I've noticed on the Trip Advisor Webiste that there aren't many listings for the smaller beach places in this area. Have you looked at Bradenton Beach or Anna Maria? There are lots of real estate offices that can offer some help; try looking on the individual Chamber of Commerce websites for office names; then pick a local office to call or write. Unfortunately, you are taking your trip at the height of the season, and almost all apartment/condo/suite hotels will require a week long stay minimum, and are probably already booked up. There aren't many small resorts left; my family sold our 17 unit place on Longboat Key last summer, and it's now condos. Good luck!

btw, forgot this part: The parking lot at Siesta is big, BUT in season even locals have a hard time finding a spot, unless you get there early in the morning. Trust me on this: You will probably have to wait in the lot to get a spot. And I mean, wait. Like 30 minutes. But the beach is worth it. White, sparkling sand, clean bathrooms, snack bar, nice shaded picnic area and a fun playground.

Hello. Last October we stayed on Lido Key at the Coquina-on-the-beach. Not exactly the Ritz, but it's right on the beach(they provide chaises on the beach). The rooms were nice- we stayed in the pool building, so named because when you come out on the balcony you're overlooking the pool. Not really a beachfront, since large palm trees obsure the view of the beach. The place was clean and comfortable- good a/c and ceiling fans in all the rooms. We had a king bed in the bathroom and there was a sleeper sofa in the living area. The place is a 5-minute ride to St Armands Circle, but probably not walkable for a small child. You will need to cross a bridge to enter Sarasota and then travel about 15 minutes to reach the Siesta Key public beach area. The beach is FANTASTIC. Compares to the best Caribbean beach- soft, white flour-like sand. Lido beach sand is darker and coarser, but still nice.

Please try the Tradewinds resort on Anna Maria Island. They have individual cottages in the Key West style. Very colorful. It is across the street from the beach & is in a great location. They also have a pool.We stayed there for a few days prior to closing on our house in Sarasota. This is in Manatee County.

I lived in Sarasota for 4 years and went to the public beach on Siesta Key, the best beach in the world. BUT, if you don't get there by 10:00 in season, there is no parking. Period.

We're going to Siesta Key this Friday - my family owns a condo at the Excelsior, which we love. We've been going there for years - it is a truly excellent set up because there are two pools, tennis courts and bbq. The best part is the access to the beach by key where the lounge chairs are made available to you - it's near the stretch of the beach that isn't publicly accessible by car because there's no place to park. It's such a gorgeous beach - we've been to Hawaii, Greece and Tahiti, but this has got to be best beach in the world. It's not full and the sand is INCREDIBLY soft and fine. Sunsets on the lounge chairs are the best!

My husband and I travel all over the world and currently live in London. After staying in all the luxury hotels in our travels, it's so nice to go back to Sarasota and the condo. I doubt that it's available when you're going, but if you're interested, look up Excelsior Condos on the web and unit 105 is the condo. It's two-bedrooms and two bathrooms. The other condos in the complex are probably nice as well, but all individually-owned and furnished so I can't really vouch for their furnishings or standards (as people can have pretty funky tastes, sometimes).

The condos are separated into two complexes separated by a two-lane street. One side is the bay side where you can access the bay and the other is the beach side. The bay side are more spacious condos and generally quieter. The beach side is a high-rise that is on the beach. You can access facilities from both sides but need keys. Also, it has a full-size kitchen so it's great for cooking your own breakfast or coffee in the morning and packing lunch for the beach.

If you do a lot of traveling, I think that you may be disappointed in the restaurants in Sarasota despite what the reviews say. I wouldn't bother splurging for nice restaurants because they can't really compare to nicer restaurants in other cities. What is billed as excellent may be above-average in other cities. The best restaurant that we've found is the Ritz's dining room, but even then, it's not that great. There is a good Thai restaurant that's a little hidden - it is on a street that runs parallel to Timiami (sp?). If needed, I can try to look it up.

Anyway, good luck.

Hi cgt,

Hope you have a great trip to srq. I have to agree with you on the restaurant situation here(i'm local). Food ok, but nothing to write home about! It's not Miami or DC or NYC! Just ok. And that's too bad,can go to Tampa for better food.

We have been to Siesta Key for 3 years. One recommendation is at the Midnight Cove resort and the Midnight Cove II resort. Cove II has condos/villas both 1 and 2 bedrooms on the bay which is beautiful and Midnight Cove has units on the bay and the beach. It is well-kept and no too pricey. Parking is easy and you can either cross the street to the beach from the bay side or stay on the beach side. We like to eat at Turtles on Siesta Key and at the Crow's Nest in Venice. Both are on the water. Also Moore's on Anna Marie Island is good and fun for kids to play with the seagulls. There are peacocks on the Island which are usually out on the streets.

We have been to Siesta Key for 3 years. One recommendation is at the Midnight Cove resort and the Midnight Cove II resort. Cove II has condos/villas both 1 and 2 bedrooms on the bay which is beautiful and Midnight Cove has units on the bay and the beach. It is well-kept and no too pricey. Parking is easy and you can either cross the street to the beach from the bay side or stay on the beach side. We like to eat at Turtles on Siesta Key and at the Crow's Nest in Venice. Both are on the water. Also Moore's on Anna Marie Island is good and fun for kids to play with the seagulls. There are peacocks on the Island which are usually out on the streets.