More about Sundial Beach & Golf Resort
Great vacation at Sundial
by A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I spent a wonderful 5 day vacation at the Sundial Resort - our first trip to Sanibel. I have to admit I was a little worried after reading some of the negative postings here; however, our experience was fantastic. One bedroom partial gulf view - the room was well furnished, comfortable king size bed, very clean and excellent service every day.
The pool(s) was crowded with families, but the beach was less crowded and peaceful. Seems like a lot of activities and a great place for smaller kids. The weather cooperated for a sunny spring break. The staff was friendly, courteous and willing to help with any question. If you stay here, you have access to the South Seas Resort on Captiva which has a 9 hole golf course, and a wonderful beach called Sunset Beach - perfect for watching the sun sink over the horizon. (to the sounds of live music - Jimmy Buffet style guitar, and even a bar so you can grab a beer before dinner).Excellent off property restaurants we dined at- Dolce Vita (great Northern Italian), Sanibel Steakhouse (pricey, cozy, excellent beef), and Green Flash (Captiva- wonderful seafood and reasonable prices). "Best breakfast in the world" at the Lighthouse Cafe - neat little place, always a wait, but they have call ahead seating.
Highly recommend the Sundial..........
great family vacation
by A TripAdvisor Member
My family and I just came back from a great, fun filled vacation here at sundial resort in sanibel. Usually I never bother to do things like this, but I had to take a minute to give you my opinion. We planned this trip last minute and we were lucky enough to find availability a sundial. I was so excited to leave the cold wet weather of new england for a few days, but I must say I was a little nervous after reading these reviews. I never once saw an ant in our room. The room was tastefully decorated w/ crisp clean sheets (no bed bugs)! Believe me I checked. The kitchen was fully equipped w/ clean silverware, dishes anything you could need. My kids had a blast playing tennis, and swimming in the very clean pool. We rented bikes 2 times during our stay and even saw alligators during our bike ride. We never ate at the restaurants so I can't say much about the food. I can say the Island Cow has a great breakfast and dinner. My only complaint is the beaches at sundial were good for shelling but not for enjoying all day. They were very dirty w/ shells and such. We went to captiva beaches where they were much cleaner w/ clear water and white sand. Would go back in a heartbeat!
overpriced and horrible 'resort'!
by A TripAdvisor Member
we spent a8 days and 9 nights at the Sundial and spent less at the ritz carlton in key biscayne with far more wonderful service and accomodations. this place was joke. the food at the poolside restaurant was horrible overpriced and barely edible. the " japanese steakhouse" had 6 tables and served me a rotten (foul) steak. the pool was not cleaned the entire week we were there. there were band-aids, bugs galore and actual dirt floating in the pool. by our last day, the pool was uninhabitable. we were told by management that the pool guy quit and they could not find a replacement! finally, we all got bed bugs from the bed. yes, bed bugs. my 2 year old daughter really suffered. i would never return to the sundial, we are trying south seas this year with hopes of a much better experience.
Wonderful resort!
by A TripAdvisor Member
The Sundial is a wonderful resort! My family and I have stayed there 7-8 times and are planning on staying there again next month. The condos. are spacious & clean. We have never had any problems with anything! If you want a wonderful place to stay with on Sanibel then the Sundial is for you!
Great family place-Will definitely go back
by A TripAdvisor Member
We were at the Resort the first week in March 2004. We have two children (3 and 20 months), we got a 2 bedroom condo with a partial gulf view. Amazing, everything was brand new, immaculate, and very roomy! Highly recommend that! The beach is beautiful. Pool is great for the kids, very clean. The entire resort was extrememly clean and everyone was very friendly. The food was good, but considering the kids, it was fine. We went out to some places that had "ok" food too.
The island is no epicurian dream, but it is very relaxing and a great vacation. Definitely recommend renting some bikes (at the resort) (w/ kddie cart) and go around the island, bike paths are great. Be sure to try the 'Bubble Room' on the island for dinner, the kids will love it (a bit pricey) but what isn't? Overall, highly recommend this place!!!
Overpriced and underwhelming!
by A TripAdvisor Member
My wife and I stayed here for 5 days during off season ( June) a year or so ago. We had a one bedroom unit with partial view. The unit reminded me of the rest of the resort, plain with no character. I realize all condos will differ in decor based on the owner but this unit was Ok at best. When you factor in the price of $375/night off season the place is so overpriced. We had heard how nice the pool area is... what a joke. It is a plain square pool far from the beach with a small bar and grill at one end. I've seen pools at peoples homes with more character. The beach is known for shelling but we found it totally dissapointing. The water is very murky, and the beach strewn with debris. You would literally have to wear shoes so your feet wouldn't get cut and move seaweed, sticks, shells, etc. just to lay out your towel. Sanibel is not indicative of other west coast beaches we've seen. The best thing I can say about this place is that our room was clean and that we had a good meal at Windows on the Water, one of their restaurants. Look elsewhere maybe even another island for better accomadations and restaurants. Sanibel is sooo popular but did not meet our expectaions at all. Neighboring Fort Meyers is also disgusting so skip that as well, just a seedy beach town. Feel free to email with any questions about the area or this resort. We did visit Captiva and prefered that over Sanibel. All in all we will continue to stay elsewhere on the west coast like Siesta Key.
Disgusting and Run Down
by TripAdvisor Member Chickychick831
First off, the weather stunk. It rained everyday, and not just sprinkled. It poured and thunderd and lightning. My mom planned this trip for my sister and my dad to have a great time since weve never been to Florida before and it was the worst experience. Brochures displyed the resort way different than it really was. It said it was a 5 star resort, freshly painted rooms, full kitchens and all, but our room had 3 forks, no bowls maybe a spoon, no pots or pans we searched through the cubberds just trying to find something to cook with. There were stains all over the bedroom blankets and the beds were hard as cement. The sliding glass door didnt slide and the pittiful curtains that hung were so dirty and stained up I didnt even want to touch them. The dinning room table chairs decided they just wanted to collapse when i sat in them, and the table its self wobbled. The TV in the master sweet ( ghetto) had bugs all in the bed and made my mom itch for the whole vacation, which left welts all over her body. The remote to the TV didnt work and the sound was so low even at the highest setting you still couldnt hear it. THe beach towels they tell you they provide are like cheesecloth and they are about the size of a hand towel from the bathroom. And mind you, they complain if you want more than one, and if you dont return within the day. The Beach was DISGUSTING. dead fish were all over rotting stinking the water and the sand. The water was not clear and had a red tide which would make you sick if it touched your body. Shelling was the only good thing about the beach. If you actuially wanted a seat by the pool or the beach you had to be out at the crack of dawn, but it really didnt matter cause it rained everyday stinkin day to begin with. The lobby was nice becaues thats what they show on the internet and brochures but thats about it. The laundry room stunk of BODY ODER like you wouldnt belive and the washer ruined one of my shirts because it streched it out completely. If you wanted to go shopping or to the grocery store you had to pay a toll everytime, and the ride to the stores was pretty far away. It not only sucked that it rained everyday, but the fact that we had to stay in a flea bitten room for 7 days with nothing to do, drove us crazy. On the last day, we were so hapy to leave and couldnt wait to go home. we will NEVER EVER go back and I do not recommend anyone to go. It was horrible.
A Vacation in Paradise
by A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I spent a wonderful week at the Sundial. Words can't express the time we had.
Everything about the resort was first class. Our room was beautiful, we had a one bedroom with a view of the pool, garden and ocean. Our room was clean and comfortable just like home. Everyone was really nice especially Judy at the resort's lounge. The island is so special with it's quaint shops and resturants. It was our secound trip to the island and we will return soon. I recommend this resort to anyone with families or couples like us who want a quiet place for rest and relaxation with the best of both worlds, a beautiful beach and a first class resort. It was hard to come home and leave such a wonderful place behind.
Dream Week
by A TripAdvisor Member
After a few of the negative reviews here, I was beginning to think that I made the wrong choice of resorts. How wrong could I have been. We spent 8 days at Sundial from May 12-20, 2004. Everything was sensational: the food at Windows on the Water, the pools (there really are 5 nice pools), the staff, the weather as well as the beach. We were sorry to leave. Hope to return soon. Don't believe the negative reviews. Someone must have had a chip on their shoulder.
Forum Posts
Sundial Beach Resort condition
by HarrietCook
What is the current condition of the Sundial Beach Resort. We have reservations there in early March, have read that the restaurants on the resort are all open and the resort is in good condition. However, have also seen on forum that the resort is not in great conditon. We want to make sure it is okay as the cost to stay there is not inexpensive.
RE: Sundial Beach Resort condition
by jackcd
drove by it in december and it looked ok and was open
RE: Sundial Beach Resort condition
by hanap38
Has anyone stayed at sundial this year of 2006? Is it in good conditon and will it be a good place to stay? Can you give me information about it and the restaurants and activities? thanks,
RE: RE: Sundial Beach Resort condition
by HarrietCook
Just returned from staying at the Sundial Resort for a week. It was great. Everything is up and running, the pool was wonderful, beach looks good - lots of shells and no debris, restaurants were renovated and rooms were clean. Service was excellent and the weather was perfect. No complaints - the price was good compared to some of the other places we looked at.
