Sandcastle Resort at Lido Beach

Sarasota, Gulf Coast Beaches

Restaurant
Standard Room
Gulf Front Double Room
Courtyard View Room
Restaurant
Standard Room
Gulf Front Double Room
Courtyard View Room

The hotel

The sand is beautifully bright and sugary soft on this 600ft stretch of private beach and you can hire watercraft to drift along on the waves. This really is a must-see paradise, and right on the doorstep it only makes this pleasant and inviting hotel even more appealing. There are lots of dry land activities too, including bicycle hire. Alongside the attractive pool area is the pool bar where it is customary to gather at sunset. Later you can enjoy a meal in the Candlelight restaurant or perhaps stroll over to St Armand's Circle and sample one of the bistros there. The hotel puts on seasonal live entertainment and the staff are friendly and helpful.

Amenities

  • Bar
  • Swimming Pool
  • Families
  • Free Parking
  • Room Service
  • Safety Deposit Box
  • Wheelchair access
  • Laundry Service
  • Internet Access
  • Car Included
  • Beachfront location
  • Volley Ball

Where is it

On Lido Beach in the charming resort community of Sarasota, which offers a wealth of cultural activities and attractions.

Hotel information

179 rooms on up to 4 floors in 7 buildings with 2 lifts. All with air-conditioning, TV, complimentary WiFi, coffee maker, fridge, safe, iron and board, and hairdryer. Standard Rooms with 1 king-size bed or 2 double beds, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Courtyard/Poolside Rooms sleep maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

Gulf Front Rooms sleep maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

  • Early booking bonus: Book before 31 Mar '20 and stay for a minimum of 7 nights and receive up to 20% off the cost of your accommodation, stay for a minimum of 4 nights and receive up to 15% off for stays 1 May '20-11 Feb '21. Discount will be applied at the time of booking. Blackout Dates apply. 

Free self-parking. 3 minute drive or 20 minute walk to St Armand's Circle.

Candlelight Restaurant and Lounge (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner). Sandcastle Pool Bar (open for drinks and snacks). Lounge bar with seasonal live entertainment.

2 heated swimming pools, shuffleboard, sailboats*, kayaks* and water cycles*, table tennis, beach volleyball, giant chess and bicycle hire*, 600ft private beach, golf* and tennis* nearby.

Room service*. Coin laundry*. Gift shop. Complimentary WiFi throughout the hotel.

This hotel has a resort fee of $12.50 plus tax per room, per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Resort fee includes use of the following amenities - WiFi - Access to fitness centre - Use of beach chairs (two per room) - Beach towels - Beach games - Use of pool deck - Resort bicycle hire (max 3 hours per person, per day) - Bottled water in guest room (2 per day) - In-room coffee - Use of lobby business kiosk - Unlimited local and toll free phone calls - Daily newspaper - Use of coin operated laundry - Self-parking - Shuttle to St. Armands Circle daily (8:30am-10:00pm). Resort fee, tax and inclusions are subject to change - please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page

*Denotes local charge.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (412)
  • Very good (619)
  • Average (352)
  • Poor (147)
  • Terrible (103)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Family favourite

Jul 13, 2019 Johnrw675 Aldwick, United Kingdom

I have mixed feelings about this place. It’s our fourth visit but each time we come it doesn’t feel as good as the last. It’s got a great feel and location right on the beach and it has old world charm. But it’s also looking a bit tired in places. Our first night was spent in a room we didn’t like (no balcony, gloomy, overlooking the pool and… Read more
I have mixed feelings about this place. It’s our fourth visit but each time we come it doesn’t feel as good as the last. It’s got a great feel and location right on the beach and it has old world charm. But it’s also looking a bit tired in places. Our first night was spent in a room we didn’t like (no balcony, gloomy, overlooking the pool and smelled of damp). But the reception staff arranged a new room the next day for the rest of our stay. This room had a balcony and was located at the Southern end of the property where we had stayed before. We were much happier in our new room. We had lunch once and whilst the food was generally good the staff were disinterested. In stark contrast the staff in other areas such as the pool and pool bar were very friendly. We also liked the friendly shuttle service to St Armands. This is really a three star review lifted to four stars because of the location and price. There is a daily resort charge but you have pool and beach towels and loungers and free bottled water all day long and no extra charge for parking. Would we return? Probably but I’d check out the reviews for other hotels in the area first as this isn’t the only place on the beach. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Wonderful Vacation

Jul 13, 2019 Pd4real Honolulu

Family has been going to this hotel for over 40 years. The location is wonderful, right on beach. The staff is very friendly and the current manager Tim is awesome. 2 swimming pools , and the Gulf of Mexico is right at your feet . Yes, the rooms are dated but very clean. Location,location,location.....yes, we’ll be back !!!
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Birthday weekend

Jul 9, 2019 Luci P

Kevin and Jason at front desk were so nice- they definitely "wowed" us They were very accommodating and made our Birthday weekend special By suprising us with a nice bottle of wine delivered to our room upon check in! Thank you guy's! We will definitely recommend this resort! Pool was great as was the Cafe!
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Waste of A LOT of money!

Jul 8, 2019 dimoro192014 Sarasota, Florida

Well this place beyond awful!!! The decor is from the 60's, the beds are like cement seriously from the cartoon "the Flintstones!" I opened the end table and received a huge whiff of mold, the whole room smelled of must and mold. The hotel mentioned a refrigerator so I brought my own food and drinks, top and side of refrigerator all rusted. … Read more
Well this place beyond awful!!! The decor is from the 60's, the beds are like cement seriously from the cartoon "the Flintstones!" I opened the end table and received a huge whiff of mold, the whole room smelled of must and mold. The hotel mentioned a refrigerator so I brought my own food and drinks, top and side of refrigerator all rusted. (picture) The safe they mention in the ad, is unusable it is so old it still has a key lock, but no key for it! After seeing all of this I looked harder, the A/C filter I do not believe has EVER been changed! (picture) The toilet (picture)and tub must be original, glazed over multiple times and poorly done, I wouldn't take a shower there! The elevator is so small you could hardly get a luggage cart and 2 people. After getting my stuff to the room, I never took the elevator again. Outside of the room, well noticed that the carpet they have in the hallways and on the The emergency exit signs to the stair wells did not light up. If this is what the rooms looked like, then I can imagine what the kitchen looked like. Really awful, wish I knew how to get my money back. $580.00 for 2 nights to sleep in a dump! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Beautiful beach!

Jul 8, 2019 CHRISTINA H

This hotel is definitely dated but if you don't mind not having a fancy room, this place is the place to stay! It is located on the beach,has 2 pools and a pool bar. They also offer a free shuttle to St. Armand's Circle. The property itself is nice and staff were friendly. No complaints, had a great time!