I will preface by saying the weather was extremely chilly and windy during our stay, so that's likely dragging down this review. Anna Maria Island is quaint and beautiful. The sand is powdery white -- the water aqua blue. We were looking at the location because it was recommended by a dear friend and ultimately choose Bungalow Beach Resort after Trip Advisor rated it one of the 10 Most Romantic in the world. Wow! This place must be fabulous.
The place is charming, but tiny. The motel is situated on a busy bend in the road. The rooms appear much more spacious online, but in reality appliances are mini in size. We had to turn on the heater, which was a window unit. It was really very loud, which made nights a bit sleepless. We traveled with our toddler, which I would not recommend at this location, especially in a studio room (especially when they "forgot" to get a crib). Again, the cool weather and high winds left us with little to do. The pool was too chilly to enjoy and tiny, but cute. The shower was super small and that made it hard to get the wee one cleaned up. Also, you clean your own room and make the beds, which was a bit of a surprise.
So, I hate to be a sour puss, but this place is only makes sense if the weather is great and if you travel without little ones (or if you go for a larger room, which were $360+ a night). If we go back to Anna Maria, we will for sure rent a home on the beach with a pool/hot tub. This way if the weather is cool, we can enjoy the view, cook and play inside in a more comfortable setting.
Highlights: Ginny & Jane's for breakfast and Beach Bistro -- pricey, but topnotch service. The Sandbar is on a beautiful location. The food's fine. Had we not nearly been blown off by the wind on the Rod & Reel Pier, that was adorable too!