The Desoto

What an amazing little beach treasure. The Desoto is not your typical beach resort. It has an old Florida feel with lush vegetation in the courtyard and eclectic furnishings. It was only a minute walk to the beach, and I loved borrowing the bikes to take on spin down to the Hollywood Broadwalk area. This place was exactly what we needed to get away from it all. 10 – 15 minutes from the airport and great Hollywood/​Fort Lauderdale restaurants, we will seriously consider flying down to the beach again.

Tasteful and thoughtful owners and accommodations! Gorgeous gardens. We could live here if our jobs weren’t so far away. This is a quality inn and every detail had been anticipated for a relaxing, pleasant and delightful stay. It’s hard to find a gem like The DeSoto, but once you do, you’ll agree that it deserves all 5 stars!

HANDS DOWN THE BEST HOTEL/​INN WE’VE EVER STAYED AT! On August 14t-​19^th 2015 my boyfriend, sister, and I were lucky enough to have stumbled upon this charming hotel and book a room day of check-​in during the Florida’s slow season (their neighbours told us they were all booked up for last winter!). We were even surprised with a «fourth night free of charge» during this time of the year!
Upon entering the Desoto Inn, we were marvelled at the lush and beautiful gardens filled with fruits and flowers that enveloped the property which gave it a tranquil and magical feel. We got settled in quickly and was then greeted by Steve, the owner, who then gave us a quick tour. They had everything you need for spending days at the beach such as chairs, umbrellas, sunscreen, boogie boards, an outdoor shower and beach cruisers as well! They also provided a washer and dryer as well as an outdoor refrigerator with cold water and a tea and coffee station. The room we stayed in was comfortable, clean and tastefully decorated. It came with a sofa bed, a fully stocked kitchen with supplies and a full sized refrigerator.
It was a blast taking the bikes out everyday on a lovely beach side trail either up to the pier or down to Hollywood beach where there were restaurants and shops. The bikes made it fun and hassle free to explore the nearby areas. And the beach, my goodness, the beach was breathtaking! We enjoyed many beautiful sunrises and the warm water made it almost impossible to leave. Since its mostly residential in that area, the beaches were clean and almost empty making our experience with each other and our friends even more intimate.
The owners were so very kind and thoughtful. They made sure we had everything we needed and that we were comfortable and taken care of. I also got to meet their two adorable dogs that live with them on the property, as well as their lovely pet birds they have in the garden. Steve was sweet enough to send us several articles of clothing we had accidentally left there through the mail!
Overall, it was an unforgettable experience staying at the Desoto Inn. We can’t wait to stay again when we are in Florida! This place has it all and more! I’m sure you and your family will love this place just as much as we did.
Stayed August 2015

First and foremost I can’t tell you how welcoming the whole staff at Desto were to my family!
My first encounter with staff was with Issac on the first morning as he offered me a breakfast snack on the patio. Seems like everytime I turned around there was Issac offering a smoothie a snack a breakfast treat or just a smile.
Next up Steve and I believe Josea? Both these guys seem to be always wandering the property and very engaged in my families enjoyment.
Now the property! I have to admit being a NYC guy that likes hussle and bussle I didn’t realize the property had no pool till my wife told me the second we pulled up.
It only took a few hours for me to realize this old school diamond in the rough resort.
The property I assume is considered a motel style bldg and it seemed to be an old style Floridian property. The grounds were so lush with plants and bushes and flowers that seemed to engulf the whole property but well maintained. This New Yorker woke up the next morning and felt so relaxed and comfortable sitting amongst the wonderful landscape that surrounded my door step furniture and the peaceful sound of the Desoto bird cage as well as the wild birds and butterflies that had such a wonderful feel.
I woke up for the Sunset every morning that I was at the Desoto to literally walk 3 doors down to the gorgeous beach front. On a side note the manager Steve was on the beach every morning as well to greet the sun with his camera all the while making me jealous that he could do that every morning.
The rooms seem to have a bohemian style of décor with no rhyme or reason other then it was so well maintained with a Key West feel. The kitchen was well stocked and bathroom supplies and towels were plenty. I love the old school Floridian look with what I believe to be Terrazzo floors nicely polished.
I’m not a very spiritual guy on the norm but this place gave me the peaceful and relaxing Fathers day weekend I needed. If the Dali Lahma were to hang at the beach I believe he would hang at The Desoto.

An experience I cannot forget. Steve did an excellent job getting us oriented to the area. He was attentive, helpful, and available. I enjoyed every minute staying at this clean, quiet, fully loaded, eco-​friendly, perfectly located, paradise. Sometimes we canceled our appointments outside of this area just to stay here. We never turned on the TV (although it’s conveniently there), and we enjoyed the breathtaking sunrise off the horizon each day (about 50 steps from our door). Deep sea fishing is available within a 5 minute drive, a pier, and tons of excellent restaurants nearby. We stayed two nights. Will definitely be back again.

After much research, my husband planned our stay at the Desoto sight unseen. We flew into Flordia on Saturday, picked up the rental and made our way to Hollywood. We had an early flight and planned on just stopping by to confirm the reservation. Upon arrival, we were mesmerized by the beauty of the Desoto. Josias greeted us as if we were old friends and showed us around the Inn explaining all the amenities (books, bikes, umbrellas, coffee, basically anything you could ask for at the beach). He welcomed us to unpack and begin our vacation even though we were hours ahead of our check in time. We asked for culinary choices and he offered a few which also were amazing.
Our room at the Desoto was clean and inviting. The room had a lovely beach theme. The unit had a kitchenette with all the necessary items to prepare a meal or share a bottle of wine. Once inside the room one felt at home, which lead to many peaceful nights sleep for my husband and I.
The patio was beautifully landscaped and brought back many wonderful memories of my husband’s childhood. We enjoyed our morning coffee in peace among the breathtaking setting of the patio.
The beach is only a short walk from the Desoto Inn. There were sea turtle nests, sparkling blue waters and white sands. We were blessed to catch the sunrise on our first morning. Because of the location of the Desoto Inn, the beach is not commercialized and the fellow beach goers seem to be all of the same mind set of maintaining that atmosphere.
The location is perfect. One can walk to the pier and have a margarita, drive a minimal distance to enjoy a local watering hole or enjoy the scenic drive down ocean blvd. to enjoy many of the local ethnic culinary choices or shops.
Steve, Josias and Wendy made our stay memorable and I envision this to be the first of many stays at the Desoto Inn.

Sooooooo cute! The ambiance is lovely and the accommodations are exceptional. I love that they supply everything so that really the only thing you need to bring is yourself, some clothes and a few select toiletries.
I love the courtyard kitty that hangs out. It’s very shy so it’s not bothersome at all.
The shed out to the side of the rooms has chairs, umbrellas and I believe a few toys even. That was super convenient for us because we didn’t think to pack a bunch of beach accessories other than the necessities. We used their chairs & an umbrella for some shade. The beach wasn’t too crowded either.
Great experience and will definitely come back!

We stayed at this peaceful «heaven» over Labor Day weekend. We had a one bedroom on the second floor. Very clean, colorful but tasteful decorated and very homy. Loved that the Hotel is «green» and signs with «recicling», «no smoking» and the most wonderful vegan/​gluten free breakfast under the tiki hut in the lushes garden added to the charm.
Steve made us more than welcome and explained the self-​clean room policy. You do not have to wear anything but your bathing suit during your stay here. Walk 2 houses down to the beach and «bake» or hop on your bike (free of charge offered by The Desoto) and paddle down to the boardwalk for some live music and a beer.
We will be back for another long getaway weekend. Oh, did I mentioned the 8am Yoga class on the Beach? And, yes, it’s free.
Thanks to the staff at The Desoto our Labor Day weekend was «HEAVEN» !

Excellent service and facilities. This was a very restful, beautiful space, and just as clean as earth-​friendly as they’re famous for. We arrived around 7pm and were greeted by Steve who asked us if we would be attending yoga on the beach with them the next morning! Just wonderful. Our schedule didn’t allow us to enjoy the raw food breakfast (8−10am, M-​F) prepared by their chef, but we did have a delightful organic Sunday breakfast under the peaceful tiki hut in the garden outside our apartment. We found other couples and families staying at the Desoto wile we were there, but never noticed any bother or noise. The atmosphere of the inn is just so calm and peaceful. Signs saying «Welcome» in many languages, «Please Recycle,» and «No smoking» created a friendly, healthy environment where we felt much at ease.
The unit itself (Studio apt. E) was large and full of everything we might need for cooking on our own. We enjoyed the Terra Green amenities in the bathroom, and appreciated that there were even beach towels available for our use. The bed and bathroom linens were soft and perfectly clean, and the floor was so clean that we didn’t have any reservations about walking around barefoot. That says something! Steve and Josias were very accommodating, and made our stay very enjoyable. The Keurig coffee bar, next to a little bookcase for sharing books, included rice and hemp milk in the mini-​fridge to cream your coffee with, and had a sign charging 60 cents for a cup of coffee on the honor system, which I thought was just fabulous. For any Keurig user, you know that 60 cents is right at cost per cup. Everything about this place seemed caring and honest.
This area of Hollywood is as quiet and tucked-​away as it can be, even while being near to some non-​beach activities (nature preserves and parks, shopping, movie theatres, etc) if you wanted them. The hotel is literally 2 minutes walk to the gorgeous ocean, and if you’re into fishing, party-​boat-​style fishing trips leave less than half a mile away at Sea Legs III. Since we visited during sea turtle nesting season, we were thrilled to be able to walk the public beach and see marked nesting sites. We ran into some turtle protection volunteers who told us that Las Olas (accessible by Fort Lauderdale Public Beach parking lot, about 10 minutes north of the Desoto) had lots of nesting turtles, and it was there that we got to meet one of nature’s great mysteries, the mother sea turtle. (Bring a red flashlight, since bright lights are not allowed on the beach during turtle season May — November. Prime turtle viewing time is between 10pm and 3am. Parking at Ft. Lauderdale Beach was about $ 2 for an hour.)
It rained a lot during our vacation, but with a positive attitude and a serene oasis at the Desoto, we enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you to Steve, Josias and Wendy for the wonderful hospitality. What a pleasure to get to spend a few days in your little paradise. We’ll see you next time!