Turtle Beach Resort

Relaxing, Peaceful, Wonderful Week at Turtle Beach Resort!

by A TripAdvisor Member

My husband and I, along with our two dogs spent 7 wonderful nights at Turtle Beach Resort. We loved the hot tub with private deck of the Rain Forest Cottage. It was a peaceful and relaxing week. Accomodations were great. We were left alone but when assistance was asked for it was right there. Dave was great with advice for scenic drives and places to eat. I'm contacting them this week to set up another visit for next January! I highly recommend it for a romantic and relaxing time. People we met in the Siesta Keys area were very friendly.

Turtle Beach is a wonderful hidden gem

by A TripAdvisor Member

I am somewhat reluctant to praise such a wonderful place for fear other vacationers may discover this hidden gem of a resort. From the friendly staff, cozy cottages, private jacuzzis and a great location, nothing could be more perfect or romantic. There are plenty of activities or places to just relax and unwind. Turtle Beach Resort is so secluded you would think you were at you own personal oasis. I've stayed at several high-end resorts and hotels from Scottsdale to San Francisco, San Juan to Montego Bay and more, this place is absolutely our favorite

Our special place in paradise

by A TripAdvisor Member

We have stayed at the Turtle Beach Resort now five years in a row. Our first visit was in 2000 and we absolutely fell in love with it. We've always stayed in the Caribbean cottage and it fulfills our deepest desires for a getaway. I might add my wife and have stayed two full weeks the past two years and hope we can add a third in the future. The Caribbean cottage is very private and truly romantic if you have any romantic bones in your body. We are in our late fifties and have travelled and stayed many places, but this is where we continue to return to relax, read, enjoy the water and each other. We are happy to recommend the Turtle Beach Resort as a super romantic, peaceful travel destination.

Great place but not for those that prefer pamperings of a resort

by TripAdvisor Member beerlinks

We had a really nice time at Turtle Beach Inn, sister to the Turtle Beach Resort. It is not a resort in the term "resort" is typically used. However, we had a great time. Dave is very pleasant and his wife okay, they both were a little spacey though. Would definitely go back. Did not like the fact that they said no children at the Inn side and there was a baby. Really there is no room for children on the Inn side. I really think with the price and the atmosphere it is really more of an adult place to stay. We had a beautiful room, parking can be somewhat of a game because there are not a lot of spaces. These were old apartment buildings basically converted into a hotel. Overall I really enjoyed myself, owners are a little disorganized on getting you into the room but Dave will take the time to tell you the best places to eat and things to see. My husband and I felt very at home after we settled in. You do not have staff looking over your shoulder and there to fill your every whim. That was just what we were looking for. We loved it! The area Siesta Key is a great place to stay loved the island. We may take the whole family there for our yearly FL trip.

squishy, big cockroaches

by TripAdvisor Member Elarbolita

The pictures of the Turtle Beach Resort look so romantic. But seeing two-inch-long cockroaches scuttle across the floor with their feelers wiggling is not romantic! When my husband ran to step on them, he could feel their large bodies squish under his shoe. Four cockroaches entertained us over a period of three nights and two days. We also had a smaller bug in the bathroom.
The towels were thin. We didn't want to go out on the patio because that's where the roaches were coming from. Then the owners sprayed cockroach poison when we complained about the pests. The poison caused us to cough all night. We couldn't sleep!
When we complained about the roaches, the manager immediately asked us to pay the remainder of our fee. I didn't get angry, because I got the impression that it wouldn't get me anywhere. I just knew that I would report what happened to us on Tripadvisor.

What a pleasant surprise!

by A TripAdvisor Member

My fiancé and I spent New Year's at Turtle Beach Resort. We had a great experience from the moment that we got there until the time we left. The atmosphere is very tranquil and romantic. Gail and David, the owners, were very helpful in explaining the accommodations and where everything was. They really made us feel welcome. We stayed in the sunset suite, which is on the newer side of the resort. Even though we didn’t get a look inside any of the other cottages or suites, I have to say that ours had the most privacy and the nicest view. The place was booked solid when we were there, but it felt like we had it all to ourselves. We took advantage of the huge grill outside and cooked steaks and lobster on New Year’s Eve. It was so nice to have that option, instead of having to spend $200-$300 on dinner. There was so much to do that we were never bored. This resort is not for those who need to be waited on hand and foot. It’s more like renting a condo. FYI...Take full advantage of the special offer for Ophelia’s Restaurant. DELICIOUS! Don’t waste your money on Turtles Restaurant. YUCK! I cannot speak for the people that had a horrible experience at the resort, but it seems like most of the bad reviews are from people that stayed in the older cottages. Even though they looked really cute from the outside, my advice would be to stay in one of the newer suites.

If you stay, use a credit card to pay!

by TripAdvisor Member signman

My wife and I booked a 3 night stay at Turtle Beach along with another couple and their 5yr old twin girls. We chose this place from the internet as it looked very charming and can accomodate our boat.
The first night we were placed in one cottage that was relatively clean although the towels and bed linens looked as though they had not been replaced for years.
The 2nd night the owner had moved to us to another room as she had a long term renter coming in to our first room. The 2nd room was ABSOLTUTELY DEPLORABLE! Upon pulling out the couch to put the young ones to bed, our friend discovered rodent droppings, upon further review of the cottage we saw thick layers dust on the blinds, the tile floor was so filthy that it turned the bottoms of our feet black, the "linen closet had not been cleaned in months or even years, I could go on but what's the sense you get the picture. This place charges over $400 per night for a room you might expect to see in a third world country, The grounds are not as pictured. All of the buildings are wrought with dry rot and have not seen paint in years. We immediatly left to find other accomodations and are now disputing the charges w/VISA. WARNING, PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD, they try to get you to pre-pay with a check or cash and it is now quite obvious why! My wife and I own a resort condo on St. Pete Beach and are familiar with the workings of the resort business, this place is a disgrace and is being reported to the health dept and The Superior Small Lodging Association to which they belong. There are many options for lodging on Siesta Key, please investigate them before you choose this place. If you do choose this "resort" PAY WITH A CREDIT CARD so you have recourse, the owners show no mercy in dealing with you!

Even the dog felt dirty...

by TripAdvisor Member boyandhisdog

Wife and I fell for the website advertising luxurious small cottages that were pet friendly! It sounded like the perfect get-away for us. If we hadn't planned the whole week around this dump, we would have gone home. First off, "resort" is a joke. If that is a resort, my townhouse is Buckingham Palace. It is literally falling apart. I implore any reader to not believe any positive review. Well, to be honest, the cabins were slightly nicer than my stay at Camp Greenbriar summercamp when I was 13.
The towels are little more than rags. The shower curtain had mold and mildew. The tile was falling off the walls. If the owner is an interior designer, then she must have attended Wal-Mart University. It is tacky, and the quality of all the materials is suspect.
I truly believe that any positive review was written by the owners. Had to be. Beleive me now or believe me when you are ankle deep in the green waters of the shower.
Yours, Rob and Tiffany

~ Siesta Key: The Village & Beach ~

by noidiotsplease

Home away from home

Siesta Key served as our home away from home while visiting Sarasota. Here, we stayed at the Turtle Beach Resort, a secluded string of cottages with private hot tubs and decks overlooking the Gulf Coast’s answer to the Intracoastal Waterway. Guests may also take out paddle boats as we did, and try to paddle out to a small island (although we never got that far). Located along Midnight Pass Road in the quiet southern end of Siesta Key, the Turtle Beach Resort is a great place for honeymooners and married couples celebrating an anniversary.

A short drive to the north along Siesta Key’s main drag, Siesta Key Village is a collection of casual eats and local shops spread over the course of a couple blocks. The area is very walkable and located close to the beach. While it is located along the main road, traffic is not a concern and the road is easily crossed by pedestrians. Instead of big national chains and retailers, the village is composed of primarily small and local businesses. We ate a couple of times in the village, including an al fresco dinner at a table by the sidewalk and a great breakfast at a European-themed bakery. A couple “high-rise” condos are also located by the village, but island is not really a “high-rise” beach resort. Most of the island’s Gulf-side condominiums are only a handful of stories, and many private homes are actually located throughout this largely residential island.

Of course, Siesta Key Beach is the main attraction here. While it rained a lot during our time in Sarasota, we were able to visit the beach on a drier day near the end of our visit. Unfortunately, the recent storm had left its mark. We only experienced Siesta Key Beach’s famous soft white powder in its wetter, muddier state. Clumps of brown seaweed churned up by the unusually rough surf also lay strewn along the beach, and the water was missing its characteristic turquoise sheen. Nonetheless, the sand did feel soft, albeit a little squishy, under our bare feet. I really would like the opportunity to return there on a nice clear day. Everything considered, Siesta Key really is a little piece of paradise on earth, just a short trip away from the comforts and culture of a thriving metropolis.

Visit my SARASOTA page.
Visit my FLORIDA page.