Sirata Beach Resort

I have been coming to the Sirata for the past 9 years. I have always loved my stay and recommend it to all my friends and family. I am here now and I have to say it is lacking the luster from my previous visits. First you are given a wrist band at check in that you are told to wear at all times. Great idea, because people do come in that aren’t registered guests to use the pool. Day one no one even checked to see who had bands. Day 2 they checked but I heard many people say they left them in their room and the guard said ok and gave them bands. Really??? Now, on to housekeeping. In years past everything was immaculate. This year not so. No bar soap, no washcloths, no alarm clock , no bath mat in the room. This morning I asked the maid cleaning for items that were missing and she said she was sorry but some things were not put on her cart. Not a good answer. Lastly the resort fee. I was told it was included in my package but no, it wasn’t. So a vacation I thought was paid for is costing me an extra 225. Will I come back? I will see how the week goes Read less

We decided to give the Sirata another chance as this was our wedding venue and it is sentimental to us. Again, not a pleasant stay. Very dirty rooms, broken air conditioner (only runs for a certain amount of time, then cuts on and off; you're either sweating or freezing all night) and infested with ants (on our toothbrushes every morning). We did have a great time at the pool with Brenda and Sierra. They both went above and beyond to help us with anything we needed. Brenda kept us very entertained with her funny games and poolside bingo. Sierra kept our drinks full and had a very happy and bubbly personality for someone working in the hot sun all day. Luckily, the Sirata's staff made up for the areas where the hotel itself is lacking. Read less

This was our 10th year staying at the Sirata. We do enjoy the resort for various reasons but it will not be for everybody. Here is a very accurate assessment. Location: It is a given that the location is excellent. The beach area is wide with nice soft sand. The hotel is located walking distance from shops/restaurants/publix/pharmacy. It is about 20 minutes drive from Tampa airport. Exterior Amenities: Most everybody agrees that the pools/hot tubs/outdoor restaurants/grounds are great and provide a lot of fun in the sun. Renovations to the exterior pool areas including much needed shade additions only enhance what was already there. Parking is adequate during the week. Parking on Friday/Saturday night will frustrate you as spots are given to wedding/party guests who are not even staying at the resort. It is a bit silly but if you want to guarantee yourself a parking spot for the weekend you have to leave your vehicle on site in the evenings and walk. Rooms: Unless you are blind or a paid resort writer, the rooms are as basic and plain as you can get. Any renovations that were really just touch ups have since disappeared with wear and tear and lack of maintenance. If you are a real stickler for room condition this is not the resort for you. The rooms are generally very old looking. Pick somewhere else as you will almost certainly be disappointed. Financial: I've read lots of complaints about financial dealings with the resort over the years. I have compiled a list of tips in order to allow for prospective occupants to move more smoothly through the system. 1. Only pay cash for your onsite meals if possible. Any other charges let be billed to your c.card that is logged against your room by the resort. Fully review your final bill for any duplicate billings. The resort is famous for double billing on items and then letting guests worm through the system to try and get a refund. 2. Resort fees are a given. You can expect $40 per night or $25 per night if you booked through large travel agency. Plus tax! 3. Review and pay your final room tab the day of departure only. Never pay with cash as you will probably find that the resort billed your c.card anyways and now you have to chase them for a refund to your c.card. Always get a hard copy of your transaction. 4 Never pay your bill early. ie night before departure. Front desk can provide a manually updated invoice with all charges including last night resort fee. However the resort computer system bills resort fees every night just after midnight automatically to your account. So while front desk may have charged you in full you will still end up with an additional night resort fee added to your final bill. Now you have to chase them to get your c.card refunded. 5. Always check your c.card records a day or two after you have departed and then again several days after departure. Resort is famous for slipping charges on after the fact. ie. towels not returned even though you returned every single towel you ever used. This is a $25+tx charge and can be missed by many guests on their c.card. It can be a valuable source of income for the resort if you do the math. 6. Resort is famous for over booking room types and then passing off complimentary nothings as a reimbursement for this change. Know in advance what your room type costs and what other rooms cost. Expect a cash reduction on your bill equal to this for any room change that you are not happy with. It is not your fault the resort was not able to manage their bookings. Read less