Looking forward to visiting cheeca lodge after a 4 and a half hour drive from Siesta Key,
We arrived at the lodge at 3:00 pm and were told that check-in was guaranteed at 4:00 pm.
Which is all good if we didn't get attitude from Donna. We realize presidents weekend is extremely busy at any resort so we checked back at 4:00 to get into our guaranteed room. An hour later we checked in the room at 5:00 pm with a little nudging from us. I would suggest they have a changing room available for guests who arrive early. During our stay we noticed other guests that just arrived walking around waiting for the room to be ready. It looks like this is a standard occurrence here and should be addressed. Also if reception wasn't so rude we could have waved it off.

We stayed in the main lodge overlooking the par three golf course. We felt it was not worth the extra $ for ocean front. We enjoyed the view off the spacious balcony. There was a large soaking tub on the balcony with water flowing from the ceiling. The room was well appointed and large.
Although the bathroom was dark and it was hard to put on makeup, i would bring a makeup mirror and slippers next time. The was a frig for stocking cold items but no mini bar which was fine with us because we stopped on the way for needed items.
We did have an issue with maintenance coming in to change fire detectors but the manager called and apoligized for the intrusion. Next time we will put the no disturb sign on the door or dead bolt.

We loved riding bikes to the hurricane memorial and through the small side streets. The Ecco tour was worth boat outing and we learned a lot about the Keys. (extra$)We also snorkeled through the hotel which was ok but I would do it again. (extra $)They even provided wet suits. The pool was crowded with kids as was the hot tub which were beach side. We made it over to the adult pool by the spa which was quiet but lost the ocean feel.
The resturant manager was extremely helpful and seated us when the hostess said she could get us in. The hostess was pretty unprofessional as I had to wait until she finished texting. The service and the food were good but over priced.
They do provide a courtesy van to go to some of the other resturants on the key which was very nice. The valet staff was very professional and helpful even cleaning the wind sheild on the rental car as we were continuing to drive up the east coast of Florida.
Over all I would return because the benefits out weighed the negatives.

From start to finish this was the loveliest, nicest, place I have ever stayed in. The King Suite Lagoon room was exquisite, the service from the concierge to the bar tenders, to the servers in the restaurants from start to finish was impeccable. The food at each of the restaurants was delightful and delicious.The staff was courteous, friendly and accommodating. Everyone was falling over backwards to ensure a warm and welcoming stay. I daresay, they made me and my husband feel like a prince and princess if not a king and queen. What a wonderful surprise, the entire experience at The Cheeca Lodge has spoiled me for anywhere else! We will surely be back for an annual visit.

My wife and I had a daughter 6 months ago and my parents offered to watch her for a weekend while we went to Cheeca to recharge. We are super active people who are not into lounging on the beach. Cheeca was the perfect fit for us (although if you do want to lounge it would be great as well).

The hotel setup a half-day fishing trip for us with Captain Rich Burson. I highly recommend requesting him if you are interested in a half-day backwater trip. A great guy. We caught a 40 pound spinner shark, mackerel and at least 13 other species of fish. Lots of fun and beautiful scenery.

Earl at the front gate is awesome. The hotel couldn't have hired a more welcoming person to greet guests.

Dinner at Atlantic's edge was delicious. And the tiki bar is a blast. I highly recommend ordering two cocktails that were out of this world -- the Key Line Pie cocktail and the Painkiller (cool tin souvenir mug).

The adult pool is gorgeous and the waitress out there was very friendly and attentive.

Also, kayaking is lots of fun and included. We saw a 4 foot swim right under our two person kayak which was a real thrill.

The hotel generously upgraded us from a resort view to a lagoon view which was very nice and unexpected. We were not offered champagne when we arrived (as all the other reviews reported) but it was around noon so maybe it was too early. But we shrugged it off as we were in paradise. My one critical comment would be that I've never been so confused on how to find and turn off the room's light switches in my life. A very bizarre problem to have, but the interior of the room was gorgeous.

I highly recommend the hotel restaurants, but if you are looking to grab lunch off the property go to Ma's Fish house and order the fish tacos (no atmosphere but amazing food). And for dinner go to Chef Michael's (Hogfish, Hogfish Hogfish!).

We had such a great time, we are planning to go back next year with our daughter, my parents and brothers. We didn't even check out the 9 hole golf coarse and tennis courts which we will next time. Can't wait!

My husband and I are in our late 30s, pretty active, and accustomed to staying at nice places. I write this only to give you some background as the type of travelers and age we are may impact our review of this resort. We travel well but usually keep to boutique hotels and B&Bs. This time around we opted to stay one luxurious day at Cheeca to celebrate our second anniversary. It was a pleasant stay to be sure, but not the height of luxury. I'll give you a flavor for the good and the bad.

The good:
- The adult's only pool next to the spa is quiet, with lovely music playing along the background.
- The spa itself is great, but does not rank amongst the best.
- The outdoor tubs in the main lodge are fun, as are the amazingly large double-person showers.
- The bedding was quite comfortable.
- Our dinner at the Atlantic's Edge was just okay for the spectacular price, but the waiter was so nice and responsive and the mussels were amazing.
- The view of the ocean from the oceanfront rooms is fabulous. The pier is great. The grounds are well kept with nice lighted paths at night for walking.

The bad:
- Service was questionable from the very beginning. We checked in early at 1PM and they took our bags, letting us know that they'd call us as soon as a King was available and have our luggage waiting in our room. By 3:30 we still had not received a call (check-in is at 4PM). We called the front desk from our lounge chairs and were told the room had been available. When we arrived at the desk, we had to wait behind a bunch of folks just checking in. Now annoyed at the lack of a courtesy call and the lack of staff at check-in time, we arrived to our room to see that the bags had not arrived there before us. We had to take care of that as well. We would expect a resort of this nature to have the staff available to handle guests well, respond to them graciously, and make the extra effort of contact when promised. By way of another example, when we ordered lunch poolside, a staff person came by and dropped off the food, but did not say one other word to us and failed to also drop off plates, napkins, water, drinks, or silverware.
- The outdoor tub in the main units is a plus and touted repeatedly in literature for Cheeca, but it's really only a fairly small tub. There are no jets or other "hot tub" or jetted features, no comfortable seating options. It's round, you sit it, you try to curl around your partner comfortably. I would have liked to see some additional features here.
- There is a TV and a DVD, and the resort fee affords you the ability to get DVD movies from the staff for free. But there are no other high-end features to the TV like I see in other hotels and resorts. I.e., you cannot rent movies from your TV, check out resort features, play games, etc. It's just a TV.
- The man-made beachfront area is easy to walk along and looks lovely in pictures, but this is not sand. Instead it feels well-crushed gravel. You need shoes.
- The main pool is a disaster of children. We have a one-year-old and love kids, don't get me wrong, but at a resort it was a bummer to have the main pool, and the only one with views to the ocean, jam packed with kids the whole time. Not relaxing, but I'm sure it is nice for families.
- The hotel has an outdoor hot tub but it is at the same location as the family-friendly pool. This makes it a less than great spot to hang out quietly during the day. More frustrating, the pools and hot tubs are off-limits after "dusk."
- The rooms with "Island View" really look out the road along the front of the hotel, and the garden palms, etc., along the road. Unhappily, I had misunderstood all of the various names for the rooms. I saw "Lagoon," "Oceanfront," and "Island." I mistakenly thought that the Lagoon view rooms must be those that look out at the grounds, the Oceanfront were those that were along the first floor facing the ocean, and the Island were those on the second/third floor facing the ocean. I was wrong. Island View and Lagoon View are basically the same thing -- it means you don't look at the ocean. Ah well. I should have been more careful. But a warning that you need to read the descriptions well and understand if you have an Island view that your room isn't particular private as there is a road that abuts that side and it is traveled by staff, etc.
- The main breakfast offered is a buffet style. You can also order food from a menu.

On the whole, this is a fine location if you are looking for a pretty view and grounds with your family. I'd say it's less ideal for couples, and lacks some of the style and service of a true resort spa locale.