The Sandalwood was just a great place to stay, let alone at a price that families can afford and that budget travelers will love. Although a dated property with it's own charm, it is clean and well decorated. If you want more luxury, the Doubletree next door, at 2x or more the price is for you. Staying here though, you can still enjoy their beach tiki bar! The restaurant as Sandalwood has good food at good prices for a beach restaurant but it's fare is limited to good deals, not haut cuisine. If you want a good price, heated pool, rooms with ref., stove, and MWs, ON THE BEACH, easy walk to many restaurants and bars, located in the middle of the great beaches from Clearwater to Ft. Desoto, you can't beat this place. The staff was helpful, friendly and attentive, from needing a new dish towel to providing advice and directions. If you need lux and matching bath towels, stay somewhere else. If you like clean plush towels and a great price and superb location, this place is for you
The Kentucky Boys

Sandalwood is very relaxed and very family oriented. The pool is great just what my daughter loves with enough sun to keep mom happy. Sand castles and shell hunting just steps away with 5 Major league spring training sites within 25 miles for me. The building is older like a Fifties style hotel. Clean but older. The staff has always been very helpful and accommodating with my family. We have stayed there for 3 consecutive years and will make it 4 unless Mickey Mouse's siren song calls my youngest....We own a business and realize what a gem it is. It's not a party hotel. They do not put up with Loud raucous behavior around families. :) It's not a Five star hotel with all the amenities. It's on the beach, it's clean, and it's a great price. Sorry I never even thought about looking inside the oven...We were too busy having fun on the beach and in the pool !!! Minutes from John's Pass. Dolphin cruise is great. With 3 decent restaurants a short distance from the resort. Hotel next door has all the ocean toys you could want to rent. I love falling asleep to the crashing surf. We have stayed in different rooms and have never been disappointed, but I have to say the third floor over looking the gulf is my favorite.

We recently stayed at the Sandalwood and was very impressed. Although it's an older facility and rather small the rooms, pool (heated) and grounds were immaculate. There is a beautiful beach and it's great not to have to cross the street to get to it. Staff were very helpful and friendly - eager to please. The efficiency we stayed in was tastefully decorated, well furnished and even had a small kitchen. We were somewhat skeptical about staying there after reading some of the reviews but liked the looks of the place after seeing pictures on the web and bottomline..... the prices were too good to pass up. So, we took a chance and are glad we did. We will definitely stay there again and are looking forward to returning.

Pleased to say we had a good stay. The price was very reasonable. The
pool was heated and the beach was nice. We were lucky the weather was beautiful. It sure beats paying 150 a night - perhaps those complaining are expecting a new place. It is older but thankfully it was clean and we had no problems. we will return next year. All the past reviews had scared us some. I'm glad we went ahead and stayed there. We stayed in an efficiency 233 - it was pleasantly decorated in
palm tree themes. I didn't take a picture of the room but it was nice.