We booked here because we have a dog. Many of our friends and family members were staying at other locations on Sanibel but they did not accept pets. The positive I can say is that the Anchor Inn is relatively clean. We had ants in our room, but other than that the room was clean and the public areas were too.
The negatives - this place nickles and dimes you for everything. All the other locations where we had friends and family staying offered many things that the Anchor Inn either did not have or charged you for (like a $15/day to use the bikes). The staff was not very friendly. I will say that there is a big difference in rooms depending on what level you book. We were in a one room efficiency which reminded me of an Econo-Lodge room. My in-laws were in a two room efficiency and their room was a lot better. Although both rooms has ants. We had a medical emergency and had to leave early and they would not refund us the nightly pet fee for the night we did not stay even though they re-rented the room. Based on the management of the property, I would not stay here again or recommend it. We had friends staying at the Tarpon Tale Inn and they had nicer accommodations for a cheaper price, the management was extremely friendly, they were a quick walk to the beach, and they had free use of numerous things (bikes, beach chairs, beach equipment (nets and such for shelling), etc.) If you're looking for a place to stay, I would recommend booking there,

Stayed in cottage #22 with 5 of my girlfriends for a quick girls weekend. We arrived late and had let them know we would be. There was a note left for us as well as a map and our cottage light left on.
Upon entering we were all very happy with our cottage. It was very nicely decorated and had everything we needed.

The pool area was neat and clean and we enjoyed a quick dip after we returned from the beach. It was about a 10 min or so walk to the beach.

Plenty of restaurants and shopping nearby.

Thanks to Luke and the rest of the staff for a lovely time. We will definately return for a longer trip and bring our families.

My boyfriend (of 9 1/2 years) has family living on Sanibel Island, and since we procrastinated in telling them of our travel plans, we were unable to stay with them during our visit. However, in researching another alternative, I came across Anchor Inn. I thought the A cottage was adorable, but since it's just the two of us, we really didn't need that much room, so I decided to inquire on the standard rooms. We were lucky in that not only did they have a room available, but the rate beat every other rate on the island! Diane (the owner?) was so nice, and very accomodating, and we got a good feeling that her and her husband really cared about the guests and visitors that stayed on their property. Everything was VERY clean and the mini-fridge was a nice surpise and saved us from having soggy foods and such. The bed was so very comfortable and the pillows were nice and fluffy, not hard and flat like a lot of 'Inns' or 'Hotels'. Our windows faced the pond in the back, so the fountain was kind of soothing, and there were even cute adirondack(spelling?) chairs in front of the pond for relaxing in the evenings or whatever, very nice touch! They had horseshoes and shuffleboard (we never got around to playing) and the pool was sparkling blue. They even had bike rentals! This best kept secret happens to be super close to all of the important places you need to get to and is very easy to find. The only complaint is that the bathroom was very tiny, but for no more than you need to use it, it was sufficient. We had already inquired about staying there when we visit again later in the year, and although it was too early to view the calendar, Diane took my information and remembered to contact me as soon as the calendar was open for scheduling in the month of our inquiry! We have told a lot of people about our visit and what a great time we had. We definitely recommend this cozy little hideaway and will definitely be staying here in the future when we visit our family on the island. Thanks to the Anchor Inn for making our vacation our little Retreat in Paradise!

My husband and I have been coming to Sanibel Island for about seven years. We have typically stayed at a larger more expensive hotel, even marrying on that property. But when we decided one trip to bring our two rat terriers, I researched and found our new favorite place to stay on the Island. We could not have been greated more warmly and had such a great stay. The two room effeciency was just so cute and very accomadating for our stay. The decor was "old Florida" but so cute and whimsey. We felt right at home and so did our four footed girls. Diane was so nice and always sent over a cheery smile and goodmorning greeting. She gave great recommendations on new places to eat. The rooms are very,very clean and had all we needed to be comfortable and relaxed. The pool was clean and quiet. We like the cozy laid back attmosphere and not being in a large chain hotel. We loved the grounds and sitting outside on our patio, even in a summer rain and watching the rain and palm trees sway. I would most definitely recommend this piece of paradise on Sanibel Island to someone looking for quiet stay and Island comfort at a great price. We will be back again and again! S. & L. C.