First, a word on Sanibel Island for those who have not been there. The island is a mellow place with limited nightlife--not like, say Key West or South Beach--although there are plenty of restaurants. The island is also spread out, not great for walking, although there are bike paths. This is the kind of place to go to kick back and relax. I would tend to describe it as a little upscale as well--it is not a bargain, but then again it is not New York or London expensive.

That said, the Sunset fits the character of the island. The hotel a low-slung building that looks more like a well-kept motel. The greatest thing about the place is that you are literally steps from the beach and you can use the hotel's beach chairs and umbrellas gratis. There are a few other modest amenities, including a pool, hammocks, a volleyball court, continental breakfast (pretty limited), free bikes (a little on the old side), and flashlights (to see the sea turtles on the beach at night).

Service was good. The people at the front desk were great, very friendly and informative on things to do on the island. The only disappointment was their policy on checking in (4 o'clock) and checking out (11 am, which can be extended one hour before they charge you).

Our room was a little musty (probably partly because of the humidity and being so close to the gulf) and a little worn looking. However, it was clean, the bed was comfortable, and we received nice towels and bath soaps (great for washing up after some swimming/wading). The room also had a large flat screen tv, dvd player, and mini-frig.

We would definitely consider staying here again.

We chose the hotel for its big pool & location right on the beach. It was everything we expected, and more. We reserved a gardenview room, but were upgraded to a 2 bedroom suite when we arrived, which was so great, considering we have a 2 year old and a 5 year old. The room was so nice, very clean, and very nicely and comfortably furnished. The beds were very comfortable, bedding was soft, rooms were spacious, and the balcony was great. The hotel was small, which meant very short walks from parking lot to room, to front desk, to pool, and to beach, very important when you're carrying a 2 year old and gear. The grounds were well kept, the staff was friendly, there was no noise from other rooms, etc. We absolutely loved the hotel, and would stay there again in a heartbeat. I can't think of anything bad to say; we just really enjoyed the whole thing. And, it rained on and off the whole weekend, but with the pool and beach being literally just steps away, it wasn't a big deal at all. You could get out of the ocean and be back in your room in less than 2 minutes; it's all that close.

Great hotel-generous continental breakfast (mostly bagels, croissants, donuts etc) juice, coffee. Use of free bikes was our biggest draw to this hotel. the island is very friendly for walking and biking. The hotel seemed to be recently remodelled. Nice furniture, carpeting, tv and bath (including nice toiletries). for the money-we'd stay again!

My famly and I loved the hotel, services, friendly staff, beautiful rooms, and amenities. The beds were made up of wonderful linens and comforters. The rooms had granite counters and the rooms were very clean. The pool was olympic size surrounded by plenty of shaded and non-shaded beach chairs. We enjoyed the short distance between the hotel and ocean along with the complimentary chairs and umbrellas to use on the beach. The bikes were readily available at all times. My family enjoyed the shuffle board and tennis courts. My kids did not want to leave the pool and ocean, so the gas grills near the pool made it convenient for us to barbecue lunches or dinners. The complimentary breakfast was fresh and delicious. This hotel was more than we expected and would recommend this hotel to everyone!!!!!