South Seas Resort Captiva question
 

I am planning a family vacation with 8 adults and 7 children. Looking into South Seas on Captiva.
I have a quick question about South Seas. If you stay on the South end of the island/resort where the cottages are do you have to drive to the main area (north end?)where the restaurants are? We will have little kids with us and won't want to load them into the car just each time we need to eat or do something. We want to be close to beach/pool/patio restaurant. Just curious... I'm just going off of the resort map they have on their site.
Thank you!

They have tram trains that are covered in your resort fee. The circle the grounds and take you from one part to the others.

I should have said "had" tram trains; I haven't been there in a while, so be sure before you book.

We are today on South Seas Resort. The South End is where the shops, gate, fitness center and Starbucks are located. There is a free to resort guests trolley that runs the length of the resort with multiple stops along the way. It is about 2 miles from the south end to the North End. There are really only 3 places to get food on the actual resort. The Harborside Bar and Grill is on the North end next to the marina. It is decent and family friendly. Scoops is the Ice-Cream Shop at the North end that is also a candy shop. They serve pizza and maybe sandwiches? We haven't eaten there. There is a shack on the Beach on the north end across from the marina that has a full bar and offers a couple of sandwiches if you are on the beach and needing lunch. I don't know where the Pointe Restaurant and Bar is....it's not obvious whatever it is!

We've been leaving the resort to eat dinner every night. Most restaurants you will need to drive to. We've eaten lunch at the Harborside and at the Captiva Provision Company. Otherwise, we've gone off resort.

A tip: buy your groceries off the resort .... Jerry's supermarket is nearby. You'll do better price-wise.

Have a great trip!

We may well be heading to South Seas this month, and I wanted to follow up on the tram traibs. The resort does still have them, but I'm wondering about the seats for our toddler - is it the kind of thing where we'd just hold her on our laps? Or do we need a car seat? If it's a trolley-type thing, laps should do. But if they're running vans or buses I might be less comfortable with that. I just really want to avoid lugging a car seat with us from DC, as we aren't planning to rent a car.

Thanks!

The trams are more like oversize golf carts and never go more than about 10 MPH. These are very common in Florida resorts, and everyone holds the babes in laps.

How are you going to get to the resort without a car?

If you are really opposed to having a car, take a car service rather than a taxi to the resort unless you can get a fixed rate since there are often delays in what is already quite a long trip from the airport.

You are going to like the beaches, especially if you are arriving after horrible weather.

Hi, Ackislander - thanks! I haven't researched it yet, but I was hoping to find a cab or car service that had car seats.

I'm thinking about the one bedrooms on the south beach (beach villas) - I've seen complaints about their not having chairs, cabanas, etc., but it doesn't look like there IS a place to stay in walking distance to sunset beach, and I don't think we'd mind so much. Is there something else wrong with that location? Some of the commenters seemed pretty upset. Any other thoughts on where to stay?

Also - is there off-resort activity that we'd want a rental car for? I never expect to find much of interest to a toddler.

Thanks!!

And Happy New Year, all!

We stayed in a harborside room, next to the pool, etc. If you can get a villa, etc on that end it would be a LOT more convenient if you want to walk to kayaks, ice cream, etc. You can actually take the tram to the nearby restaurants off resort, too. We had a great time except for the Dolphin cruise (off resort), which was a total waste of money and time-we saw more dolphins in the harbor and marina. Went to Jenkins' marina for manatees.

Am considering SS vacation OR Boca resort for family (husband, 10 and 11 year old children) this February'09. A little concerned after reading information on website here (will check tripadvisor and call resort back with more specifics too!)....
Tentatively, booked Harborside at the Pointe, since it was near, activities, pools, food. Staff advised me that we could ride trolley anywhere; even into Captiva...which really interest us to enjoy local flavor. We enjoy riding bikes, and were told we could ride them into town...is this too far for leisure biking?

We've not been to Fla. much as we have much history in NC beaches...but are wanting a 4star+, a warm climate and clean beaches in Feb. w/o leaving states this time. We like relaxing, local foods, water sports (gamefishing, skiing, sunfish sailing, shelling) shelling and biking. Other considerations are Boca's Gasperilla Inn, loved the website, old classic feel...but seems to be more golf focused..can play golf, but not my boys focus..or my daughters! We enjoy games, and shopping. Resently went to Sea Island, Ga....one of our favorites.
I welcome any tips or redirection here....thanks so much. ~S

I'm a little confused-all of the negative stuff here is from 2006; after the hurricane, before the reconstruction was complete.

Hello -- I've been reading these threads with great interest because we are considering South Seas in March. I'm confused on which end of the resort if the "best" for families. Is there more going on on the North side? Also, many posts on Trip Advisor ridiculed the food and the rooms. The website is so inviting that I thought the aesthetics would be that way at the resort.
Can anyone clarify? Thanks.

Are these recent reviews?

Under its former owners and management, this place was a dump. After a round of hurricanes, it got new owners.

I haven't been back since the change, but it is worth focussing on reviews in the last two years.

Hello Ackislander - These reviews are as recent as three days ago on Trip Advisor. They complained about the food and the horrible housekeeping. They also said that the rooms/villas do not look at all like the website. I do know that the condos are privately owned so there could be some truth to those comments. I still think the resort looks appealing. Has anyone else been recently? Are these negatives valid? Thanks!

South Seas just re-opened last season in earnest It still isn't operational in my opinion.

Restaurants are in flux, shops are gone, lots of in-fighting from the various owners. South Seas is operated by one company but there are many different associations within the grounds, all with different arrangements for rental. There are a few single family homes. Some of the nicest condos were completely ruined by Hurricane Charlie in 2004, especially at the north end of the project, which is the most desirable to me.

I was there last week, and although I no longer do interior design work there, I was kind of shocked how quiet things were. No grocery, no Chadwicks (not a great loss, but there is nothing taking its place), a pretty pricey carryout deli across the street but it was almost empty on a Saturday at 1 pm.

After Charlie, owners were assessed anywhere from $40k and up for renovations and many defaulted. Any reasonable bids to make the units "upscale" enough to meet the charge for the rooms were rejected and some really low bids were accepted. These renovations will not last with the heavy family use the resort gets (or at least used to get). One owner had me look at her unit after it had received the association upgrade and it was really cheesy, more Holiday Inn or Red Roof than Marriott or Westin.
There are also many time shares within the property that rent on a short basis. They might be a better bet as they usually have more realistic reserves for maintenance. Honoria

Honoria-Thanks for the information, although it is rather daunting. It sounds like South Seas is pretty awful. We were considering it as a less expensive alternative to resorts in the Caribbean (we've always gone in the past in March). We also thought we could manage bringing a friend for our son. Your review seemed to be very thorough and depressing. Were you there after the holiday rush? I'm wondering if the beginning of January is generally more quiet in Southwestern Florida. Can you recommend any other resort in Florida? It does not have to be on the Gulf side? Thanks!

I was there Saturday, Jan. 3rd. Lots of families still there from the holidays. I think you can still have a lovely vacation there if your hopes aren't set too high, as many are. There are many cute restaurants on Andy Rosse Lane. Maybe 8 or 10 in that area, all good for kids except one (Key Lime) The beaches are beautiful and depending on the season, the water will be crystal clear and while not like the Caribbean, it is lovely. Which cottages are you considering. I think there are several clusters. There are some with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, is that what you are looking at?

We own a 1 bedroom beachfront condo in the Gulf Beach Villas at South Seas. We don't eat at the Resort's restaurants because most of them are located at the far North end of the resort 1.5 miles away, but more importantly because we don't see value for the price.

Our condo is on the South end of the Resort and is about a 5-6 minute walk along the beach to the Mucky Duck, at the end of Andy Rosse Lane. The Mucky Duck has been around since the 1970's and is popular with families due to it's beach location.

The Resort owns very few of the accommodations, other than Harborside on the far north end. It relies on owners, like us, to lease their properties back to the Resort, which then rents them to vacationers at subtantially higher rates than our owner-direct rates.

Each condo is privately owned. Some have been updated, others have not. (This includes condo under the Resort's control. I don't believe the Resort allows you to specify which condo you wish to rent.)


For vacationers specifically looking to spend time at the Resort's new lagoon pool (which is very nice - ) and or needs daily maid service, renting from the Resort is about your only option.)

Our guests tend to be couples or small families who want to just enjoy the beach, maybe spend time time at our quiet pool reading or drinking a cup of morning coffee, and eat at one several reasonably-priced restaurants (everything is relative) in the are known as "Captiva Village" or the "Village", stretching from the Mucky Duck on the Gulf of Mexico to the Bubble Room at the 4-way stop at the intersection of Andy Rosse Land and Captiva Drive.

The Resort still operates the trolly that travels through the Resort and also outside the Resort to the "Village". Access to the trolly is limited to "Resort" guests. The Resort issues guest passes. If you can't present one, you won't get into the North-end pool complex, and probably, will be denied access to the trolly.

Hope you find this info helpful.
Roger
www.captivasouthseas.com

Have you considered staying on Sanibel Island rather than Captiva? You may have more lodging opportunities, and Captiva Island is a car drive away, if you really want to go there. In my opinion, Sanibel offers more in the way of accomodations,beaches,restaurants, small shops,etc. A few beach-side locations have restaurants within walking distance. Have you tried the local realtor for rental information? (I think it's Pricilla Murphy's).

Has anyone heard of Anna Maria island? A family friend is developing property there and suggested the island. We have not looked into Sanibel yet. Is the island stuck in a Jimmy Buffet time warp? Is it kid-friendly? Anything to do?

Hi All - I was interested to find this thread as we are going to South Seas in March and are staying in the Beach Villas - booked through the hotel. I was a little concerned by Roger's comments as I booked the room based on the pictures on the South Seas website - the rooms look they have recently been updated. In comparison, some of the Beach Villas offered through the Royal Shell Property Rental appear more dated.

I called South Seas today to specifically ask if we will be staying in a hotel owned room or a by-owner owned room. The lady I spoke with was not particularly nice, but she did tell me that any room booked through the hotel will be a hotel owned room. She said if you want an owner owned room, you would need to go through a third party website. So, not really sure what to think after reading some of these posts.

What I do know is that if you do want to take advantage of the South Seas new H2WOO pool and other ammenities, it is actually cheaper to book through South Seas. Otherwise, you would need to purchase a daily pass that is $75 per person (every single day you want to use it).

Any other thoughts as to the confusion of getting a hotel owned room versus a by-owner owned room? I don't want to be caught suprised in March!

Thanks!

geans_marie:

To my knowledge all condos in what South Seas refers to as the "Beach Villas" are privately owned. These units are comprised of 3 legally separate condo owner associations, each with its own board of Directors:

2000 and 2100 buildings = Gulf Beach Villas
2200, 2300, and 2400 buildings = Sunset Beach Villas
2500 and 2600 buildings = Beach Villas III

The Resort has several rental program options available to owners which govern owner usage and rental income sharing arrangements. The Resort becomes the property manager and sole rental agent for owners who participate in these programs (often refered to as "in-program" owners.) It is these units that the Resort is referring to when it uses the phrase "Resort owned" This does not mean all of the units are decorated alike. For example, our building, the 2100 building at the Gulf Beach Villas, sustained significant roof damage from Hurricane Charley. Our condo was gutted to the interior concrete walls and rebuilt, including new ceramic tile for all floor surfaces, new base boards, crown molding, kitchen/bath cabinets and countertops, upscale appliances, and all new furniture.

While many owners (both in-program and out-of-program owners, (like us)also completed major renovations at this time, others did not. Some upgraded to granite or Silestone countertops. (We put in Corian, primarily for ease of maintenance reasons.) I personally know of one owner in our building who replaced his countertops with a laminate and decided to replace living room and bedroom carpets rather than incur the expense of tile. Nothing wrong with that, but in my view, it provides a little different vacation experience. His condo is a "Resort-owned" unit.

Just a quick comment re: Hotwheels Jan 14, 2009 posting:

Although Captiva is only a 10-20 minute car ride from Sanibel depending on location, traffic on Sanibel's main road, Periwinkle Way, gets congested in season (mid Feb.- mid Apr.).

Also, Sanibel is a much larger island; once you are away from the beach, Sanibel loses some of its Island feel. In contrast, Captiva is a sliver of land where the Gulf of Mexico and/or the waters of Pine Island Sound on the bay side are never far from sight.

Most importantly, parking on Captiva is extremely limited. In season, only a lucky few visitors who drive up to Captiva find a place to park. Most drive around a bit before simply heading back to Sanibel.

Since we are only 5-6 minute walk by either beach or road to the restaurants in the "village", we rarely get back in the car until it's time to leave the Island.

I went down to the condo for a few days in December before Christmas to do a little touch up painting, etc. and also found time for lunch and/or a little libation at the Mucky Duck, and Key Lime Bistro. To my disappoint, Russ, the manager of Key Lime Bistro, explained that R C Otters, my favorite place for a glass of raspberry tea (ok, a cold beer) and an afternoon of live music, was closed for the week to do a little pre-season maintenance of their own. Sure enough, across the street a couple of periwinkle-color paint brushes were busily putting a new shine on the porch. I even found time to enjoy the 80F sunshine on the beach. (It sure beat the -10F back in Wisconsin.)

For those of you who've never been to Captiva, you'll find it hard to believe that we suffered a direct hit by 145 mph Hurricane Charley in 2004. For those of us who enjoy the Island's unspoiled beaches, natural beauty, casual lifestyle, and quiet anonymity, there's no place like Captiva.


We're going down again for a week in March. Maybe I'll post a message from the lanai. Any specific requests.

Thanks Jewel_of_Captiva - I appreciate your response!

geans_marie:
We're going to be at the condo in March also. (March 14-21)When in March are you visiting? If you're there the 3rd week of March, please stop by and say hi. Our condo is 2112 Gulf Beach villas in the 2100 building. (As you look back at the condos from the beach, we are the 2nd building on the left next to the Beach Cottages.

You can also view photos of our place at www.captivasouthseas.com
Hope to see you in March,
Roger