the West Coast. I waited a while to check in, was finally helped, and went up to my room. Except when I got to my room, there were already people in the room. I had to go back to the front desk to switch rooms, and although they were apologetic, they didn't know how the other people had ended up in the room, which I found odd.

I also found the concierge to be rather disappointing. They basically have a list of restaurants they are going to recommend for you. If you ask for their opinion for a restaurant that isn't on their list they're going to act like they've never heard of it. I think you'll have better luck getting a good recommendation from looking online rather than speaking with them.

The gym and surrounding areas of this hotel are very nice. There are a few fun bars on the property and also two very nice pools. Definitely a nice destination for families.

The hotel appears to have been renovated, with friendly staff. There is no beach and therefore the main amenity is the pool. Everything revolves around the pool, which didn't impress me. The location had nice views.

Stayed at resort April 26-27 for short weekend getaway. We arrived early and had no problem with an early check-in. Staff at front desk accommodated request for high floor and change in building. We had originally reserved the Grand Bay building and preferred to stay at the main building with the bigger pools, beach and restaurants. Views from main building were exceptional of the water and mangroves. The pool was lively with kids, music, boat traffic ect ect. The Grand Bay would be better if you want quiet, but is pretty far from the main "action". The views from that building would be mostly of the causeway going to Sanibel. We requested a late check-out (1:00) which was also not a problem. The entire staff was courteous. Reserved a tennis court with no problem-super nice clay courts. Fitness center was not crowded. Did not see anyone using the indoor pool at the spa. The room was spacious and well appointed. Nice toiletries, robe, towels and linens were good quality. Most importantly, room and bathroom was clean. Balcony water front views were amazing –bird poop on the balcony though. The music from the pool could always be heard even from the 8th floor-volume could have been lower. We had the buffet breakfast which was pretty good. It was expensive-somewhere around $25. Service was really good. Did not use any spa services. Pools were clean, nice big hot tub, small beach, hammocks overlooking dock and water. Pool service was fast. Pool chairs were filled up very early especially ones with shade. Had to place towels on chair around 9:00 to even get a chair, no less under an umbrella. The resort did not seem crowded this weekend so I can’t imagine how it would be in high season. Self parking was a very long walk. Overall, this is a very nice resort. If you’re looking for a beach vacation, this is not the place. If you like the pool with a great view, the Sanibel Harbour is a great choice.