AAA Approved. The Sea Chest is not perfect, but it is close. And to prove that this is not one of those "Fake Positive Reviews" that you see so often on the internet, I will list the two negatives about the motel first. But please stick around for the positives because they are many (as per my 5 star review)

Drawbacks.

1. The parking is pretty bad. That's not to say that you won't be provided parking, but it will take a patient driver and a keen eye to maneuver around the tight parking lot.

2. The sea-foam green trim. Seriously, Tampa Florida loves sea-foam green, and the exterior of the Sea Chest is no different. But it does not continue into the absolutely adorable rooms.

I guarantee, however, that neither of these two drawbacks will take away from your stay. My wife and I simply loved the Sea Chest. The rooms are generously large, well laid out, and extremely clean. One little touch was addressed in our room that so many other motels miss; coffee filters for the coffee maker. How many times have you gone on vacation and bought a package of 100 coffee filters for 7 days. No need here. They were already in the room. Whether a former guest left them or they were provided by management I'm not sure, but they were here when we arrived and I certainly appreciated the fine touch.

There is free Wireless internet so bring your laptop computer. Just ask management for the password. The unit was well lit. The bathroom was immaculatelyclean and large with a tub-shower instead of the usual Motel-Shower stall deal. As you can see on their website, the prices are extremely affordable.

The Sea Chest is right on the beach. There are independently run cabana tents and lounge chairs within 200 yards. A little pricey at $20/day, but well worth the money. And for those of you not interested in salt water, there is a nice heated pool as well.

The owner was absolutely wonderful to deal with. My wife loved and longed for the mom and pop feel from days gone. It's nice to know that a few still exist and are run so well as the Sea Chest.

My wife and two children ages 17 and 19 have stayed at the Sea Chest Motel twenty three out of the last twenty five years. The resort is like a second home for our family. Don't be fooled by looking at the motel from the street. After you pass the motel office you will be very pleasantly surprised. The resort grounds are beautifully landscaped and miticulously maintained. The pool is kept spottlessly clean and maintained daily by the staff and is located so most of the rooms have a view of it. Why do we love this resort so much? All of the motel rooms are kept clean and in excellent condition and have been updated over the years with new furniture,beds,carpet,air conditioning,ceiling fans ect. If ever there is a problem the management does not hesitate to take care of it. The majority of the rooms are efficiency apartments with fully equipped kitchens including a microwave oven. There is a cement walkway just behind the resort before the white sandy beach perfect for an early morning walk or jog. The beach and
Gulf are just beautiful. Within a mile there is a great shopping and restaurant area called John's Pass. Great for dining,souvenior shopping,fishing charters, jet sking, parasailing and many other activities. Most of all the management is very friendly and accomadating and would do anything to make your holiday a very pleasurable and enjoyable stay. I would like to add that there were many times over the years that we had met various families who were visiting this resort for the first time and commented on how nice the resort was and that they were sure that they would be revisiting again in the future. One thing for certain you certainly can't beat the price to stay at this resort for the quality of service and hospitality. So if you are looking for a great resort at very reasonable rates this is the place to stay. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

We (My Wife and I) have stayed at the Sea Chest 5 times since 2001 and we are going back in Sept 06. The Sea Chest doesn’t look that special from the street but once you go past the reception area into the garden/pool area you will see just how well kept this little Hotel is.
The rooms are always very clean and cleaned every day, the gardens are beautifully manicured and the pool is spotless.
This is a world away from most of the other Hotels/Motels within this price range. Take my advice if you are going to stay in Treasure Island and are looking for a clean affordable hotel then this is the one for you.

I stayed at the Sea Chest with three of my children for 3 nights recently. Don't be fooled by the street view of this property. My daughter's first reaction was rather negative, but when you walk through the property, you will be pleasantly surprised.
The public areas are spacious, clean and beautifully landscaped.
Our 1 bedroom apartment was great. Clean, well equipped and spacious. We were so relieved when we saw our room after spending 3 nights in a Hampton Inn where we were very cramped.
Don't expect much nightlife here. The pool closes at 9 and the laundry room does also. The staff was great, very polite and accommodating. The only negative was parking. Their lot is small and parking my suburban was a little unnerving.
Overall though, I would stay there again. It was a great place to stay with kids. A little north of the bigger resorts, but not too far from the Bilmar, which has a good restaurant. The kitchen was fine for making kid style meals. If you'd rather eat out, John's Pass is only about a mile north, and they have some good restaurants.