Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL is located right on Clearwater Beach's promenade. Guests can enjoy one and two-bedroom vacation suites and guaranteed Gulf-views with every reservation. Every suite and guest room boasts floor to ceiling windows and large balconies. Families, couples, business meetings, and weddings enjoy a blend of casual beachfront luxury and a modern setting at this beach resort in Florida with a full-service spa, Gulf-front restaurants, bars, and a Gulf-front pool with tanning deck. With 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space with direct Gulf views, Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach is the perfect setting for all your desires.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Opal Sands Resort & Spa boasts a prime beachfront location that's particularly appealing to families, and its cleanliness receives high marks with guests praising the spotless rooms and immaculate grounds. Despite this, some travelers feel the resort falls short on value, noting steep prices and additional fees.
While the staff generally earns plaudits for their friendliness and efficiency, there are occasional reports of service inconsistencies. Guests love the spacious rooms with stunning views, and the amenities are well-regarded, although minor service issues have been noted.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Well-appointed
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We stayed in Opal Sands for the first time - albeit we have been to Clearwater Beach a number of times and stayed elsewhere.
This is a lovely hotel with a great team - well appointed and in a great spot.
We stayed in a one bedroom suite which had a king bed, sofa bed in the lounge, a great bathroom and a little kitchenette - which was handy with a small table, microwave, fridge and freezer, coffee machine and cupboards. It was a great room for a family of four, but don't stay here thinking you will actually make anything - there is no cutlery or tableware such as you might find in an apartment.
We enjoyed the pool and the food and drink service - which was reasonable for a hotel of this type in my opinion and good quality. The service was great other than a small hiccup with an umbrella - and this was in part due to the fact Storm Debby had forced them to clear all the furniture a few days before and the wind remained high during our stay.
The resort fee has become standard in the US - but they do it well here in my opinion... free water, cookies, fruit, cereal bars and other bits and bobs are in a pantry on every floor and they even bring ice creams around the pool at 2pm. My kids loved this... albeit we were here with family and their pantry seemed to be bereft on a different floor.
I would stay in the hotel again - but I must say having seen lots of the Florida coast line on the gulf and atlantic side I think Clearwater has become over developed and too busy for me. There are more beautiful and idyllic spots than this.
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Date of stay: August 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Note the hotel is valet only at $40 a night... there is a big car park next to it that was public...
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.
Response from Justin Foster, Innkeeper at Opal Sands Resort & Spa
Responded Aug 24, 2024
Hi Miss_S_J_W, Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey about your stay at Opal Sands Resort. We always appreciate hearing feedback about the experience that we provide, and your comments have been taken to heart. We hope to see you again at Opal Sands Resort! Kind regards, Opal Sands Resort
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had such an enjoyable time here at the Opal Sands on Clearwater Beach. Yes, the accommodations were expensive, but if you're looking to treat yourself for a special occasion, then spurge. We ended up with a corner suite on the tenth floor (Room 1019) that had views from three sides (overlooking the Pool and Gulf, and the Beach highway. We were able to spot dolphins easily from our room.
Service was great. Each floor has it's own snackbar, and the hotel brings up fresh baked cookies every day. Rather than an ice machine, the floor has its own small freezer that the hotel keeps stocked with small bags of ice, just enough for your ice bucket.
The pool was heavenly. Noye the deepest it gets is 4' and both ends of the pool are walk in at a casual, convenient slope. They have a nice large hot tub that could easily handle 12 people. Stairs lead down to the beach.
Valet was expensive at $40 a night, but their service was fast and personal. We did eat at the hotel's restaurant for breakfast every morning. If you love grits, they have great grits. If you love avocado toast, my wife had it every morning and says that next to what she had in Amsterdam, these were the best.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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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Absolutely amazing experience at the Opal in Clearwater. Beautiful restaurant, unreal views and incredible waitstaff. The perfect place for a fancy night out with top notch food. Yudis was our waitress and she was unreal. The strawberry shortcake is melt in your mouth delicious. Management came out and checked on the tables twice throughout our dinner, really care about making sure their customers are satisfied. 11/10, don’t forget to stop here on your trip to Clearwater. So glad we made it here on our last night.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
For the price this hotel is overrated. While the location is excellent the rooms are a little tired with rotting wood in the baseboard in the bathroom. They also do not offer breakfast of any kind nor did they have coffee available when we departed at 9:00am. Lastly our room did not have a tv remote. For $600 a night there are better options
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Date of stay: February 2025
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Response from Justin Foster, Innkeeper at Opal Sands Resort & Spa
Responded 3 weeks ago
Dear PETER E, Thank you for your review and feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed our location, but we’re truly sorry to hear that your stay did not meet expectations in some areas. We apologize for the issues with the bathroom baseboard and the missing TV remote, and we are addressing them with our maintenance team immediately. Regarding breakfast, we do offer daily breakfast and coffee at Seaguini, our main restaurant in the lobby of the resort. We’re sorry to hear that you missed them this visit and we will work hard to ensure we more clearly communicate our dining options and hours. We appreciate your comments and will use them to improve the guest experience moving forward. Thank you again, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back. Kind regards, Opal Sands Resort
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I researched a good amount before booking the Opal Sands and one of the main reasons we chose this hotel was because of the beachfront rooms, beautiful pool and amenities and proximity to the beach.
Unfortunately, unless you were at the beach by 8AM, you could not "rent" a cabana near the water and even then, people were virtually on top of each other. It was not relaxing at any point.
I did not find anything online that mentioned private umbrellas were not provided or that the hotel is right next door to a public access parking lot. Had we known this was next to public access, we never would have stayed here.
It was virtually impossible to enjoy the pool due to all the kids and it was in the shade until 11 or 11:30 AM. Tried to relax in the hot tub but that proved not to be an option as it was also filled with children.
The bartenders at SeaGuini clearly have a lot of regulars, which is wonderful; however they need to treat all their guests the same. We were at the bar on 3 separate occasions and each time, it took over 10 minutes to get drinks.
Positive note - the rooms are very nice, beautiful view of the ocean, don't have to give cards for towels (no limit) and they provide free large bottles of water and bags of ice on each floor to pack your coolers.
I
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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.
I researched a good amount before booking the Opal Sands. For those looking for a beach experience, particularly for those with elderly members, without question book the Sand Pearl instead. While I knew Opal Sands was “beachfront,” getting out to the water from the hotel is significantly more steps, and even further steps to find a cabana or spot where people are not on top of one another. The water was nice and we enjoyed swimming. I loved that the water was deep enough to swim unlike a beach like Fort Myers that is exceptionally shallow. The pool was ok. There were a lot more kids than I expected. If you enjoy the pool, the sun does not reveal itself over the pool until at least 11am. We explored the area and the Wyndham pool gets great sun, but the pool is directly on the boardwalk with louder music, so not as relaxing but all depends what you are looking for. The Sand Pearl has a wonderful pool (we are at the restaurant overlooking the pool and beach) with chairs that have individual shades - a bonus when the sun is strong. At the Sand Pearl there is fruit-infused water in the lobby. At Opal Sands, there is free bottled water on every floor. The construction at Opal Sands was intermittent but we were surprised to be woken up just after 7am. That’s an early start! We chose the Opal because of buy 3 get one night free. However, if prices are comparable, I’d def choose Sand Pearl as construction looks like it’ll be ongoing for quite awhile. Our room was 1102 which was closest king room to parking lot. The front desk said this room class ends in 02 to about 05. For a party of two, the standard room was fine, but if you have any more people, I’d spring for the deluxe. Regarding the bathroom, there is a sliding door that doesn’t lock. The hair products were Nest. Towels were plentiful in the room, and I loved that there was no towel card system for beach or pool. The balcony chairs weren’t the most comfortable, but the view was great with no railings to obstruct the view.
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
I have never stayed at an opal collection resort so I had no idea what to expect. Upon arrival, staff were incredibly prompt, kind, and helpful and they remained that way throughout the stay. I did not have a single unpleasant interaction.
Our room was clean, comfortable, and had a stunning view of the gulf. We spent a lot of time on the balcony just enjoying the view. We had new water bottles daily, the robes were soft and clean, and I LOVED the pillows,
The pool bar and the “Sand bar” both had great food, service, and frozen cocktails. We didn’t eat much at Sea-guini it was a bit pricey and we opted to leave the resort for dinner at night. There’s tons of walkable restaurant nearby.
The only issue I would say is that the pool area was a bit crowded, if you wanted pool deck chairs with an ocean view you had to get there at 8:30-9 am, even though the pool deck is shaded until about 11ish am. There were also a decent amount of young children & families, but that’s what you get when you go to Clearwater on a holiday weekend, the staff handled them as well as possible.
Would definitely stay again and have already recommended to my friends!
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Ubering in the area can be tough during rush hours/dinner time, be prepared in advance!
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.
We stayed for a long weekend with our two small children. The staff was friendly, the rooms were clean, and the restaurant was good. The hotel is bright and modern. Access to the beach was quick and easy. We didn’t have much trouble finding seats by the pool which was nice, and the pool attendants seemed to pay attention and turn chairs over quickly when people left. The only suggestion I would have is to keep a bin of sand toys for families to borrow. Bringing them on a plane isn’t practical and buying them, then trashing when we are done is wasteful. Several other resorts including another Opal we have visited all kept bins to borrow from which is great for families and keeps rooms cleaner when you don’t have to tote them inside.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
Well, where to begin...First of all, the staff were excellent!! The valet, the front desk clerks, and the wait staff all did a great job of making us feel welcome.
Now, to the not so good. When we first checked in, we were informed there was NOT a private beach for the hotel. The pictures gave the idea, that maybe it was a private beach. When you pay $500+ per night, you're kind of expecting that.
When we got to the room, the first thing we noticed is the bed was very average. The mattress was lumpy and the bed was squeaky, too. Also, the bed linens were not nearly as soft and luxurious as one would expect at this caliber of a hotel. Not even a headboard...Also, the sliding door to our bathroom was off the rails, so, we had to call to get that fixed. They did give us free coupons for breakfast, since we had that issue right away.
I set the a/c in the room to 60 degrees, but it kept resetting to 72 degrees. I had to call and ask about that! They informed me that you have to shut and lock the balcony door for the a/c to stay where you set it. Truthfully, I don't think the temperature ever got below about 68, because we woke up sweating during the night.
The room location also proved to be an issue! We were put in a room on the north side, right above a public beach parking lot. So, late at night, there were people carrying on, coming and going, and blasting music. Plus, you could hear the traffic going by on the main drag. Also, EARLY in the morning, the beach grooming equipment was out getting the beach ready for the day. NOT the relaxing kind of way you want to wake up on vacation.
We did go to the pool around 9 one morning. We snagged good chairs, but it fills up quickly. The noise also quickly escalates with kids and other guests filling up the space. We only stayed until about 11:30.
During our last night there, the people in the adjoining room came home inebriated at 2:30 am, yelling profanities and waking everyone up.
Be prepared for about an extra $100 per day being added to your room for resort fees, taxes, and valet parking. Our rate was $475 per night, but, our total bill after all those fees for a 3 night stay, was $1875. I guess we were thinking, that paying that kind of money for a resort like this would afford a little more luxury and more privacy than we encountered.
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Date of stay: August 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Response from Meaghan Sullivan, Other at Opal Sands Resort & Spa
Responded Aug 28, 2021
Rebecca R, While disappointed to hear that your stay was not up to standards we do appreciate you leaving your comments. We will discuss as a team and see where improvements can be made for our future guest. We are happy to hear that the staff did not disappoint and helped make the stay just a little bit better. Again we are sorry to hear that it was not an outstanding stay, we thank you for staying with us on your trip to Clearwater Beach. Sincerely,
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My husband and I dined at Sea-guini restaurant in Opal Sands in October of ‘23. The atmosphere is the type we enjoy, open and airy with fantastic ocean views. Our luncheon food, salads, were fresh and tasty. What really stood out to us that day was our server Katie. Katie was friendly, knowledgeable and informative! She took excellent care of us Alpha to Omega! We were in the restaurant business for 30 years ourselves so appreciate the extra attention to detail. 5 stars all around 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
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.
There are more places to choose from in the Clearwater area.
PRICE RANGE
C$734 - C$970 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaClearwaterClearwater Beach
NUMBER OF ROOMS
230
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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