Lido Islander

We loved this hotel!!! I don’t know why there are so many bad reviews.
My boyfriend and I both thought our little condo was very clean, and the bed was soft. Each room came with a tv and we enjoyed our cute kitchen. We had way more space than we imagined, plus there was another foldable cot in the closet if you had extra guests staying with you.
Our favorite thing about this place is that it is about 2 – 3 blocks from St. Armands, so you can walk to and from easily and forgo the parking/​traffic mess. It is also only a short distance from Lido if you are feeling beachy. They provide you chairs and umbrellas complimentary. I felt the $ 5 per day bike rental policy was reasonable.
Our only negative comment was that there were no paper towels that we could find in our suite. I am not sure if they were offered in the front desk or not.
We will definitely be back and recommend to friends.

Nice little one bedroom. Couch needs to be replaced. Mattress on sleeper sofa is worn out, stained, and a nightmare to sleep on. Kitchen was most bare bones equipped possible. Dining table looks like they just got it at the Goodwill. If you want to be charmed, probably not the place. Great location though.

What a charming little inn! Just a short walk from the beach tucked into a little neighborhood just minutes away from cute eclectic shops and restaurants! The rooms were clean, staff friendly!

Staying at the Lido Islander Inn
was a genuine treat. I felt like I had my own studio apartment in this swanky neighborhood beachside community. The self check in at night was quick and easy. The bed was comfy, the room very clean, quiet and well appointed. Only 2 little things that I would have enjoyed having– some sturdy, even plastic hangers and a hot pot for boiling tea water. It was an easy, safe and very pleasant walk to shops and restaurants at St. Armand’s Circle and the lovely white sand beach. It always is a major perk to leave the car in its parking spot after a day of travel.
The very thorough notebook of dining, shopping and sightseeing ideas provided by the hosts was very appreciated.
May I suggest that the cleaning person knock on the door with an intro before trying to unlock the door.
All in all, such a great alternative to a hotel stay or a B and B. This will be a good fit for you, if you are independent and don’t expect resort amenities or B and B intimacy and coddling.

You may have noticed a common theme in the negative reviews about this place. Everyone who tries to cancel their reservation or is unhappy with their accommodations is charged for the full amount of their stay. The same thing happened to my wife and I when we arrived, found the accommodations completely unacceptable and decided to seek accommodations elsewhere. We’re still fighting the charges through our credit card company. The owners often respond to these negative reviews, saying «if you’d read our cancellation policy…» That should tell you all you need to know. Reputable hotels will stand behind their rooms and guarantee their customers’ satisfaction. This place wants all the money up front because it knows the guests are going to be dissatisfied with the accommodations.
First of all, we booked it over the phone with
(another service that should be avoided). The woman on the phone tried to put us in the Holiday Inn, but it was completely full. So, she directed us to this eyesore. She claimed on the phone that it was comparable to the Holiday Inn. It wasn’t even comparable to a Motel 6.
Two weeks before we arrived, I went to the website and sent an e-​mail to ask them if they had shuttle service to and from the airport, or should I catch a cab? I never received a reply. Looking back, that was a great indicator of what was to come.
The place is obviously a large house that has been converted into a «hotel,» and I use the term loosely. It looked more like a frat house or a surfers flophouse. There was no front desk, no on-​site staff even though it wasn’t even 5 p.m., and when we called the number to complain, we got their answering service.
The room was so small, you couldn’t even open the door all the way — it stopped when it hit the bottom of the bed. The bathroom’s the size of a broom closet and when I opened a door that I thought was a closet, I found myself looking into another room in which a family was watching TV. They were as surprised as I was.
The place is a dump and it’s not even on the beach. Do yourself a favor, pay the extra money and stay at one of the MANY places directly on the beach that make this place look like the rio-​off it is. We went right down the street to the Helmsley Sandcastle and were so impressed we plan to go back and stay there again.
Lido Key is a nice area of Sarasota, and you’ll really enjoy it if you have a nice place to stay. Lido Islander Inn and Suites is not a nice place to stay, and your vacation will be ruined if you stay there.
Take my advice and avoid this place at all costs.