Hello

My husband and I are thinking of going to South Seas on Captiva in May. I have heard great things about it but the website has limited information on the accommodations etc. Does anyone know if the resort is back to full operation after the hurricane damage it sustained last year? Any recommendations on which villages there are the best ones?

We are interested in staying in a nice resort around Capitva/Sanibel with full amenities? (We are traveling with our baby and want somewhere sort of self-contained and also where we can get a place with some extra space vs. just a standard hotel room).

Any recommendations are appreciated- thanks!

This resort was recently sold.

Progress on repairs had been slow, and the new owners plan many upgrades. My sense is that it is now in transition and that you would not get the level of service and accomodation that you are looking for, but others may have more current information.

I can also add that when I stayed there several years ago, I was nickeled and dimed to death. The resort had special fees for everything except breathing. It is also a long way from a grocery store (not far in miles but a 30 mph speed limit and lots of traffice) so some of the advantages of renting a condo, if that was your aim, are lost because of the hassle of getting supplies for breakfasts etc.

It is, however, in a very beautiful spot with great weather (other than during hurricane season!)

Check out 'Tween Waters Inn on Captiva (they have a website). It has a charming, rustic island feel, but still has every amenity you could want...restaurants, nightclub, tiki bar, pool, spa services, etc. I prefer it to South Seas Plantation, which always felt a little like a "compound" to me.

wanted to keep this topic current because while we love Tween Waters, I thought South Seas (or whatever it is called now) might be great for a family; there were a flurry of ads at the beginning of the year in the Washington Post and the NYT announcing a reopening, but when you went to the new web site it was not current; it sounds like since the hurricane it has been sold (?) and is now going to "reopen" again. . .I saw an ad about a month ago in the Post that looked completely different from the ad campaign I saw earlier, anyway, if anyone has been or has driven in, I'd also love to hear impressions, etc.

thanks,

Mary in D.C.

We are going to South Seas in May. If you go on line, you will see the are re-opening rates starting at 149.00 per night. The resort is fully open and underwent a multi million dollar repair/renovation. We are staying in a 1 BR beach villa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico. There is a full kitchen and a living room. The rate is 219.00 per night....a bargain! We love this part of Fla. South Seas will be the last week of our 3 week vacation. We have stayed here before (before hurricane) and thought the location was great, but the rooms were getting worn and shabby. Everything is brand new now and fully operational, so I know it will be just wonderful. The website has recently been updated too www.southseasresort.com.

If you have any questions, call the toll free number and ask, everyone there is very nice and will take all the time and answer all your questions.

OOOps I'm sorry the correct website is www.southseas.com Sorry

Excuse me, and I'm not going to try to be an expert, but South Seas is definitely not "Fully open". Parts are open and they are in operation.

According to a South Seas rep, the only thing not completed is the theme pool which is located in the middle of the resort, there are other pools which are open, it's just the largest "theme pool" that is incomplete at this time. I do know all the accommodations are new and are open, the beach has been repaired and plants/trees replanted. From looking at their new website and their photo tour is looks pretty good to me! The restaruants are open and the trolly is operational too.

We will find out soon. We loved the laid back charm of this resort before the hurricane hit (even though it was on the worn side)and sure we will love it now. When we get there and find out some things are not open....oh well. The room in which we are staying is brand new, right on the beautiful gulf beach. There is also plenty to see and do in the area I am not worried.

South Seas is nothing like it used to be. Many of the areas are still in renovation. I'd wait another year. It will look drastically different because of the loss of its mangroves and jungle character. One can only hope the restaurants have been improved. They were pretty dismal before the hurricane.

I do not think the new signature restaurant is open yet. At least that is what I heard from a chef that ought to know.

I thought the marina did not get its clearance yet. You have to remember, this is a resort that has been closed for 18 months and lost two "high seasons" and thus a lot of their staff.

My old employer still has millions of dollars of orders to install out there. Hopefully soon. LMF

Avoid this place. They've lagged on repair and the attitude there was always a bit off-putting to me anyway.

I agree with the on property restaurants (pre hurricane) just awful. With so many great little places to eat (and inexpensively) in the area they really should do a better job. The food was really crappy and very pricy for the quality. I think the new restaurant there is called Tasa? It's a steakhouse, but for sure we will not be going there.

We were basically looking for a nice beachfront room on the Gulf to relax and enjoy some sunsets and a few lightning storms, find a few shells and enjoy some cocktails. We will be renting a car, and know the area very well so we know where to go. I am very curious about the place now. Thanks for the heads up on everything, I know not to expect too much. I still think it has to look better than it did before the hurricane destroyed it. I remember the first time we went there. We had just come from a high end resort and this was the second half of our Fla trip. We were kinda grossed out, but the place grew on us because of the beautiful location.

I will take lots of pics and post a report when we get back.

If it is really really bad, where would you suggest we move to, the Tween Waters Inn...Maybe I should have a back up plan.

Thanks- I will check out the tween waters. I got the impression from the person I talked to that something fishy was going on- there is no way they could be fully operational again because my uncle couldn't even pull his boat in there 2 weeks ago.

Any other captiva /sanibel recs?
THanks!!

Sweet Polly-

Thanks for the recommendation. I am booked at the Tween Waters- looks like a neat place!

Any restaurant recommendations for Capitva? I was there over 10 years ago and vaguely remember the Mucky Duck and the Bubble ROom. Don't know if they are still around/good.

Thanks!

Bubble Room and Mucky Duck are still there. There's a new seafood tapas place right across the street from the Mucky Duck called Redfish Blufish. Have not tried it, but I intend to when I make my own pilgrimage to 'Tween Waters in June. You can get a good breakfast at Keylime Bistro, and I also recommend The Green Flash for casual, relatively inexpensive (for Captiva) seafood with a lovely view of Pine Island Sound.

Tween Waters restaurant is excellent. Last I stayed there breakfast was included -- and it was a full breakfast not continental.