Quote: We hadn’t been able to exchange to the gulf coast of Florida for several years, so when the Treasure Island Beach Resort became available, we took it. We had a water view unit overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The beach in that area was a quarter of a mile wide, and there was a concrete walkway linking all the resorts on the island. Rental cabanas lined the beach, and palm trees were scattered here and there. This beach was excellent for shelling.

Guests, at this resort, are very friendly, more so than most resorts. Many come back every year, but if you’re new, they’ll start a friendly conversation when they meet you at the pool or the laundry. Wednesday is poolside party day. My husband found out about it when he went out to the pool to check the temperature of the water and noticed a party going on. The regulars insisted on the party so management went along with it and charged a $2 fee for hot dogs and soda. There were all kinds of delicious dishes as well. We found out later it was potluck, but we hadn’t been informed before the party began. We were invited to join and had a good time. Management was equally friendly, but they close the office at 5pm (7pm on Saturday). If you come in late for check-in or lose your key, you’ll have a problem. When the office was closed so was the laundry.

A new form of timeshare soliciting was going on. Instead of the usual offer to receive a "gift" and listen to a presentation, some of the guests owned several units and were attempting to sell them. You could buy a week from management for $750 as well; needless to say, they were not water view units.

The pool was new, clean and heated, and the spa was great, deeper than most. We were there in January and were able to use it for three days; it was too cold the rest of the week.

The kitchen-dining-living room was small but enhanced with wall-to-wall mirrors. Everything was clean and in good condition, but inexpensive. The floor was white ceramic tile. The bedroom had wall-to-wall inexpensive carpeting and a queen-size bed with built in storage in the headboard.

From journals We Saw the Titanic