South Seas Resorts and Vacation Planning Center Review

We had a fantastic stay. It was a much needed 4 days from the prior 4 days doing Orlando and theme parks. The weather was perfect and my youngest was thrilled with her shell collection. We were here the end of April which is perfect timing and not very crowded. The resort is nice, the staff is very friendly. The condo was somewhat outdated as far as the wicker furniture but the kitchen was nice and stocked and the bathrooms have been updated. The full size washer and dryer were great to have as well.
The lost star was for the bedroom carpets that were so filthy, our feet got dirty walking on them (who has carpet in a beach cottage??) I requested them shampooed which was done within a few hours of my request. Our safe was broken which again, was fixed pretty quickly. Both of those things were obvious and should have been taken care of prior....but our view of the gulf was fabulous and it was nice to have a full kitchen after eating out so many times prior to our stay. I would come again but request to view the room before they book me there, seeing that seems to be a popular complaint. It is a steep price to pay and my expectations of our condo were a bit higher. As far as amenities, the only freebie is really the pools (which really isn't free in the end). My husband and son rented kayaks at $35/hour per. If your looking for an all inclusive, this is not it. If your looking to be away from crowds, this is your place.

This is a nice resort where you have the option of staying in a hotel room, condo or house. It spans miles and the parking on the busy end is rough so you have to take trolleys. On average, we'd wait 15 to 30 minutes for one. We stayed in the 2000 building where we had a close pool and were right by the beach. If we were staying for a week, this would be perfect. I think if we were to go back for a weekend, we'd choose to stay closer to the main pool and beach. This was our first time staying on Captiva, and in my opinion, the food options are far better on Sanibel.

Stayed in marina very accommodating, although lots of kids

Omg! It's amazing... it's so much fun and there is a little scavenger hunt to do that is so much fun for everyone to do. You can see so much wild life like: manatees, crabs,dolphins, rabbits,and ect. !!! And it's so exciting we went to the beach, made smores, went to the pools( which have water slides)and so much more ! I think that anyone who stays here will really enjoy it!

The best place in Southeastern United States for a family to relax and get away from it all. Have to give a shout out to Amy Greenwood who runs the ownership division down here. She makes a great place Even better.

This resort has really stepped up their game this year. I was impressed with everything from the mamosa's during check in to the new volleyball court and beach games.

We love The resort. We came 3 months for our wedding anniversary and had an amazing and relaxing time. So we're back and brought our little one and he loves the resort as well. The rooms are spacious, clean and great view. The staff is amazing.

If you are reading this message I would only recommend the Land s End Village for your stay (more expensive but quality). At this point I will not come back. This is my 4th time here and my experience has been extremely disappointing. Our free upgrade from a 2 bedroom tennis villa to a 3 bedroom Beach villa came with cockroaches and ants that we have already called for and the room has been sprayed (ants came back worst and my party saw a few roaches in different places) When we checked in my mom swept the floor since it was dirty. As we were going up to the room the cleaning crew proceeded to dump dirty mop water in front of the stairs. I understand they have a job to do you just don t discard of dirty mop water in front of the stairs that s just unacceptable. I did receive a call from Jeremy (I could not answer he left me a vm) once I called back he had gone for the day but arranged a credit for my account. The person I spoke with on the other hand didn t seem to care much to be fair to them they probably didn t have any sort of leadership position so I ve been there before and it wasn t his responsibility. Jeremy seemed like a nice guy when he checked me in and on the voicemail. I don t believe my $335 (resort fees included) was worth the experience I received.

Enjoyed the Starbucks on site and the rental boat we took out from the dock.

Do not rent a property on South Seas Island Resort or anywhere from Kim Dennis nor VRBO!
I gave over 4 months notice that we can not travel safely and cancelled our reservation and cannot get my deposit refunded. VRBO has done nothing to get me my refund. VRBO sells travel insurance that it recommends and travel insurance does not cover the Covid-19 Virus cancellations. I can't believe how VRBO can operate fraudulently and so openly to steal reservation deposits for owners of vacation properties, like Kim Dennis, and VRBO! The Florida Department of Regulation and Licensing said they cannot get my deposit of $1,715,84 refunded. As Kim Dennis has continued to rent her properties in Florida during the Governor's shut down of private vacation rentals due to the covid-19 Virus, I have requested an investigation be conducted to revoke her business license for operating unsafely and illegally. William Harper, Linwood, MI, 6/27/2020

this was an amazing hotel! The beach was disgusting! The food was Trash!And the bathroom was smelly!The bathtub had barbies left in it....THIS IS MY KINDA HOTEL!!!!! i enjoyed the barbies in the bathtub i played with them every night (Four nights) It was only 950 dollars!!!!!

Check in process was very stressful, they were trying to charge me more money than my original reservation total amount, they also gave us a wrong room and made us carry our luggage to that room, then we went back to the lobby and requested to speak with a manager a he was able to help with the room and he corrected the charges for the stay. It's a nice place very well located.

Location was great, condo was nice, just wish there were more things to do beside the pool and cold water.

Beautiful beach. Many different accommodations. We stayed in 2/2 bed and bath with full kitchen. Small condo, but generous for a family of 4 on vacation. Several pools including crowded resort pool with bar, food and water slides to smaller complex pool closer to room and BYOB. Cons include, expensive resort pool drinks and food, bike access is same as car access and very uncomfortable often. Resort encourages renting golf cart and overlooks pedestrian/bike needs. Great for a lazy beach/pool vacation. Extras are expensive.

The wifi is awful from the condo rooms, but I'm not here for using the wifi, so it's okay. Wonderful restaurants are in the resort and just outside the resort. There is also a Starbucks nearby if I need something to make me feel at home.

It is worth the drive to enjoy the beauty surrounding the resort. Excellent service at the gate, front desk and restaurants in the property. We had a wonderful relaxing and quiet time. Will visit again!!

Rooms are a little dated. Expensive for what you get. Otherwise, it was good.

Beautiful resort on a beautiful island. Captiva is one of our new favorite places to visit and fish in our home state. 2.5 hr drive from Clearwater.

Just tried to get through the entrance at the gate and the guard would not let us in. we explained that we'd like to stay here next time we come and wanted to check out the resort .she refused to let us through. my husband and I have checked out resorts all over the United States and had lunch or dinner at resorts we were not staying at .So ridiculous she would not let us in and told us to go look at the website!!

This place is amazing. It is pricey, but you re obviously paying for the location, ambiance, and amenities. You really don t have to leave the resort for anything. We got a 2 bedroom bay view condo and it was beautiful. Quiet at night, plenty to do during the day, perfect for families, small kids, and teenagers. Will definitely be back again!

Great location, places can be very nice to average depending on what you spend.

ALSO a huge thank you to Dora !!! We were honeymoon and she was so kind and helpful!!!

Magnificent resort facility. Food generally fair at best even at restaurants on the property. Retail value is poor. You can strike a deal for a fraction of the cost at this resort on VBRO.

Very clean, quiet. No quick access to the beach was disappointing.

Nice pools, golf, views and overall nice resort. The red tide negatively impacted things this year, but the resort is still great. We have 2 weeks of a timeshare throughout maintenance weeks, so each year there's some sort of construction upkeep in our complex to update things like kitchens, bathrooms, furniture, etc. This year is no different, but my complaint is that the workers conducting the maintenance are staying in the empty units overnight, making noise, partying, smoking, etc.. As a paying guest, this is unacceptable. I guarantee the unit owners did not give permission for the maintenance personnel to use their timeshare week. I also guarantee that the unit owners for this week still had to pay their yearly fee even though they weren't using the unit, which means maintenance personnel are partying in their timeshare on the owner's dollar. Like I said, unacceptable.

My wife three children and I loved the resort. We stayed in a beach villa that looked to be recently remodeled. The room was great 2 bedrooms and a great view of beach. Resort is very large with multiple beaches and pools. The best pool is in the way back right on the beach with a few little stores. One beach spot had a taco stand with great tacos and margaritas . I recommend renting a golf cart to explore and get around. All staff were very helpful and super nice. We will be back.

When ever on Sanibel we always come for the best grouper

Situated on an exclusive island in Captiva South Seas Resort is like a home away from home. As always here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
Welcoming staff at reception
Will give surprise gifts for bday etc at the desk on request of course
Nice rooms with extra beds to sleep multiple people
Pricing is not bad
Miles of beach with best shells for shelling lovers and pristine white sands.
Dolphins often appear for nice viewing
Ocean and pool side service included
Not crowded at my visit
Can rent golf carts and use trolleys to get around.
Covid 19 protocols in place for safety
Preserve area for nature walking and jogging and meditating etc
Farmers market on tuesdays for fresh produce and crepes and sandwiches etc
Nice staff. Cassie from CT was a hit at dock Ford. Give her a raise!!!
Kid friendly environment

Cons:

Every couple wants that romantic adults only themed indoor or outdoor restaurant where we can leave the kids to the babysitter and go hang out.
We need that here. Doc Ford is Okay but is more family oriented

Wheres the guy or gal cracking the coconuts and putting thw rum in it then handing it over with a straw? Highly reccomended. Enough coconut trees here

The carpet in the room upstairs needed dusting and air vent probably needs cleaning and perhaps air filter changed. Wifey was sneezing with allergy symptoms on the first night.

Overall
Great place nice ambience and welcoming atmosphere.

P.s. I have not been paid for this ad

Quote: Remember smile though your day so as to keep the frown away. God Bless you all.

Best resort around with the most friendly help and visitors anywhere.

Our house was adorable, clean, and accommodating. We had a private beach and a beautiful back porch. The property was well maintained and the view was absolutely stunning. The people at the desk were friendly and helpful.

The employees are very respectful, knowledgeable, and helpful. It's fun and there's so much to do.

Location is great. Room is nice, but i found a palmetto bug walking near my bed.
Resort charges for everything and prices are not friendly. We drove to Sanibel to get provisions for the room and eating out since, in our opinion, the resort's restaurants weren't anything special to justify the extra prices.

Fun great location to get away. The pool area is amazing make sure your reserve your golf carts early

This place is incredible! Cool pools with water slides for the kids! Highly recommend!

Most beautiful place I've ever seen!
Very well kept.

This place is beautiful! Lots of beautiful vegetation, and wildlife. Theres lots see to do and the beach is gorgeous!

My husband and I enjoyed a 3 night stay. We loved our 2 bedroom beach villa and easy access to the beach. The beach and pool attendants were great and did an excellent job providing us with towels and chairs. The housekeeping crew was wonderful as well. Definitely a family friendly environment and we can't wait to return.

Great time with the family. Didn't want to leave. The staff is super friendly.

We spent a lot of money to bring our three kids during spring break. They were remodeling one of the poolside restaurants so you could only eat outside with at least an hour wait. The wait for food at the beach was also an hour and they stopped taking orders because they were so behind. This would not be as big a deal if the fridge was larger that a microwave, speaking of you don't have one at the marina. Then "sales" booked an event right outside the room with a live DJ until 9pm. Not ideal for small twins to sleep. We will go back to Destin like we ha e for so many years. Trying something new was not a good experience for us.

Had an amazing time! Staff was courteous and respectful. Very clean and reasonable. Will visit again soon!!!

The resort is very nice with water, marina, beaches, foliage, biking, etc. The staff is congenial, and the food very good. My only criticism is our beach villa needs a serious facelift.

2/5
We were there on 9/11/2020 weekend in beach villa 2311. The beach and grounds were great. The villa was another story. The good=the sheets, towels, and baths were clean. The Bad= floors were filthy could not walk from the bath to the living room and back without washing your feet. The AC filter and AC closet told the story both again filthy. Every door and picture frame top had enough dust to stuff a pillow.
Units are privately owned, and this one is so way overdue for a makeover. That would have been acceptable if it was at least properly cleaned. It seems like housekeeping following COVID rules and not coming daily; someone from management could check on what cleaning is being done.
Maybe they should hire someone from Publix Supermarkets for training the management and housekeeping staff on what clean is.
Trip type Family

Communication from the staff and wait time to even get towels took 3 hours, after two phone call requests. Towels were requested at 8:30pm and delivered by banging on the door several times at 11:30pm. Poor communication from staff on various charges. Room was not very clean. Was told I would be receiving a follow up call from housekeeping and never received anything. Poor resort and would not recommend.

Nice visit, just in for dinner. Great resort environment.

Beautiful place, big props to the head of security for being a top bloke!

Good, but a little hard to get around, it's almost exclusively golf carts. And there's not many activities. Very good for relaxing though

Checked into Room 2517 (Beach Villa) on 06/21. The room conditions were very deplorable due to visible mold on 3 different AC vents in the room.The inconvenience of having to pack all our belongings and relocate with a one year old at 12 midnight, in addition to the over upkeep of this resort has left us feeling completely dissatisfied with experience here. After staying here at least 7 times over the past decade we ve noticed a steady decline in the quality of service. It s safe to say this might be our last trip here after checking out today.

Usually stay on Sanibel but thought we would try Captiva and South Seas this year. Not worth the money. Paid almost double per night for a beach condo and wish we hadn't. Condo isn't nearly as nice or as spacious. Air conditioning is either freezing or too warm; it doesn't seem to regulate the entire area. The bed is horribly soft. We have not gotten a good night's sleep yet. Not enough blankets in room given the air conditioning problem. Perhaps if they had fans in the living area and the bedroom, the air conditioning problem might not be as bad. The kitchen area is so small that only one person can fit in it at a time. There are some kind of bugs that inhabit the very tiny bathroom and are most noticeable at night. Just the basic upkeep of the condo (like molding and grout) is not what we expected for 500 per night. Additionally, the WiFi service is horrific. How in this century a resort that costs this much money and that draws in people from all over the world would have such spotty or nonexistent internet capability is beyond me. We tried to take their trolley, but waited and waited for 20 minutes in the heat and just walked ourselves when one didn't show even though we were told at check in that they run every 10 minutes. I cannot believe what they call resort pools; they all look like bathtubs as compared to our normal resort on Sanibel. When we checked in, they told us they were moneyless and paperless so they wanted a credit card to preauthorize for quite a lot of money in anticipation of our resort charges which I now fond laughable as after walking around the resort. We have spent the majority of our time outside, all the way back in Sanibel. Would never stay here again.

We jut love this place for a relaxing weekend away. The employees are always friendly and helpful, the grounds and facilities are always impeccably kept (although there is some damage still evident from hurricane Irma) and the beaches are beautiful. I love the markets on site and nearby, I love the full kitchens in the units and I always hate leaving. This place is a treasure. Perfect Florida getaway spot.

Beautiful surroundings, friendly staff. Was the Christmas season, and a tree lighting ceremony was taking place. We had drinks at Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grill, and our waitress was awesome, as were the beverages.

The houses are nice and well cared for, for the most part; the beach is unmatched for shells, and the resturaunts are decent.

Not what I expected. Poor service, I tried to bring a guest to the pool, and the first response was no, without explaining that I could pay a fee and they would let me take my guest inside. I had to go back to my room, call 5 times to the reception, until they answered, pay the fee and go back to the pool.
When we went to eat to a restaurant bar and grill they gave us the menus and left, without even asking if we wanted water to drink, the menu was really bad, and we just left without eating.
We went to eat to a pizza and ice cream place, ordered a margarita pizza, it had so many chunks of garlic and no salt.
I didn't like my stay here.

Very family oriented resort. The seclusion is very nice but the pool was super crowded and hard to find seating. The food was also just ok, the beach stand might have the worst tacos I've ever had. Rooms Harborside are a little outdated and could use updating. I'm glad we got the room on a sale otherwise I definitely would not pay full price to stay here.
On the positive, golf carts are super fun to drive in the resort and to the main downtown area. The resort general store also had really great breakfast sandwiches and lunch items.

Great family-friendly resort... beautiful beaches!!!

Great place for family vacation. Offering beautiful beaches, amenities and a great place for entire family.

Rooms need painting and updated, plumbing in bathroom loose and wobbly, patio door didn't lock, our reservation was under wrong name, resort fee is $17.50 PER PERSON, could not get thru to front desk, bikes are 20.00 a person, free at most other hotels on Sanibel, You have to wear a wrist band to use the beach, strange. Maids were awesome that's the 1 star. Never again. Can't even get my final bill. They held out $1,000.00 for 4 days for incidentals. I used none. Place is a RIP off.

I am rating this resort based on things I value at a stay. Overall, my family and I WOULD NOT return to this hotel. The most unpleasnt part of our stay is the fact that the resort shuts down at 8:30-9:00. The pool only stays open until sunset. Excluding the beach, the only tiki bar on the property closes down at 7:30. The restaurants close at 9:00. Maybe we are just night owls, but there is absolutely nothing to do after 9:00 other than go to your room.

Take my ratings with a grain of salt this is in comparison to other resorts that I have stayed at with similar pricing/ratings.

On a scale of 1-5:

Cleanliness 1.0 - this was the most unsatisfactory part of the stay. The exterior of the building is extremely run down and filthy. The bathrooms are filthy. The ice cream shop was filthy. Adding to this, I m not sure if it s the resort s issue or the island as a whole but there is a severe rat problem. Most places we have stayed on islands have iguanas, this location had rats.

Rooms 3.0 - the rooms are satisfactory. They are not totally updated, but are still pleasant. The bathrooms are the biggest disappointment. They are run down, and dated. Ultimately, I think if they updated the bathrooms, the rooms would be very pleasant.

Location 3.0 - the resort is very large. The drive in is beautiful. Sanibel has much more to do than Captiva, but it s still a nice and relaxed atmosphere.

Food 2.0 - the resort really lacks flavorful cuisine. I m not sure if it s a lack of fresh ingredients or lack of seasoning, this wasn t great.

Drinks 2.0 - as with food, the drinks lacked flavor. Beer is your best bet.

Beach 3.0 - the beach is the best part, in my opinion. Friendly staff, umbrellas, beach chairs, etc.

Pool 2.5 - crowded

Hospitality 1.0 - the staff and hospitality at SSIR are less than par. I m a firm believer that you can turn the appearance of a business around with friendly, happy staff, and this resort did NOT have anything close. They are very unhelpful, and seem dissatisfied with everything. Rather than wanting to engage in interaction, they seemed to look at it as a chore. *this does not go for all individuals*. I found the pools staff EXTREMELY hostile, but the staff at the beach are very friendly/happy, esp the bartender named Susan and the guys helping with the chairs/umbrellas the will actually conversate with you!

I m sure other people have had better experiences (obviously, based on ratings), but ours was the worst we ve had at a resort.

Location, location, location. Beautiful beaches, service was good, considering covid 19 restrictions. Our room, a beach villa (condo), was decent and clean, but a little dated. Overall we had a nice stay. The resort has a lot of nice amenities.

Nice place to go to get away from everybody I went around Christmas and enjoyed my stay. Had a nice Christmas marina event as well as scenic views as I like to go in the Winter time less crowds nice shells and great photography. Only issue I had was driving to get there and back home.

Worst service I've experienced in 40 years of timeshare at South seas resort.

We didn't stay at South Seas this time but decided before we left to go back home we wanted to kayak so, we were sent to the resort where Kaitlin at the main office of the rental center helped us. She was super nice, helpful and welcoming. Just her demeanor alone and seeing the property made us decide our next staywill be at this resort. Thanks Kaitlin!!!

This is a beautiful location. It is close to many beaches and places to eat. The room that we are in is very large and has many rooms also. However, I feel that the outside of the buildings need a bit of a refresh. Other than that, it's an excellent place to stay. They provide towels and chairs at the beach.

Some rooms are very nice. Others are not that great. The location is absolutely beautiful. Every staff member we've come across has been very nice. Overall I would stay here again but choose either an upgraded room or a room on the north side of the island with an ocean view.

Beautiful location, great beaches, but very pricey.

Wonderful resort caters to everyone. Our family had an amazing time for Labor Day Weekend and we are looking forward to going back !