We just returned from Sanibel Inn. We had wanted to visit for several years, but after reading some reviews, my husband was leary of visiting. We considered staying in Ft. Myers and driving to Sanibel, but we resisted that temptation. I am glad that we did! We stayed at the Sanibel Inn in a beachfront suite. We had a microwave, small refrigerator and small sink in the main living area, along with a couch coffee table television cabinet w/ television, and a table with two chairs. We had a separate bedroom with a king size bed. The balcony is huge and screened to keep the insects away. The toiletries are great, especially the lotion.
We enjoyed the beach chairs provided by the hotel. The young man continues to bring them so there is no one without a chair. Bikes are also provided free of charge. The staff is very pleasant and helpful.
We asked for dinner suggestions and ate at The Island Cow. I would suggest just ordering one plate and sharing with someone because of the large portions. The PoBoy shrimp sandwich was great. We also had the crab-stuffed shrimp. It contained several small pieces of crab shell. The atmosphere at The Island Cow is fun.
We also ate at Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger. This place is also of fun. You build your own burger, beginning with the size of patty, then you choose one cheese, (from about 10 choices), then you choose as many toppings as you want, (from about 20 choices). It is also reasonable priced, $4.99, 5.99. Take my advice and just order the homemade onion rings, not the homemade fries. Jerry's Supermarket provides needed items at a reasonable price and is a nice store.
The beach and shelling are great. We collected about 10 different varieties of shells.
Sanibel Island is a laid back, calm, peaceful place. I wish we could have stayed longer. Since it is about 11 hours from home, we plan to visit again next year after visiting Disney World.

My husband and I just returned from a 7-night stay at the Sanibel Inn. We weren't sure what to expect because of the mixed reviews we read, but we LOVED it! We stayed in a "pool and palms" guest room, which is a basic room with a king-sized bed, with the balcony facing the parking lot/pool. The room was clean and updated. The bathroom had ceramic tile on the floors and walls, and countertops were quartz or granite. Not that that really matters that much to us as long as the place is clean and well maintained. We don't spend a lot of time in the room anyway. Check in and checkout were smooth and pleasant, and all staff members throughout our trip were very friendly and helpful. We had plenty of nice thick towels, soaps, and coffee provided for us daily. A complimentary New York Times was delivered to our door each day, also. The pool was clean and there were always chairs available there each day, no matter what time of day we were there. We took full advantage of the complimentary bike rental, riding almost every day. Yes, the bikes are not state of the art, but they worked well and got us around quite well each day, some days taking us 10 miles or more around the island. You could get fancier looking bikes elsewhere, but for a fee and a bit of inconvenience. We never had a problem getting bikes no matter what time of day it was. The beach was also beautiful. I had never been to the Gulf before, so I was amazed at how warm the water was, and how shallow and calm the waves were. The Sanibel Inn is in a great location, in close proximity to many shops and restaurants. Some of the restaurants are pricier than others, but they give you a dining guide when you check in, which has sample menus with prices, so you can get an idea of which places would work better for you before you go. You can also buy breakfast foods/lunch foods/snacks at the grocery store and just go out for one meal a day if you want. There's a refrigerator, a microwave, and a small amount of cabinet space for storage even in the basic room. We liked the Island Cow and Over Easy Cafe for breakfast. We also enjoyed the Lazy Flamingo and Doc Ford's. We had dinner at the Bubble Room in Captiva one night. I got the "Larry", an alfredo pasta dish, which was delicious and more than plentiful. We took the leftovers back with us, put it in the fridge, and shared it for dinner the next night. We went to the Sanibel Steak House for our anniversary dinner. Pricey but well worth it! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Sanibel Inn and highly recommend it. The bottom line is...if you are looking for glitz, glamour, or Ritz accomodations, you won't find it here. But if you're the kind of person who wants a clean, friendly, family-type, down-to-earth atmosphere, stay at the Sanibel Inn.

My family and another traveled to the Sanibel Inn. We specifically requested "newly renovated" units as we had been told that some were renovated after the 2004 hurricane season.

Apparently, the "renovations" were new countertops and flooring. The rest of the place was a dump. The bedding was stained; the box spring of the master bedroom was broken; the pool was algae stained; the "free" bikes were about 30 years old; luggage carts were hard to find to get stuff up to the 3rd floor unit; the undergound parking had 6 feet clearance (no suvs); the screen of the screened porch was torn; the couch and loveseat were filthy; the dining room chair cushions were filthy; there were hand prints and smudges on the bathroom walls.

We lasted one night and left for Captiva, where we rented a house. The staff, although pleasant about checking us out, advised me upon leaving that the unit I had rented was for sale so "the owner wasn't putting too much money into it." Nice. That would have been nice to know before I checked in.

Save yourself from this dump and go to Captiva. Plenty of upscale houses for rent. We rented a 4 bedroom house in the village, short walk to the beach, for just a few hundred bucks more for the week than the Sanibel Inn.

We refer to the Sanibel Inn now as our "home away from home" for so many reasons. This is probably the best hotel experience we have ever had, and although we had not previously written a review, this was our second stay because of our enthusiasm last year.
This lovely inn is situated next to its own section of beach and includes all the amenities common to most other hotels in the area, including a nice pool, which we didn't use because we were there for the ocean. The grounds are charming with lush vegetation, palms, and even a butterfly garden. The room set-up is efficient and attractive, and the beds are absolutely the most comfortable beds of any place we have ever stayed, possibly better than my bed at home.
The staff was always friendly and helpful, and when we experienced one night of a "noisy neighbor" issue, security was there promptly to address the situation. It was resolved right away. At one point, the air conditioner, which cooled perfectly and quietly, began dripping on the carpet inside, and when we reported it, maintenance got it fixed immediately--conveniently while we were out enjoying the beach.
If you're somewhat overly-paranoid about your valuables when you're out all day, like I am, the in-room safe is an awesome feature.
The room was always kept clean, and housekeeping was quick to provide any extras we needed: towels, cups, coffee, etc. I also appreciate the attention to "green" practices; for example, the "option" to limit bedding changes which saves unnecessary and excess laundering.
Overall, we can't imagine staying anywhere else when we go to Sanibel. Not only is the island a favorite place, but this inn is, too. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with Sanibel Inn. Enjoy!