I'm in a PANIC- please help
 

I recently booked a stay at the Naples Grande for my family (husband, 2 boys aged 5 and 7) and a room for my elderly parents travelling across country to spend some quality time with their grandchildren. The pool slide is what grabbed me for this location. Let me start by saying this hotel is MUCH more money than my parents are used to spending, so the pressure was on (me). I am the admitted hotel snob in the family, so I have to kiss my 4-5 star dreams goodbye on this trip. Since then I have been glued to web sites like this one and trip advisor. The reviews of this hotel have been HORRIBLE. Rude staff, very expensive, noise. YIKES. My worst nightmare. SOOO..... now I am looking to relocate. I just came back from Marco Island and the Ocean Beach Resort which was GORGEOUS. I would never have a bad thing to say about that hotel, but not quite the family friendly scene I envision. Can anyone comment on the Tween Waters Inn? There are 2 rooms available (I checked) and the rate includes breakfast and the rooms have a kitchenette which I know would please my parents. My kids would love Ding Darling park, I'm sure. My criteria: Nice pool.(my kids are HUGE pool kids) Beach close by. Attentive service but doesn't need to be over the top. I need to try to RELAX during this stay not worry about rude staff or my kids being too loud at the pool PLEASE HELP!!! PS- Marco Marriott was not available

A very knowledgeable poster made these comments

"Author: Tandoori_Girl
Date: 03/12/2005, 09:41 am
I enjoyed the Radisson Resort on Lido Key awhile back. And it seemed very family-oriented. We had a 2-bedroom 2-bath suite and it was terrific. There were two pools, three hot tubs, and a kiddy pool. The Orlando Grand Cypress is also great for kids because of the pool.

Another place to consider would be Tween Waters Inn on Captiva Island, Tween-Waters.com. They have a great pool for kids, another for adults, some suites, and the beach is just across the little street. There is a very simple kayak trip there that would be ideal for you (I had never kayaked and it was a breeze). There is a little downtown with a slew of restaurants. you could rent bikes and bike around Captiva.

Thank you so much for your reply. As we all already have our flights into Fort Myers I think I might go with the Tween Waters Inn. Not so pretentious as the Naples Grande appears to (at least) WANT to be. THe bugs in the room , according to some reviewers, scare me but you'll always find bad reviews on even the finest of establishments. I need to relax and be at peace with my decision. Thank you again

You are quite welcome. Have a wonderful time with your family.

For what it's worth, I'd take the negative reviews about the Naples Grande with a giant grain of salt myself. I personally have heard nothing but raves, and I only know the public rooms, but they are really fine. That property has many owners -- not really an interval ownership, but more of a huge partnership. A few years ago it changed hands and many owners were very, very upset and found the turnover cost them a lot of money. I strongly suggest that those nightmarish reviews are by former owners who are still angry and are trying to discredit the hotel. Maybe not, but that's my guess.

Incidentally a neighbor of mine worked as a desk clerk there for a little over a year (until this past summer). I had quizzed her and she said she could count on one hand the number of specific complaints she ever heard about the place. The vast majority of the people there raved about it. Take that for what it's worth.

TweenWaters is a neat and sort of rustic place. I'm not sure how any comparison could be made between that and the Naples Grande. I have no idea why you say you must kiss your 4-5 star dreams goodbye if you stay at the Grande, but I do understand if you stay at TweenWaters. Don't get me wrong, TweenWaters could be great, but it could hardly be compared to a 4 or 5 star hotel or resort!

I adore Tween Waters Inn, and have stayed there at least a dozen times with nary a bug sighting (however, as a Floridian, I would be neither shocked nor horrified if I had...they come with the territory down here). I have done quite a bit of traveling, and while Tween Waters is not the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in, it is my sentimental favorite. The last time I was there was in June...and, yes, the rooms could stand a little updating. However, they are large, clean, and "beachy", with nice water views. There are some newer suites on the Bay side which have more contemporary furnishings.

Tween Waters has a rustic feel with lots of amenities. Their onsite restaurant is not bad, but not spectacular either. The pool area is always jumping, and they have a great tiki bar there. The onsite bar (The Crow's Nest) usually draws a fairly substantial crowd of locals as well as hotel guests, and offers live entertainment most nights. Be sure to catch the Nascrab Races they have there once a week...it's a lot of fun. They recently added a spa, so you can get massages, facials, etc., if you wish. Oh...and the beach across from the resort is uncrowded and absolutely gorgeous.

I called Radisson Lido Beach Resort mentioned above and it does not have a kiddie pool. They have 2 pools that each have a 3ft deep section. I think most parents refer to a kiddie pool as a seperate smaller pool that is usually 1-2 feet deep.

Sundial resort on Sanibel is very nice, but I would go through an owner to rent. They have kids programs and multiple pools, including a slide at the main pool.

Try this site, there are last minute discounts available:
http://www.sundialb407.com/

The people are very nice, and can hook you up with many different rooms for much cheaper than the resort itself, saving money for many fine dining options.