I reserved a gulf view one bedroom suite for my husband, college aged daughter and I after reading positive reviews. My daughter and I checked into a 10th floor tower suite on June 16, and found that the suite was cramped even for the two of us. The small living room/kitchen had a vinyl recliner and an uncomfortable loveseat/pull out bed. Other than that there were a few dining chairs. My daughter remarked that it would be impossible for the three of us to relax together in the evening once my husband arrived. Although the furnishings have been updated, the walls are painted concrete putting me in mind of an inexpensive beach motel from the 60s or 70s. The area outside the elevators smelled of a sanitizer - what is that supposed to be covering up? To be fair, the room itself was very clean, the bathroom was of a generous size, and the bed was comfortable though it filled nearly the entire room. Upon arrival, we found our room to be quite warm, the air conditioning was not functioning. When we informed the front desk, they did send someone to fix it. We also had a difficult time accessing the wireless internet, and this took much time with an outside help desk to resolve. the pool area seemed nice, but we never used it. We asked staff at reception if there might be a larger suite available and/or different /more comfortable furnishings even if the rate was higher. We were advised that all rooms were furnished identically, and the only larger suites were two bedrooms - the living area would be the same size. The staff member was not unpleasant, but her exasperation was evident, and she did not go out of her way at all to be helpful. In the end, we resolved to spend just the one night, regretting $300 for the stay.

My wife and I stayed in a beachfront unit on the 10th floor. Total visit was outstanding!! Cannot write enough good stuff about this hotel and the workers. Room was great, view from room was breathtaking and service was top-notch all around. Always greeted with a smile. We have booked another stay at the Lido Beach Resort for the end of June, first of July 2009. Talked with "Kona" in Reservations and she worked out our entire stay. From the time you call to make your reservation until you drive off the parking lot at the end of your visit, you are treated First Class. We cannot wait to get back!!

We just returned from a 5 night stay at the Lido Beach Resort.
The Good: The location is great, close to St. Armands and right on the beach. Nice beach area and no rocks in the water, so good for wading and swimming.
The pools are nice and kept very clean.
The staff are friendly and ready to help.
The resort itself is beautiful and well kept.
The rooms are a little small, but very clean, and the kitchenette is a plus.

The bad: The food and drinks are very expensive at the resort.
They let the locals use the pools on the weekends, even though they're not staying at the resort, and they were very loud and very drunk. I don't know why they let them use it, they brought in there own beer and didn't buy any food. Not sure what the resort gets out of it.
Since they let the locals in, there is no parking at the resort on the weekend. We spent way too much time driving around looking for parking spots.

Overall, it's a nice resort. We'll be back in Sarasota next year. Will we stay here again? Maybe.

I had read such mixed reviews of this property and had stayed here in previous years with moderate results that I was reluctant to book again. My husband wanted a hotel on the beach, with a pool, and this was a known entity, so we booked. On this occasion, we were put in a one-bedroom suite in the tower, with views of the Gulf and back towards town to the Intracoastal. The room was spacious, clean and well appointed. The bed was comfortable. They accomodated our request for an additional night and a late checkout and indicated that although we had to vacate the room, they would hold our luggage if we wanted to access the beach or pool beyond the checkout time.

I would definitely return here again -- and specify the tower building. The only drawback was the in-hotel restaurant. The breakfast service was slow and lacadaisical and the prices were just ridiculous. I've gotten better breakfasts at road hotels that came with the price of the room!

So a definitely positive review and kudos to Carolanne at the front desk for making us feel so welcome and well-taken-care-of. (If you go, ask about the alligator.)