Really enjoyed our stay here. Sanibel is great. These cottages are right on the beach at the quieter side of the island. We loved how they had bikes to ride out on. The residences are clean and tidy and very good value.

Couple of things could be improved:

Appreciate that breakfast is a bit of a "bonus" but juice of some kind would have been great. Some days there was oats some days not.

We were in a room next to the laundry and the "venetian" blinds in the bedroom didn't block enough light. Would be better to have a secondary blind/curtains.

Just returned from a week in Sanibel. We have previously stayed in a private home on the island and had never rented. Based on Tripadvisor reviews we decided to stay at the Blue Dolphin Cottages, and what a great choice that was! The location is as close to the beach as you can get. The property is well maintained and landscaped, and the layout of the cottages creates a very friendly communal atmosphere. My wife asked me not to review this gem,so as to keep it a secret. But that would neither be fair to future Tripadvisor users nor to the good folks who run the Blue Dolphin Cottages. We will be returning.

Second time we have stayed here and defiantly not our last. We will be booking for next year before we leave without a doubt. It is so peaceful and great people all around. Nice beach and chairs to use all day. Discovered it in 2010 and came back again. If you enjoy "you" time this is the place to stay.

A quick trip to Sanibel for my wife, my mother, (first time staying on Sanibel), and me. On our past visits, wife and I have always stayed further west at Periwinkle Cottages or West End Paradise. Our first stay at Blue Dolphin allowed us to bring Mom, (84), with the the location being on the beach and eliminating the walk/ride to get to the sand.
The rooms/apts are very comfortable, clean and stocked well enough. I usually do most of our dinner cooking in the unit, and found myself wanting for some items. To be fair, I realize that "cooking in" is the exception, rather than the norm, and I'm sure that for most guests the kitchen amenities are more than sufficient. Although there are no 2 BR units, we managed fine with Mom in the BR and wife and I on the sofabed in the LR.
The hospitality and friendliness of the staff is exceptional and very accommodating. I noted in a previous review there was a complaint regarding the "no-see-um's" and the lack of forewarning. Perhaps things are different, but, while the critters were, indeed, prolific, there is an entire page of warnings/suggestions/tips regarding the bugs in the welcome brochure in each unit. Always a good idea to read the material provided.
While I personally prefer the more remote area further west, Blue Dolphin cannot be beat for beach access.