Having decided that we would take our 2 young daughters to Florida to go to Disneyworld my wife and I decided that we would go for 2 weeks taking in 7 days in Orlando and then somewhere on the Gulf coast. Some friends recommended Sanibel Island and as the Tortuga Beach hada a good rating on Trip Advisor we chose it. No wonder it has a good rating. It over achieved our expectations on all fronts.

Cleanliness A1
Staff A1
Size of accomodation A1
Views A1
Facilities - Pool etc A1

Its not crowded, a good balance of guests (no tattooed chavs from the UK), the beach is great (unfortunately a storm in the ocean had washed some detritus up so it wasn't too clean for a couple of days but then nature cleaned it up).

Sanibel is great and not built up. We ate out every night and did not have a bad meal once - favorites included Bubble Room and Island Cow.

By the end of the week I enquired about holiday ownership and for the first time we are proud owners of 2 weeks in August!!!!

Can't wait till next year!!

We just returned last week from our stay at Tortuga Beach Club, and we had the most amazing time. We had a total of 13 people including 6 children. The resort is very kid friendly and the children had a blast. For the adults it is a very relaxing experience. The grounds are so well maintained and very tropical. The pool is beautiful and so clean and well maintained. Our Condo was clean and well maintained also. The beach was just a short distance from our condo. The staff is excellent and very nice. We are now planning our next trip back to Tortuga for next year the same time. We all loved it!!!

This was my first trip back to Tortuga in 19 years. The place is just as clean and well managed as it was so long ago. We stayed in what I think is the best unit there 136. It is 2nd floor with a large screened in balcony facing the pool and Gulf, dead center of the complex. A great place to listen to the waves hitting the beach at night. September is an awesome time to go because it's the off season and not so crowded. The owners that own there are very nice and most have owed for over 20 years! The Island is tropical and not comercialized. You can literally walk the beach for miles. Shelling was our favorite past time. The unit is modern and they are constantly updating it. The pool is large and relaxing. They have some shaded gazebos if you need to get out of the sun. Large hot tub to forget all your cares. Everything on Sanibel is enviromentally friendly. The area restaurants are great, our always favorite is the Bubble Room up in Captiva. Our trip would be incomplete without our visit there. There are some beautiful tropical shopping areas where on a rainy day you can walk store to store under a covered roof. Periwinkle Place is where we went.. Even though it costs $6 to cross the new cosway you probably won't want to leave the whole week. We didn't. There's so much to do and enjoy on this lush tropical island. Only 20 minutes from the new Ft. Myers Airport. You'll want to go to bed early so you can get up early to enjoy the wonderful Sanibel Experience!

I highly recommend this resort.

Good things:

Units: spacious, beautiful, and laid out in such a way that noise from other units is minimal. Further, they are stocked with most things (other than food) a family needs to enjoy a week away from home. China, flatware, pots, pans, casserole dishes, etc, along with paper towels, dishwasher detergent, and a small box of laundry soap are among the conveniences provided. BTW, hand and bath soap are also stocked, but NOT shampoo.

Housekeeping: Aside from the minor issues noted below, the unit was also immaculate upon our arrival. You won't see housekeeping again during your weeklong stay, but they do a wonderful job in anticipation of your arrival.

Views: both grounds and gulf are lovely and easily seen from both the large patio and, if you have a top-floor unit, from the balcony off the master suite.

Outdoor common areas: functional, attractive, and well-maintained. Awesome grilling areas, including a HUGE (think Argentine steakhouse) grill by the pool, separate areas for volleyball, tennis, horseshoes, and shuffleboard, as well as outdoor shower, footwashes, and sink stations for shell-cleaning. Very functional beach umbrellas can be rented for $1/day, and two sand chairs are included with the unit.

Beach access: three well-maintained boardwalks lead to the private beach area from all sides of the complex. The beach itself is clean, and the water remains shallow for many yards off the shore due to sandbars--great for little ones to safely enjoy the surf.

Staff hospitality: Everyone we met in the front office and around the resort was friendly and professional, and seemed genuinely eager to make our stay a great one. A pre-arrival mailing, welcome materials waiting at our unit, and a newsletter detailing daily events and activities added value to our vacation.

Two minor gripes:

For the most part the units are well-maintained, and the furnishings in particular (mattresses, drapes, chairs, etc.) are in excellent condition. However, our unit in building C was in need of repainting on some of the interior walls, especially in the bathrooms (scratches, dings, gouges, etc.--some painted over, some not.). The dishwasher racks also need replacing, as the rubber has worn off the tines leaving rusty points. Finally, while clean, the master bath had a bit of black mold growing out from beneath a fresh-looking coat of tub sealer, and the decor in the master bath, generally, looked to date to the early 80's.

The outdoor pool was too hot to get into, even at night, on all but one of the days of our stay. It was so much warmer than even the ambient air that I was convinced it must be heated, but the management said it's just the effect of the sun and the humidity. Being from the mountains, I was expecting to use the pool to cool off--ha! This isn't the resort's fault, obviously, but it's something to be aware of if you're planning a vacation in the summer.

I haven't stayed anywhere else on Sanibel, so I can't compare. Overall, though, I think even picky travelers will find that Tortuga meets their expectations. Happy travels!