This was our first trip to the other side of Florida. We moved to the Atlantic side several months ago, and wanted to see the Gulf. The hotel was fine. That's it - just fine, not spectacular (considering the cost). We picked it because it came up clean on bedbugregistry.com. We were first given a one bedroom suite, but it was so tiny and so overstuffed with massive furniture that we did not envision ourselves spending four days in it. The bathroom was miniscule. We were upgraded to a two bedroom suite, and that was perfect. This really should be the size of a one bedroom suite (and is, at many hotels I have stayed at). We were on the 11th floor, and as mentioned by previous reviews, the higher floor, the better. But if you are on your balcony, and your neighbor is smoking a stinking cigar, the pleasure of sitting on the balcony is definitely non-existent.

The beach was strewn with shells and was very hard, not soft sand. The shells were mostly inhabited by their marine life, and thus uncollectable. We did find a few of the prized sand dollars and empty conchs, but after two days on the table on our balcony, they started to smell terribly and we had to throw them out. Not like the shells on the Atlantic, which are buffeted and cleaned by the rough waters. The Gulf is mostly limp. The pool was nice, but the heater was broken on our first day and the water was icy, which somehow escaped the maintenance crew. I mean, really? The beach lounge area was also acceptable, but as at the pool, it is filled - like every place these days - with people yakking on the phone, smoking cigars, and being just insufferable. And no, I was not impressed with the attendants.

Altogether not a repeater. Go to Marco Island to attend a convention, if you must, but for a vacation destination, stay on the East coast.

The highlight of our stay were the dinners (and breakfasts) at Sale e Pepe. More on that at my restaurant review.

We booked with my husbands points from United. We had a wonderful suite with a kitchen, balcony and front gulf view. The service was amazing. Umbrellas, lounge chair, beach towels and lemon flavored water are all provided at no cost.

The next day we moved to the Marriott for a room using my points. Definitely would have preferred to stay at Marco Beach Ocean Resort for another night instead!

We really enjoyed the Marco Beach Ocean Resort. We stayed for 5 nights in September 2012, following 9 days of frenetic activity in Orlando. We booked and paid several months in advance, which meant we got a discount off the list price. We chose a a "full Gulf view"suite.

The suite had a small kitchen area - we didn't have a kettle at first, but one arrived 30 minutes later after we phoned to ask - it was brand new in its box, so I think someone had been sent out to buy one.

The room had a comfortable balcony, and we would often order room service and eat outside. We spent most of the time on the beach - with flying fish and dolphins coming close to the shore. The pool area was nice and we are able to take advantage of of happy hour in the cocktail bar.

There are a couple of restaurants and shops within walking distance. We also drove to a newer development called The Esplanande (I think) and found a nice restaurant for brunch.

It's a small hotel by US standards, but that suited us and service was excellent. And as a Brit, I could definitely get used to the idea of valet parking :-)

We've been coming back to Marco Beach Ocean Resort for the last few years. The service standard is high, the staff is friendly, as the food top notch. It's location cannot be beat and as the island is so small it is easy to get around by bike. Great place!