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Blue Dolphin Cottages: Traveler Reviews

4227 West Gulf Drive, Sanibel Island, FL 33957
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Blue Dolphin Cottages
Ranked #2 of 29 hotels in Sanibel Island
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125 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    94
    22
    7
    2
    0
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Families
31
 
Couples
78
 
Solo
4
 
Business
1
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
stansbury park, utah
Top Contributor
114 reviews 114 reviews
34 hotel reviews
Reviews in 40 cities Reviews in 40 cities
55 helpful votes 55 helpful votes
“Peaceful Paradise”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 22, 2013

I felt like I was on a remote beach in Hawaii. The rooms were extremely clean with full kitchen etc. staff was very friendly. This place is a shell collectors paradise! If you wish to bird watch there is an amazing refuge 5minutes away. The beach is so beautiful and remote, we never saw more than a couple of people here and there. Swimming is shallow and sandy a long way out. All senior citizens here, could of heard a pin drop! Reserve a year in advance, we wanted 4 nights and had to settle for 2. There is a reason they are #1 on Tripadvisor. Oh yeah, has to be one negative, pillows are flat as a board and a king bed is 2 twins put together, but who cares?

Room Tip: All the same.
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  • Stayed February 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 7
Ask kingofsling about Blue Dolphin Cottages
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jerry S, Owner at Blue Dolphin Cottages, responded to this review
February 27, 2013
Thank you for this review. We are glad you had a pleasurable time at our resort. We hope to see you again. We have new pillows.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Bullard, Texas
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“Great Place to Stay”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 5, 2013

My wife and I stayed in a Deluxe Efficiency January 23-31. The accomodations were spotlessly clean and very well appointed. Morning breakfast was everything you needed except for juice, which we bought at the grocery store and kept in our refrigerator. The beach is right out your front door and offers great shelling. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available to take down to the beach. Parking is ample and nearby. Most of the renters are repeat customers who come every year. They are very friendly and invite you to get together for a glass of wine to watch the sun go down each evening. While on the island, we ate at Il Cielo (fabulous),The Mad Hatter (Excellent), Sweet Melissa's (Very Good), Doc Ford's (Good), and Cip's (OK). For nature lovers, the island has Ding Darling NWR, CROW, and SCCF - all worth visiting.

Room Tip: All rooms are about the same distance from the beach so whichever suits the number in your party is...
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  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 11
Ask Art R about Blue Dolphin Cottages
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jerry S, Owner at Blue Dolphin Cottages, responded to this review
February 7, 2013
We are glad you had a wonderful time and enjoyed your stay at the Blue Dolphin. We are also glad you mentioned other features our Island has to offer. We hope to see you again.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Philadelphia
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
“Laid back paradise”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 24, 2013

We spent a night here over our Christmas break and it was wonderful! Super quiet and laid back. Very clean. We stayed in the "motel part" which had a nice bedroom area and spacious sitting and TV area. There was also a little kitchenette area with a microwave and fridge/freezer. Directly on the beach but still secluded. This is how Florida used to be when I was growing up! There are bikes to borrow and the entire island is very bike friendly!!! They also provide beach chairs for guests. Great place to stay we will definitely go back!

  • Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 4
See 3 more reviews by sullivanlb for Sanibel Island
Ask sullivanlb about Blue Dolphin Cottages
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jerry S, Owner at Blue Dolphin Cottages, responded to this review
February 7, 2013
Thank you for the wonderful review. We are glad you enjoyed yourselves and hopefully we will see you again in the futre.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Baltimore, Maryland
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“A Hidden Gem Like no Other”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed January 17, 2013

This tiny (ten cottage) piece of paradise is the farthest on Sanibel. Blink and you'll miss it. It is for anyone who wants a secluded, quiet, spotlessly clean minimalist place to stay. The customer loyalty is amazing, with people re-booking each year for the same time the next (as we did, after our so relaxing and enjoyable first visit). A delightful lady named Beth just about runs the place, always with a smile, and an eagerness to answer questions, print out boarding passes, and anything else guests might request. This is not a luxury accommodation, but it is a spot of pure sun, within steps of the Gulf's magnificent sunsets, a quiet retreat to return to (as we will) year after year after year. Highly recommended for anyone seeking peace and quiet on this lovely island, with guaranteed restorative relaxation amid the palm trees, lovely flowering plants, and blue sky and tropical ambiance.

Room Tip: They have only ten units: some are efficiencies with small kitchens; the rest are one-bedroom and li...
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  • Stayed January 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 10
Ask Cheers_11 about Blue Dolphin Cottages
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jerry S, Owner at Blue Dolphin Cottages, responded to this review
January 22, 2013
It was a pleasure having you and look forward to seeing you next year. We are glad you had a wonderful time and enoyed our ambiance.
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Manhattan Beach, CA
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
3 hotel reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“nice cottages - good value”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 15, 2012

very comfortable large cottages. Nicely supplied. Good kitchen. shows that the owners really care that their guests enjoy their stay. the only problem we had was that we could not use the ceiling fans - we are 6' tall and the ceilings are low. also the WiFi in unsecured - apparently they do not trust their clients to be able to handle network passwords.

Room Tip: all the cottages are nice (and similar) - don't worry too much over which cottage you reserve.
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  • Stayed December 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 6
See 5 more reviews by carolatthebeach for Sanibel Island
Ask carolatthebeach about Blue Dolphin Cottages
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jerry S, Owner at Blue Dolphin Cottages, responded to this review
December 19, 2012
Thank you for taking your time and writing a review. As owners we do pride ourselves in our property. Thank you for mentioning our rooms are comfortable and a great value. As to our wifi, our IT did not feel it was necessary for a passcode.
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Additional Information about Blue Dolphin Cottages

Also Known As:
Blue Dolphin Cottages Hotel Sanibel Island
Blue Dolphin Cottages Hotel
Blue Dolphin Sanibel Island
Blue Dolphin Hotel Sanibel Island
Address: 4227 West Gulf Drive, Sanibel Island, FL 33957
Phone Number:
Region: United States > Florida > Southwest Gulf Coast > Sanibel Island
Amenities:
Beach Free Breakfast Free High-Speed Internet Free Parking Kitchenette Suites
Hotel Style:
#1 On the Beach Hotels in Sanibel Island
#4 Romantic Hotels in Sanibel Island
Price Range: $$
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
A truly refreshing vacation awaits you at the Blue Dolphin Cottages. We are a family owned, intimate and charming motel situated directly on a tranquil, white sandy beach on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. The Blue Dolphin Cottages offers a selection of accommodations in its 10 units, either bright and airy efficiencies or spacious one bedroom suites, all with completely equipped kitchens, phones and cable television. Each unit has a comfortable sun deck surrounded by lush tropical landscaping. With our compliments, you will enjoy a delicious continental breakfast every morning. ... more   less 

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