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Come experience Sanibel with the charm of Old Style Florida! Located on the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico, on the west end of the island, Tropical Winds is tucked away in a very secluded, private setting within a small residential neighborhood. Enjoy one of our beachfront efficiencies or nearby cottages in our own tropical paradise!
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This is a "Old Florida" style cottage houses. Small and just enough for what we needed. Spending all day in the sun, a shower and sleep is what we need.
The landscape was kept up the whole time we were there.
They had everything that you would need for to go to the beach, towels that were extra large and really nice, umbrellas, chairs, a pull wagon to tote everything down to the beach. It all located in the pool area. The pool was very nice too. You can also grab one of their bikes and cruise around like everyone else in the island.
When collecting shells there is a wash station to clean your finds. And a outdoor shower to rinse off before getting into your unit.
We stayed in unit #10. Closet one to the beach. It's literally a short walk to our own private beach. We were the only ones on the beach all day. The front door to the unit is a slider that walks into the kitchenette, it has everything you need to make quick meals. A good size refrigerator to store drinks and leftover restaurant goods or anything you pick up from Bailey's (local grocery store). Loving room had a sleeper sofa, eh, wasn't the most comfortable. But is any sleeper sofa? Then there is a full bathroom. The bedroom is located in the back with two queen beds. A window unit a\c that kept the entire place very cold.
The staff is awesome! Thank you Sylvia!!! You very helpful and nice! Malaya, thank you! There was the sweetest gentleman working on the landscape who just chatted away with us, giving us advise. Thank you!
We can't wait to plan out next trip here!!!
P.S. This place is a dog friendly too!!
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Best views. Old Florida.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hidden gem managed by Katie and Daniel allowed for the perfect anniversary getaway. The reservation process was easy with Katie sharing additional details before booking. Due to availability, we opted for the King accommodations on the “motel” side. Check-in was easy with Katie offering chairs, umbrella, beach towels and a cart which was delivered after checking to our room. We stayed in #3 which is just across from the cottages on the beach side. It’s much larger than anticipated with living room, small kitchen/dining area, bathroom and bedroom with king bed. Cute deck set off the old Florida feel. The beach is pristine and private. A quite setting without noisy crowds or drama. No more than 10 to 15 people on this stretch of beach during even the busiest part of the day. Crystal clear water, shelling, fishing, wave watching and swimming were being enjoyed by all! We visited the private pool twice and were the only ones there in the late afternoon. If you are looking for simpler accommodations with little fuss, attentive management, close to local attractions- this place is the place!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:There are two sections. A beach side with cottages and a motel side which are on the same side as...
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Response from katie n, Innkeeper at Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages
Responded 2 July 2022
Thank you for the kind review! Come and stay with us again!
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My wife Heather, Phoebe our Golden Retriever, and the week leading up to Chirstmas at this fabulous place on Spaniel Island. Sharon and Mike, who run the place, could not have been anymore nicer or accomondating. We rented #9 which was the second from the end closet to the beach path and the place was spotlessly clean, great beds, full updated bath and little kitchen and had a great little screened in porch/this was shared with #8 but we barely ever saw the people in that unit. The porch allowed us hang space in the morning having coffee or after beach time drinking a cold one. The place has a pool but the water was pretty chilly as it's the end of December. The beach is fabulous and just a short walk out the door with very few people/mostly families from the single family homes in the neighborhoods around the motel. This place is really one of a kind and we would go back in a minute.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:#10 is the end unit closet to the beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Local Getaway, General Manager at Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages
Responded 3 Jan 2021
Thank you so much, Curt, for your kind words and great review..! We really enjoyed having you guys, and of course Phoebe as well, here with us. Many of our guests come back to Tropical Winds year after year for just those reasons you've cited, and we hope that we will see you all again soon! We think that our beach is second to none on Sanibel for quiet, solitude, and of course awesome shelling..! Have a great New Year..! Mike and Sharon Innkeepers
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stayed in cottage # 6. Very tight and small for a family of 5, even if they advertise that more can fit. Not well cleaned, I found trash on the bottom floor of the bed; dust and things other travelers have left behind. One of the walls of the room even had accumulated dirt on the corner that clearly has not been cleaned. When we first checked in the fridge was not working and after I complained it was switched out for a new one. Which the process took about 4 hrs; so I could not relax until this was done (opposite of what a vacation should be). The kitchen floor was dirty when I arrived and I had to clean it myself. There is a small stove which as soon as we turned it on to make breakfast; it triggers the smoke alarm, so you cannot even cook on it. We had to order takeout breakfast from a restaurant instead, which we were not counting on doing so.
After my trip I emailed the hotel to get my deposit back because after what we experienced; it was not fair to pay the full amount; they never even emailed back nor called me to follow-up or even apologize.
I do not recommend this place; the reviews that state that cottages are not cleaned are very true.
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Date of stay: September 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Local Getaway, General Manager at Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages
Responded 15 Nov 2020
We are so sorry that your stay was not up to standards. At the time of your stay, the on-site managers had already left the position and our new management team had not yet arrived, leaving the housekeeping staff short-handed and, more importantly, without much supervision. And as Murphy's Law would have it, the fridge decided to expire as well. These things do happen, and to lessen our replacement time, we now have back-up units on-site for just such an event. No excuses though, we definitely dropped the ball during this time period. We also apologize that you were not contacted back, this is not our normal procedure. We would love for you to come back for another visit to give our new management a chance to show you why we have great reviews and repeat guests! We would like to offer you a free night if you book one night with us to earn your future business. No restrictions, other than availability. Please come during the week or the weekend, your choice. Once again... sorry for your sub-standard stay, we would love to make it up to you! Mike and Sharon Inkeepers
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For years we have raved about Tropical Winds, but no more!
This was our 6th annual long weekend stay with friends. In fact, we book the same two bedroom unit, one year in advance. This year, 2 weeks before our arrival, I emailed Tropical Winds to remind them that we would be there soon. A couple of days later, I received a confirmation email. All appeared good!
The day of our arrival, I called at 1 PM, from a local restaurant to inquire if we could possibly check in early. I was told no and we would have to wait until the normal check in time of 3 pm. We arrived at 2:40 pm to find our room, still occupied. That is when the fun began!
We were told that the room would be available in a few minutes, which was not acceptable, especially with COVID-19 precautions so prevalent. By 3:35 pm we were finally in our unit and started to realize that things had changed at Tropical Winds. The couple, with a small child, who were still in our room were very apologetic and explained that they had been there for one week and wanted to stay one more night and requested to move to another unit, only to find the unit they were to stay in that night was double booked. They ended up moving into an efficiency next to us for the night! Meanwhile, they had told the managers to please let them know what time they needed to move out so we could move in and they were never updated, until we arrived.
We were left 2 bath towels, for 4 adults and had to request more linens. There were only 3 forks in the drawer, so we had to borrow a fork from an adjoining unit. There were no bowls in the unit and we had to use an old frying pan as a bowl to hold the veggies for our dinners.
The bathroom was in need of repair. It was evident that there had been water damage in the tub area as rust was evident and the gap between the floor and tub was not even sealed. There were ants everywhere. We happened to meet other guests in the pool area who told us they were one and done staying at Tropical Winds. There were new managers on site and they were not on their game.
In summary, we are totally disappointed in Tropical Winds and will now have to find a new location for our annual getaway, with friends. We will not be back!
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Date of stay: June 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Unit #6 is the only 2 bedroom cottage adjacent to the beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Local Getaway, General Manager at Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages
Responded 1 July 2021
We are sorry you were disappointed.
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We vacationed here for 3 nights with friends. We were disappointed to find that #6, though described as a 2 bedroom bungalow, lacked privacy for 2 unrelated couples. We had to walk through their bedroom to get to ours and to the bathroom. Their "bedroom" had no door between living room and their room and the walls didn't go all the way to the ceiling. So, we definitely lacked privacy. Few utensils for eating. But we loved the private beach feeling and views there and the remote location. Nice landscaping and friendly owners.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed there for the last 3 days of 2020. The location is excellent, secluded beach we enjoyed a lot, dog friendly place. Our dog loved the beach. Great shelling. But there are some issues as well, the cottages need updating badly, all the old furniture, beds were very uncomfortable. My son had to sleep on pull out coach and he could not enjoy his sleep. it was 4 of us and the cottage is really designed for 2 people. The cottages are very close to each other, so you can hear what your neighbors are saying, leaving you wit no privacy. Also, we were overcharged for the last night there, contacted the owner a few times and Mike promised to refund it, but it has been over a week and nothing happened. If you enjoy private quite beach this would be an excellent place for your family and dog but be prepared for rooms to be in the very average shape for the $$$ spent on it.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:we stayed in the efficiency number 10, the closest one to the beach and neighbors only on one side.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed in one of the bungalows close to the beach. We arrived late and checked in in time for the sunset. It was the perfect spot on the beach. Sunset was undescribeable. The yellows, reds and blues all in one picture. The beach was secluded and wonderful. Lots of turtle nest, marked off of course. Lots and lots of shells. The bungalow we stayed in had a kitchen, bedroom with 2 queens, a living space, and screened in porch. I would definitely recommend to anyone wanting peace and quite on the beach. The Managers were husband and wife, very friendly and helpful. This is the place to stay if going to Sanibel Island.
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Date of stay: August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Booked 1 bdrm cottage from 1 - 6 May. Cabin # 2 .. the 2 beds were made of just old soft mattresses, no headboards or nightstand. Didn’t know where to leave water, tissues or phone other than in the bed. 2 old moldy smelling and noisy air wall units. One right above one mattress . The living room had old furniture in it. Nothing cute or beachy. Just probably old yard sale stuff. The TV picture was much smaller than the screen on TV . Only had 3 forks in the kitchen. No toaster. The bathroom had 3 tiny soaps. Management did not leave any information about where to find an ice machine or how to get Into the gated pool area. We thought we had a screened in lanai but there was no such thing The whole rental was a joke. Could have been used in an episode of dumb and dumber. We felt used and overcharged and left after one night stay. Very disappointed. We are from the Tampa area and we know the prices have gone up. We would like to recommend to fix up the place, new beds and headboards and nightstands. Bigger TV. Put some consideration to your guest comfort. Don’t know if you even care but I had to get this off my chest. AHayo
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Spur of the moment decision to get out of town .. Fathers Day weekend .. not a favorite holiday of ours .. you see, my kids lost their father 2 years ago in a fatal accident. We all needed to get away and forget .. fortunately we don’t live too far away .. This place was PERFECT ! Family and pet friendly .. Mr. Dan & Ms. Katie - the managers were awesome ! Kind, friendly .. very helpful .. and they didn’t mind stopping when they saw us to converse with my 4 and 6 yr old grandkids .. and we all know .. just how many questions they can have ! We stayed in the efficiency #6 … clean and had everything we needed .. We will definitely be back !
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The Island Pizza Company delivers here
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from katie n, Innkeeper at Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages
Responded 26 June 2022
Thank you for the kind review and we look forward to future visits!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
To my knowledge we have had zero instances in the last year where we were without water for that length of time. So I am unsure of when you could of stayed here. Reviews and questions are reserved for recent or upcoming stays. Please feel free to contact us directly if there is something we can help you with.
There are more places to choose from in the Sanibel Island area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
tropical winds motel & cottages hotel sanibel island, tropical winds motel and cottages, tropical winds hotel
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaSouthwest Gulf CoastSanibel Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
10
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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TROPICAL WINDS MOTEL & COTTAGES - Reviews (Sanibel Island, FL) - Photos of Cottage - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages
Which popular attractions are close to Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages?
Nearby attractions include Sanibel Island Farmer's Market (6.8 km), Bailey's General Store (6.4 km), and Sanibel Historical Museum and Village (6.6 km).
What are some restaurants close to Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages?
Conveniently located restaurants include Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille Sanibel Island, Bleu Rendez Vous French Bistro, and The Pecking Order Fried Chicken.
