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Reviewed November 12, 2011

I actually was impressed by the setting and landscape of Waterside when we first arrived for my son's wedding scheduled for Nov. 5th( on the beach with tent setup for reception. )We had 16 parties staying at the Waterside for wedding. So Waterside did make a profit. Service for clean towels etc., seemed to be acceptable. Thenl things snowballed with responses on original questions contrary to what we were originally told when we booked. The owner actually told me that when I made the reservation I should have asked if the condo was renovated. "Hello", I already had printed confirmation of what the condo provided.
My relatives had updated condos which were very nice. My husband and I plus two other adults in our condo had a disaster. The biggest complaint I had was the "king sized bed" in master bedroom which turned out to be 2 twin beds pushed together. Our feet hung out over the edge and I'm 5' 3". The mattresses were in very bad shape. Also, noticable immediately were the missing slats on blinds both in the master bedroom and guest room...... no privacy. Next, the toilet in the guest bathroom overflowed and before that it would not flush numerous times. The last night we ran dishwasher and water poured onto the floor since the dishwasher was so old. It actually showed rust on the outside. My husband tried to use the hairdryer the last day since I had aready packed ours and guess what ,it didn't work. Forget the iron...... a shirt was scorched with rust. The owner below our condo also smoked on their lanai and since we had the AC turned off because it got cool, we became subjected to that. The last straw was when my husband could not watch a nationally televised pro football game because the condo owners had a small TV package deal and the owner of Waterside told him to drive to a place on Captiva to view the game.
By the way, we go to Sanibel every yr. and while the Waterside was a pretty setting, I don't think we would stay here again unless we asked questions and actually got the truth. The management could be brash and then after some problems with our condo the owner tried to be nice to us. At that pt. the damage was done.

Date of stay: November 2011
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
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4  Thank JaneE902
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed October 26, 2011

Beautiful sunrises AND sunsets from the beach only steps away from the cottages. Great location & staff recommended great dinner spots.

Date of stay: October 2011
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8  Thank skoakwood
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed September 1, 2011

I was invited by a friend to spend a few days at her favorite retreat, the Waterside Inn on the beach. The Waterside is nestled in a long row of inns and condo-style units which line the southern shore of the island. Despite the snugness of the properties, there is a feeling of "seclusion" for guests of the Waterside. It consists of a handful of multiple-unit buildings, each painted a soft tropical color and named accordingly: Apricot, Pineapple, Blueberry, etc. The buildings have varying numbers of units. Let me just run down some features based on our double-occupancy efficiency: two levels (we stayed upper); gulf view; remote control AC; fully-furnished kitchenette (full size stove and fridge; microwave; generous sink; dishes, pots and pans, full size coffeemaker); table and chairs; two comfortable queen beds; flat-screen TV (which we didn't turn on all 4 days); 6-drawer dresser/mirror; double vanity bathroom; nice tub/shower combo; roomy mirrored closet; sliding glass door opening onto balcony with chairs and snack table. The room was plenty big for us; we spent nearly the entire day on the beach, which is just steps away. You can let the Waterside know how much or little housekeeping you would like; we got a light touch: beds made and trash emptied, and towels changed out.

The Waterside provides plenty of good sturdy lounge chairs which guests can drag onto the beach whenever they like; just keep in mind you need to drag them BACK when you are done, or the Waterside gets fined. Also watch out for turtle nests on the beach, which are cordoned off by yellow tape. Don't disturb them, please! The waterside also has a really nice pool, not all that big but very clean and with lots of poolside tables and chairs for relaxing in the afternoon, shaded by beautiful palms and flowering trees. Perfect for a cool-down dip after hours on the beach. Speaking of the trees, the Waterside's landscaping is lovely. Lots of attention paid to neatness and trimming. As for the beach itself, it lines the Gulf of Mexico and is quite different from my native NE Florida Beaches, which at low tide are a huge expanse. The difference between the low and high-tide lines on Sanibel is (I would guess) about 50 feet at most. And where most beaches are "shells scattered on the sand", Sanibel's beaches are "Sand scattered among the shells". I have never seen so many, and if you dedicate some time and sharp eyes to a search, you'll find some beauties.
Bring your cameras, folks: every evening you are treated to a spectacular sunset. The sky seems particularly "big" on Sanibel, and the interplay of clouds and sun creates National-Geographic-style sunsets. We spent some time after dark (and it gets DARK) on the beach watching a striking (no pun intended) lightning display way off in the distance.

Plan on a few excursions while you're there. In the hotter weather, I recommend what we did: freshen up around lunchtime, when it's hottest, and take a short drive over to Periwinkle Way, which is as close as Sanibel gets to a "Main Street". There are NO traffic lights on this 3-mile x 5-mile island, and no street lights either. No typical big chain-restaurants or retailers, except for a Dairy Queen. We dined out twice, once at "Island Cow", with its eclectic, anything-but-health-food menu (the "Frickles" are to DIE for)...and "Cheeburger-Cheeburger", a fun spot with a fifties feel and a terrific burger menu. They also have a legendary milkshake or malt, with nearly 40 "embellishments" from which to choose. I was planning on a peanut butter/cheesecake/caramel one, but was too full from my burger and fries to get one. Maybe next time, because there will be a next time! Other neat things to note: the island's lighthouse, the John "Ding" Darling wildlife preserve, and some interesting indigenous vegetation, including trees with branches that grow down and around anything they get close to. My friend also recommends the "Thriller" boat ride, a 1.5 hour high-speed (60+mph at some points) boat ride around the island, featuring dolphins that frolick in the boat's wake. I could go on and on...what a great experience!

Room tip: No special tips...the staff is very friendly and accommodating!
Date of stay: August 2011
  • Trip type: Travelled with friends
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7  Thank JourneyWords
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sanibelblondie, Owner at Waterside Inn on the Beach, responded to this reviewResponded August 17, 2012

Wow, what a wonderful review. We're so glad you experienced the "island life" the way it should be. We pride ourselves on clean rooms and exceptional customer service. Our property rivals any other one on the island as far as lush tropical landscaping and an expansive beach. We look forward to serving you again in the near future!

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Reviewed August 27, 2011

We live in this area of SW Florida and love to travel to the islands to get away for the weekend. We tried to get a room in August and found we could only book one night. So, we took our chances for Saturday night. Well Waterside came through when all other resorts were full. I booked the Apricot Cottage Sat morning. The desk told me others were looking too and it was the last room, or cottage. She also gave me a better rate for Floridia residents. We loved it, and it was the last room on the island, I had called 9 other places before randomly calling Waterside. But these cottages are so cool and the history is too, in the 60's homesteaders began building on Sanibel and this was one of the first places little cottages were built for winter residences. Now they are romantic, colorful and cozy rooms. I only saw Apricot but it has a living area, full fridge, sofa and a bedroom with king bed and spa type tube.

They allow you to spend checkout day on the beach and use the Plum cottage to change for free once you check out. You know, check out at 11AM and then get all sandy at the beach and have to track it into the car...that really helps and it's that style of service we found at the Waterside. The room is not Hilton perfect and polished, it's more like - it has character. Like you could live there a month. So, even though it was the last room of resorts, it was a great find.

Room tip: Tell them your from Florida, make sure you check there are linens for pullout
Date of stay: August 2011
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
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5  Thank dbeaty
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed July 25, 2011

Enjoyable, quiet, and located in a great area of the island. Call first to be sure there are no large parties there and that both pools are in full working order. Minimal maid service, but clean, and efficient. You can have extra service at a cost. Friendly at the desk, but no after hours service. We have stayed many times and will be back. Very "old Florida." Book early because it fills up.

Date of stay: July 2011
  • Trip type: Travelled with family
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4  Thank StevenAK
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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