Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel
- jangarys
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 31
- Reviews
-
7
- Photos
Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, Lido Beach Sarasota, FL
- July 12, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
We wanted a family vacation on a beautiful beach. I ran across Lido Beach which is in Sarasota Florida. We wanted a hotel that was right on the beach. The Helmsley Sandcastle seemed to fit what we were looking for. It had 2 pools, many room options and prices, and had a beautiful beach just steps away from the hotel. When we arrived, we were greeted by the most friendly and helpful staff. They bent over backwards to make sure we were happy.
They were genuinely excited to know how pleased we were with the hotel. The rooms were clean, and we always had everything we needed. Each room has a refridgerator, so we stocked up with juices and pop and water from the gift shop, which was very affordable. One drawback is that there is no grocery store close by (15 min. away), so you are at the mercy of the gift shop. But it has snacks and lots of other necessities that you might need. The hotel offers a free shuttle service to St. Armands Circle where there are a lot of shops and eating places. The food there is not the best and very expensive, as is the shopping. We took a taxi to a shopping mall about 15 min. away, and it was fun. Also we found the best eating places in downtown Sarasota and Siesta Key. We didn't rent a car, but wished we would have. We didn't realize how much we needed to depend on taxis to get us around. But it was worth it. The beach was our favorite place, and we spent hours there. Shelling is exciting, and the view is breathtaking...no matter how often you go there. We were so sad to leave. We would go back in a heartbeat!
stayed may 6 thru 10 2009 2 adults
- May 14, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
great location, right on gorgeous beach. powder like white sand, clear water 80degrees. room was very clean, bed comfortable except for pillows. staff pleasant. restaurant is good, you can dine in or out but loc is close to st armands cir where there are lots of restaurants and shops. great sunset on beach. we loved it there!!
Great Place
- April 19, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
This hotel was great. We were there over Easter and they had the Easter Bunny and an Easter Egg hunt for the kids. It was a pleasant surprise! The hotel was right on the beach and the pool was very clean and much warmer than the Gulf water. We will definitely come back to this hotel on our next trip to Sarasota.
Great place to chill...or rather warm-up!
- April 12, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
I was pleasantly surprised to find that although the Sandcastle has some years on it, it was by far the cleanest hotel I've ever stayed at, including 5* hotels in major cities. I had a pool side room which I thought would be a nightmare (noise, etc.) but it was fine. The pool closes down by 10 pm but was emtpy by dark; tiki bar closes at 9 pm, so it was quiet at night. Would probably try for a garden view room, or ocean front away from the pool area, next time. Room was large and other than the bathroom needing updated, it was fine. Staff were very friendly. Restaurant on premises has decent basic breakfast and lunch; didn't try dinner. Two pools, one heated--where the kids stayed so that left the other one for adults looking for a quieter area. Beach was great; nice general area for morning/evening walks. St. Armands circle-big shopping, etc. area-is a decent walks distance if you don't want to drive all the time. Otherwise, you need to hit the mainland for other dinner options. I would definitely visit again!
Good trip
- April 4, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
a traveler from Travelocity.com
The location of the hotel, the staff, the cleanliness, the convenience was great. We had no problems with any of that. Good place to take smaller kids because the beach is so close, the pool is always warm and close to St. Armands. The hotel is a bit older and need some updating and some deep cleaning. Overall cleanliness was good, but need to clean out vents and fix the grout in the bathrooms. Updating the rooms is a must. We had a good time at the pool and the beach! Although they had a mini-refrigerator, a microwave would have been great!