South Seas Island Resort

Returned to the South Seas after the Hurricane. We stayed Labor Day Weekend 2024. Thought it would be important to let people know the truth about what is happening as well as get Management's attention: 1. Scoops isn't open, the Fitness Center is closed, Harborside Bar & Grill is closed, elevators are nonfunctional in some buildings, Bathrooms at the pool are Portapotty (High end/High Quality, clean and had elevator music ... and weren't a problem) 2. The waterslide is open as is the main pool. The Bar at the pool is fully functional. There is food service at the pool, just that the food is limited as it is by food trucks (Tacos - Good high Quality and delicious. No Salad or Veggie Options.) 3. There aren't enough umbrellas for sunshade at the pool for the amount of chairs. As a result, there is limited space for shade at the pool if there is a large enough crowd which is usually the case. As a result people end up with no where to sit, unless you want to fry in the sun. 4. The decor of the room was weak. Not like it was before. Floors were Vinil not tile and not installed properly. The headboard on the bed was loose. The mirror closet was rusted at the bottom ... sign that it wasn't changed after the flood. It was obvious the rehab job after the damage, wasn't done to the par of the Resort. Despite all these setbacks, none of this bothered us... b/c the service and kindness of the staff fully made up for the negligence on behalf of the owners. The people who work there are doing a phenomenal job to keep the place afloat and keep the guests happy. Management should follow thru ... it costs nothing to get more umbrellas at the Pool or add a veggie/salad option to the menu. For $600/night? ... Really. What bothered me about all of this is that none of this was disclosed when I booked the room. I was also given a Tennis Villa room when I arrived. I specifically asked for a room near the main pool so as to not have to walk. The person who I spoke to who made the reservation confirmed this to me. This was deceiving. We paid USD600/night. The Ritz Carlton on Vanderbilt Beach has rates at $500/night and is fully operational. Upon arrival, Terry at the front desk apologized and did accommodate us to a 2 bedroom suite near the Pool. This was after having to go back to reception (which is at the Starbucks Strip mall) to complain. He also gave us a late check out for our troubles. Terry was great. The Sunsets are still amazing and the quality of the service both at the pool and at the Beach is wonderful. They set up live music, a food truck and marshmallow roasting there as well (Good quality food!) and free Icee's for the kids. Again ... I cannot say it enough ... the Staff, the Staff, the Staff and the Sunsets are what make this place what it is. I will pay the USD600/night once again to stay there. We love the South Seas ... just didn't appreciate being deceived. Management should really be upfront with potential guests about the status of the Resort. All these things should be disclosed and not leave the Staff to manage the disappointment and deceit upon arrival. Evident sign of a weak Management ... Management shouldn't also push for the ownership to buy a few more umbrellas at the main pool in order for guests to be comfortable. Especially for $600/night. We love the people of Lee County who work at the South Seas. They have always made us feel like home and didn't fail this time around. We will continue to visit. To the Management/Investors; A little investment in the right things go a long way. The South Sea crowd is hardy and loyal. We have 20 years of memories invested at the resort. We understand what you went thru. Nonetheless, the Resort still sells itself. It's located in the heart of Paradise. All you have to do is keep it polished ... Don't deceive people by not disclosing the work-in-progress. Make the necessary investments to keep the Guests happy. We will keep on coming back

Unfortunately we’ll never return to South Seas for the following reasons: 1. Elevators not working in 3 story buildings - not notified of this when we booked. Fortunately we were able to get a different room. 2. Unless you’re close to the marina you have to drive your car to the beach and pool - or wait for a shuttle that isn’t frequent. They have golf carts - but it would’ve cost $700!!!!! to have a cart from Fri at check in to Monday check out!!!! 3. We booked a tennis Villa to play tennis but no court there - so luckily we were able to sneak in one of the others that were usually locked. 4. No restaurants - 2 food trucks - which were pretty good. 5. This is the deal breaker - 12% fee charged at checkout for housekeeping (we were never offered), front desk (???), engineering and security. So first you pay a lot for the room - and then they want you to pay for their operating expenses. Nope - never again. Oh - and I emailed them to express my outrage and never received a response. 🙄

Love Beach Villas 2638 renovated condo! Sleeps 9 comfortably. New everything, floors, appliances, renovated bathrooms, furniture and mattresses. Love the short walk to “town” to have dinner, ice cream, drinks and best sunsets in the world. If you want access to amenities you have to rent through South Seas and not a 3rd party (vrbo, king fisher etc.). Condos in South Seas rental programs can only be booked through South Seas and come with access to amenities; fantastic golf course, beach chairs with towels and umbrellas, pool with chairs, towels, trolly bus and iconic tiki bar. Houses, timeshares and condos not in South Seas rental programs do not pay into the very expensive construction and maintenance of pools, restaurants (2 reopening in fall 2024), water park (late 2025) and spa/fitness center (late 2025) or even roads, security or resort staff. While it makes non program guests mad to not have access to amenities it’s a choice the condo owner made and they can join the program anytime. Such a fabulous place, can’t wait to go back! ignore the haters that rented through 3rd party and didn’t read the fine print.

After 35 years of coming.. new ownership says we no longer have access to the main pool, golf, empty beach chairs, or even the food truck because our unit doesn’t have access to these “amenities”. Nothing is available. Do not go, total waste.

Beware NO Soul! I’m writing this so your expectations are set before you spend your hard earned money. For us, South Seas was a Massive disappointment after 25 years of coming here and loving it!! We all realize there was a hurricane, but read on…. I personally embrace change and capitalism but my money is going to Tween Waters and other Sanibel Resorts going forward. Yours should too. Look right past the reviews that are written by the local guides….they’re biased. SouthSeas imposed ridiculous rules that fundamentally prevent your freedom and a positive vacation experience. Examples follow: 1) on check in, expect to be inconvenienced by two stops … one spot in Sanibel and a second spot in Captiva in remote small offices with no sense of welcome. 2). SouthSeas new rule: No more umbrellas at MOST pool chairs because management is worried about the view getting blocked! Ridiculous…. Umbrellas are taller than line of sight. When requesting one due to prior skin cancer, we were told NO. 3) SouthSeas new rule: Rent ONLY THEIR golf carts for almost twice the price (no yolo or other golf cart rental companies), and then SouthSeas limits your range outside the resort which means you can’t get to places like Tween Waters (as you can with Yolo). They want NO money spent outside of the resort. And if you dare rent a golf cart from Yolo, or an outside source, the resort will not allow you to park it anywhere on their property at risk of fines and towing. They do not give a damn about supporting the local community nor businesses. Their talk is cheap otherwise. 4) SouthSeas new rule: no floats at pools. 25 years of joy over. 5). SouthSeas new rule: no riding your golf cart around redfish pass anymore. No golf cart access to the point nor Sunset Beach. 6). SouthSeas new rule: Don’t wear a necklace on the slides or you will be banned. REALITY — Sanibel and Captiva are largely rebuilt after hurricane Ian . This resort tore down the hotel, lodging, employee, housing, and all amenities except original pools. This means no fun, no food, no shopping, no water sports, no normal bathrooms, locked gates, and very limited service due to an inability to attract employees. In two years, while HOA’s, other resorts and private homes all got rebuilt…. SouthSeas only succeeded at installing Porta potty toilets and two incredibly crappy Food trucks. There are NO restaurants and ZERO pool nor resort activities (Examples: no log roll, movies; s’mores,, yoga, gym, T-dock access; sunset beach live music). The soul of this place is dead. Talk to management and they don’t care one bit. Kyla Burkitt is one of the managers who could benefit from hospitality training at minimum. Timber Company (the new owners) are apparently confident they will make their financial returns for themselves and their private equity partners when they do the massive build out they plan and sell private residences to unsuspecting people who naively don’t understand the complexity of the monopolistic contract they’ll have to sign. Visitors will be begging for the experience of a professional resort management company, such as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, etc. Timbers is an epic failure at creating a positive experience. Be aware of the lawsuit currently filed by the Captiva Civic Association regarding SouthSeas Development plans. Lee County — do what’s right for the residents and visitors to this beautiful area to provide ACCESS to all (that means more public parking and beach access for fees payable to the county. You did right by the original developer EXCEPT that it’s a public policy failure that the public has largely been CUT OFF from practical access to these beautiful beaches Sanibel and Captiva are naturally stunning environments everyone should enjoy. Just do it at Tween Waters or one of the many Sanibel resorts …. Sadly, NOT SouthSeas anymore.