Cirque St. Armands Beachside

What a metamorphosis!!! We have been staying at what was the Holiday Inn for over a decade but walking into Cirque, I could not even believe it was the same place!!! The rooms are upgraded and no longer smell like mildew (when it was a Holiday Inn), the service is above and beyond, and the location is still fabulous. The added restaurants are great, especially breakfast! The pancakes are SO yummy! Service by the pool is consistent and friendly, and a VERY cool addition is that you can go down the block to another beach club. As I mentioned, I've been coming here for over a decade but I will 100% be back now that Cirque is in town!

It’s clear the staff here have been trained to focus on customer service experience. It’s so rare nowadays that this hotel stands out. From the friendly greeting and complimentary welcome cocktail, to the easy bracelet room keys, and texts to check in if there’s anything we need. The Bartender the night we stayed July 30 was rare indeed - friendly, chatty, engaging and attended to everyone in the lounge with ease. Even locals come to have a drink and a bite, the atmosphere is so enjoyable. Thank you, we will definitely be back

We loved our stay here! The staff were incredible. I truly cannot say enough about how awesome the staff was! The rooms pristine. The location was great, right across the street from the beach. The complimentary shuttle to the very close sister property for beach chairs and multiple pools was fantastic! There was also complimentary shuttle service to the shopping circle at St. Armand’s. If you are looking for laid back and relaxing, this is your place. The contemporary circus theme was stylish and fun. We enjoyed touring the nearby Ringling Museum and grounds. The only negative was needing to take an uber to get off the island and around to other places. We have stayed on other Florida islands that offer other options to get around.

Was not so sure about staying here due to the decor but once we arrived, it was amazing! It's definitely not childish circus like. Everything was amazing. The food was great. The drinks were great. But mostly, the staff went above and beyond. Well, except that the hot water didn't work in the tub. I was so looking forward to soaking in it. We had to use the wand from the shower to fill it. We did ask for them to come fix it for us before we left for our adventure for the day. But the guy didn't even show up till ten o'clock at night! The maintenance guy looked at it, and all he did was tighten the screw in the shower, which had nothing to do with the tub. They never did get the hot water running in the bathtub. That was disappointing.

The staff was incredible and could not have been more friendly and accommodating. From the amazing popsicle champagne when we checked in, to the bar, the restaurant, down to the shuttle drivers. Top notch. This is a gorgeous hotel and we loved the convenience to St. Armand’s for dinner and people-watching, and access to the Lido Beach property for the beach chairs. (Just wish this hotel had some private beach cutout for them across the street!) But it’s a short walk or shuttle there and back to the other property. Note that this is couples/adults oriented and probably not a place I would bring the kids. Bring the family/kids to the Lido Beach property and save this for the adults-only excursion.

This hotel is a beautiful quiet boutique hotel. The 1 bedroom suite “wowed” me! It was huge, modern and really gorgeous!! And the view of the beach was spectacular! The bed and sheets were amazingly comfortable and the hotel was spotless Loved the free coffee bar each morning. Jillian at the front desk was wonderful as was Niko and Mimi (names??). Everyone goes out of their way to make sure everything is perfect ( except Madison, who was rude and unfriendly at the pool and bar) |Loved the quick easy walk to St Armand’s circle to shop and eat. |Honestly my only negatives (my personal opinion) is that the hotel pool and gym are very small. Too small. And there is no signage outside, the website pics are not what it looks like. I had my uber driver wait because I didn’t know if I was at the right hotel! They said Awnings are coming so hopefully will be corrected soon. |Overall, Opal did a beautiful job renovating and wish them much success!!

Overall it was a nice place. You can see they've worked hard to renovate the building. But they still have things they need to work out. 1. No name on the building with many similar looking buildings. Need to put the name of the hotel out front. 2. They have two elevators, which are old and slow. This is probably going to be an issue during season. 3. The plumbing was old and didn't work well all the time. Low pressure or no pressure. This became an issue the day of check-in out after my wife's walk on the beach. The shower didn't work and she had to jump in the pool to get the sweat off. She was NOT happy. This resort is trying to be a jewel in the Saint Armands area, but still have issues to reach their true potential.

We had an excellent stay. The property is recently renovated. It feels brand new. The rooms are very nice and very clean. Beach is just across the street. We also spent time at the pool which was chilled and very comfortable. Overall very pleased and I look forward to returning soon.

Just No, this place is so gross. Sadly, we canceled our reservation after we came. The lobby was below average, which was foreshadowing of the room. If the room was $50 per day, I would rate it higher but otherwise, it's not worth anything over $50 USD. When we entered the room, you can tell the owner/manager doesn't care or gave up. The cleaning people can only do so much, when it's a bigger problem, such as: * paint, it needs it so bad EVERYWHERE; * bathroom shower wall cover cracked (probably mold within the crack); * bathtub is so stained (use Bar Keepers Friend or something Please ASAP!); * balcony rails looks so old (get young kids away from it); * furniture is all chipped and looks like it is over 30 years old; * wallpaper is so outdated, 1980 wants it back; and * fridge is not cold. This is only my observation from being there for less than 30 minutes and we were out. The location is nice but that's the only compliment I can offer.

Hotel is a little dated but the location is Amazeballs and amenities are 5 Stars! Hotel is located literally across the street....40 yards at most! Plus the Hotel offers free beach toys, towels, and other items to take to the beach. The hotel bar is indoor/outdoor next to the swimming pool and the bartenders Debbie & Leslie are super friendly and really know what their doing!! Great drinks! Plus you can either pay at bar or bill it to your room. The hotel also has a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We only had the breakfasts, but they were good, filling, and had decent not outrageous prices for a hotel. I recommend the Breakfast Bowl with eggs over medium with bacon and an English muffin. Really good portion size!! Hotel shuttle is Free for drop off to & pickup from St Armand's Circle that had lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. It's also just a 5 minute walk if you want some exercise. The hotel room are standard hotel rooms. Not particularly special but we only slept in ours, so they didn't have to be super duper amazing or anything. The rooms either face the City or the Beach. Both views are great. But the Beach facing rooms get to see the Amazing Sunsets every evening!! Overall, I'd stay here again. Whatever they lack, they definitely make up for in other ways...Great service, hospitality, or just doing their best to keep you smiling!!

We had a lovely welcome from the staff at the lobby. We arrived early at the hotel, so the team let us wait by the lobby, and we checked in our bag to go to St Armand's Circle for lunch and then to the car rental after. This is one of our beat stays in Lido Key Beach. We were at a different resort a few blocks down a few years ago, but this time the hotel wasn't too crowded, and the pool's great too. The beach is across the street. I went shelling every early morning. They have a great pool and gym. We used both. Our room was perfect, not the best since we didn't book the ocean view but still better than the average room. It could be the hotel did some renovations before we came here. The hotel provides everything except a microwave. However, you can request a microwave, and they send it to the room. Free coffee daily at the lobby if you don't want to make it in the room. The breakfast is on the top floor with a nice view of the ocean, but they didn't open the restaurant when we were there. We came here to order and wait for them to prepare and brought the breakfast downstairs to our room or the pool. Breakfast by the pool was very nice. They also serve great lunch by the pool. There's a $25/day fee for parking, water, laundry self-service, etc. Water's free, so we asked for two or more bottles daily (my favorite drink! Can't live without it!) I'd recommend this hotel for anyone with it without kids. Btw it is also a pet-friendly hotel! We saw some dogs and also noticed a door with a pet-friendly door tag on our floor. Good to know! Maybe we'll bring the cats next, lol! Fantastic place and service!

For bar service only. Food and drinks are fine but there is very rude bar maid working in the lobby bar/restaurant. She ignored me and allowed other people to go in front of me, then she complained about making a requested drink, despite other people asking for the same drink. If she is having such a bad day she takes it out on patrons, she should just stay home. I did nothing but order a drink that required a blender and she didn't feel like making it.

This is really a 3 1/2 Star Hotel -- between good (3) and very good (4). So why the extra half star? Location, location, location. This hotel is across from the lovely white sands of Lido beach with nothing blocking your view and just a short walk across the one street to the ocean. Plus it is within close walking distance of St Armand's Circle with all its restaurants and shops. And it's only a short drive over the causeway into downtown Sarasota. The hotel itself is an older hotel that has been remodeled. I remember coming here years back. But they have done a pretty good job of updating the rooms and hallways as well as the lobby and common areas to appear fresh and inviting. It was a bit cool and rainy when we were there so we didn't get to check out their small pool, but we did get to stare at the beach and enjoy the sound of the ocean waves. Check in was easy -- we were even able to get into our room earlier than we'd thought. They also upgraded us to an ocean view on a high floor. The room itself was fine -- a nice large king size bed, desk, flat screen tv, small refrigerator and coffee maker (no microwave) and a balcony. The only downside was the tiny bathroom -- clean, modern, and adequate -- but not much vanity space and only large enough for one person at a time. In fact, a larger person might find it hard to use the facilities. The staff was very pleasant. They also have a free self serve coffee station in the mornings and ice water in the lobby. Free newspapers were available every day. We didn't eat there, but there is a full service restaurant on the 7th floor. There's also a breakfast buffet plus their regular menu. Would we stay here again? Yes, in a heartbeat!! We are already trying to figure out when we can visit again...

Living on the east coast of Florida we do enjoy traveling across the state and spending a few days on the gulf side and this area is particularly nice. I travel quite a number of days for business each year and being a Spire Member the points really add up so we try to enjoy the hotel perks as often as we can. This hotel is so much more about location then it is about luxury but the accommodations were actually pretty good. We upgraded to an ocean side room which gave us the nice ocean breeze a and a million dollar view. Getting here can be a little challenging being there is only one way in and that mean dealing with the travel at St. Armand's Circle but then again it's within walking distance of St. Armand's Circle and this is absolutely the place to be for outdoor shopping and dining. The beach is directly across the street and the hotel has a restaurant and bar. The room was very clean with all the amenities you'd expect with an upgrade and the staff was extremely accommodating and friendly. The outdoor seating at bar next to the pool offers a great view of the beach in a relaxed setting along with some pretty awesome cocktails and snacks off the menu...

I really like this place! It is dated but it's nice! Perfect being right across the street from the beach and the staff was vey helpful.

Great location across the street from the beach, and walking distance to St. Armand's Circle. We arrived earlier than checkin time. We called and we were able to checkin to our King room on the second floor. Nice furnishings but a little smaller than usual especially the bathroom. Nice view of the beach from the balcony. We had breakfast included in our room rate which was very good. It is served on the top floor which has a beautiful view of the beach.

Great location right across from the beach. Easy walk to Armand's Square for a night of shopping and fabulous food. Be prepared to spend some cash tho as it is a bit pricey. The hotel has wonderful staff and loaner towels and toys for the beach. Convenient parking right outside. The multi outlet charger in room was a welcome feature. Pool was adequate but really really missed a hot tub. We also had a few broken items in the bathroom. They charge a rather hefty $25 a night "resort fee" which should include more amenities. I've stayed at other resorts with a $15 fee that have hot tubs, entertainment, nightly snacks and dive in movies. Overall a great place to stay but needs upgrades and more amenities.

Just want to thank Kayla the front desk hostess for accommodating my boyfriend and me . Upon arrival our first room was not too shabby the bathtub was peeled that was main concerning it Kayla immediately found us another room and upgrade We very happy with it for the remainder of our trip thank you Kayla your customer service is impeccable I watched you deal with others customers and you're very professional I hope your bosses see what an asset you.are

Loved staying in the Holiday Inn on Benjamin Franklin Drive in Lido Beach runs a clean bill was a 10 we went in August so when you open the door to the deck the whole room started sweating inside but that was OK since it was late July I would definitely stay there again staff was very nice food was excellent and this was all during Covid

Great location, great view. Definitely an older hotel that could use some cleaning of the carpets and upgrades/repairs so the cost seems a bit steep but overall a good stay. We did have one incident but a call to the front desk made it right even though it was late.

Overall a decent hotel with a beach across the street at a fair price. Nice ocean view from our room. Not many options for food/drinks within walking distance. This would be a good choice if you're going just to sit on low traffic beach and relax. Probably would be good place to take kids due to beach access and light beach traffic.

We were expecting just a regular Holiday Inn but we got much more! This is one of the best hotels i've ever stayed at. The rooms are not brand new but they have been updated nicely. We were lucky enough to get the ocean view. This view made the stay perfect. Sitting on the patio listening to the ocean was amazing! I have zero complaints about the room as it was always cleaned well. The pool was not very large but there were enough chairs for everyone around. All of the workers were very friendly. Anytime you came in contact they would greet you very politely. They were all awesome! As for food, they have a restaurant on the 7th floor with the best view in town. Glass windows all around that give an amazing view of the beach. The view is worth how ever much the food costs. Downstairs there was a bar inside that also connected outside so you could have drinks by the pool. They also had complimentary snacks(granola bars) from 2-4. They had cold fruit water and hot coffee 24 hours a day! Some people may complain about the extra resort fee but it covers many great things. Everyday when they cleaned the room they would leave 2 water bottles. When we first got there, there was a small sunscreen for us. The fee also covers the parking(which is free), the snacks and coffee, beach towels, etc. Overall this location is great since it is in walking distance of St. Armand's square and across from the beach. The most beautiful sunsets on the beach or from your room. I will be recommending this hotel and Lido Key to everyone! My best trip to Florida ever thanks to this hotel!

I stayed here as a surprise mini getaway. It is located across from Lido beach. The hotel was very accommodating. We couldn't decide rather we wanted a balcony or street view room so they gave us the keys to 2 rooms and allowed us to look at them! The decor was very modern & trendy. The views from the hotel were so beautiful. We enjoyed lunch & drinks during their happy hour (4p-7p) on Saturday at the outside Tiki bar. The crab cakes & dynamite shrimp were really good! On Sunday morning, we had the breakfast buffet ($14 each) in the dining room. It was worth it. I love that i had the option to have fresh eggs in my omelet. The smoke Gouda grits were soooo good! We LOVEDDDDD the large ocean view windows in the dining room!! Overall, I was impressed. The decor was super cute, rooms & hotel was clean, customer service was outstanding. I think the price is inflated but I understand that he paid for the beachfront location. It also was within walking distance to St. Armand's Circle (tons of shopping & restaurants)

We stopped in this location as I do like Holiday Inn Express's and their biscuits and gravy breakfasts, so I figured this place was on the beach, and would be very nice. It was a last minute decision and somehow I ended up with a double joined room with 2 giant old style Jacuzzi tub's, and 4 king size beds. The place was busy, and it seemed it would have made sense for them to rent the other room, that I did not even want to another group in need of a place to stay. But alas all that unneeded space was at my beckoning, haha. The cost seemed over priced for the room, even if I did have to take 2 rooms, ha. The view was not so great, and the bathrooms were average at best. The towels were not as soft as I like or as thick and absorbent as a place at this price should have. The bed was comfy and had lots of pillows, which was great. So I did get a good nights sleep. But the rest of this place was just average. The location is great, but if not there for the beach, and just wanting a place to crash for a night. I do not recommend this hotel. Maybe if staying several days and enjoying the surroundings, it would have seemed better. But the hotel itself did not meet the standards of the price they charge per night. The nice looking breakfast was an extra approx $15, and not worth it. The location is what this place has going for it. The hotel itself is sub-par, even with some of the new updates, carpet, and decorations. I slept fine, but would of had a better experience at a higher rated hotel.

First time here, my rating is slightly below 4 stars. Good location, walking distance to St. Armands Circle. Hotel rooms: VERY spacious, nicely/tastefully updated, clean, great ocean views, balcony (2 chairs/cocktail table). The less expensive rooms have a nice views as well.(see pics) Missing: electrical sockets--found one hidden behind the furniture -- it was very loose. Charging a laptop, phone, etc. was a bit of a problem. (Bring an extension cord). My room had a refrigerator/no microwave. The bathroom was very tight and had just one sink. (No space for your cosmetics). The sulfuric​ water odor (somewhat common in FL) was a bit repulsive. Very short walk (across a road) to the beautiful beach. (Fine/almost white sand) Casual swimming pool area OK/adequate. Pleasant bar area, (next to the pool), friendly service. Happy Hour (1/2 price on the appetizers and some drinks). Tasty Buffalo Chicken Wings. Restaurant: Gorgeous Gulf views from the 7th floor. (Nice, quiet place for a first date?). The menu is a bit limited, but steaks and salads suits me. Friendly service. I liked the breakfast buffet...$13.95/May 2017 (see pics). Our waiter (Michael) was very nice and attentive. 7th floor restrooms -- spotless/shiny clean! Very large handicapped bathroom. Changing station for families with children.

A little dated but an excellent location and very attentive staff. They immediately thanked me as an IHG Platinum Elite member and upgraded my room. We had a great view of the gulf and our room was quiet during a very busy week. You can walk to St. Armand's Circle in minutes, there's a heated outdoor pool, happy hour at the bar, and complimentary afternoon snacks. We are happy we stayed here on our trip down the Florida coast.

We went here for a weekend getaway with our kids in June 2016 (after the big "remodel"). We will not be back due to these reasons and issues: 1) Although the lobby is nicely updated, the rooms were not. The beds and furniture a may be new, but it is still dirty and run down. 2) When we requested a room over the phone we were told we could get a hypoallergenic room because of allergies. Apparently, pets are allowed at the hotel but are not allowed in these "hypoallergenic" rooms and we were told we would get foam pillows as well. When we came to the hotel they had no clue what we were talking about. I even saw a "pillow menu" with synthetic pillows as and option and the front desk said they don't have any of those. 3) There were hairs and makeup smudges on our bed when we arrived (I always immediately check out the bedding upon arrival)... They were changed by housekeeping rather quickly but the staff was not that apologetic or surprised. 4) In-room fridge was dirty. 5) Old school air unit was not updated, old and dirty/dusty. 6) When we tried to take a shower later that day the drain was backed up, maintenance came and argued that it's "supposed" to drain slowly. I said no there is not supposed to be standing water while you shower - gross! He stayed to snake the pipes (located behind he mirror?) ... He then admitted that it was clogged very badly. 7) The pool is a joke! Located in the parking lot! It's also very very small. On the website it says "rooftop" pool which is false advertisement. We addressed all of these issues with management and were not at all compensated for any of the issues we had and loss of time (due to housekeeping changing our sheets (we waited for them to do this in front of us) and maintenance (fixing our shower for 30 minutes). After we returned home I contacted corporate via email and they called back a while later on a Sunday (on 4th of July no less) I thought this was very strange. The lady apologized but said we should have left the hotel instead of staying!!!! I explained it was a busy weekend, we were unfamiliar with the area, we had already unloaded all of our things, plus we had 2 small children with us! What a thing for them to say! The only compensation offered (after I argued a bit) was for them to send a check for 1/2 off 1 of the nights. This apology and reaction does not make me want to stay at another holiday inn again.

First the positive. Hotel location is excellent across the street from a beautiful beach and easy walking to great shopping and restaurants on Armand Circle. Staff is friendly and a nice small pool. Now the negatives. Hotel is really dated with only two elevators for seven floors and with social distance only one family unit allowed in at a time the wait can be really annoying. The pool Is nice but very limited chaise lounges and chairs so people stand over you when they think you are leaving. Bathroom in our room was cracked all overand. Found blood on wall of shower. Personal peeve. Why if I am paying over $250 a night must they use cheapest one ply toilet tissue? They

My family and I had a great experience here. Their staff were all very nice and accommodating. The location was perfect, right by the beach and 5min walk to the shopping circle. I would come back and stay here again.

I was afraid that this hotel would be worn out but I was very pleasantly surprised. The hotel outside, inside and all around was clean and smelled clean. The staff was friendly and willing to help with any little thing. The room was clean - not luxury but the sheets were soft and the bed was comfy. Oh yeah - the location was wonderful- walking distance from the sand to dinner

Debbie is the best! She gave us so much information out at the pool bar. She is so friendly! Made us want to come back for sure!

I love the location of this hotel. The beach is directly across the street and street is not busy so it's very easy to cross . The walk to St. Armand's circle is about 5 minutes . The front desk staff was nice and helpful. They have beach towels for you to take to beach and sand toys to bring for the kids . We did not have a beach view room, so our view was basically the parking lot and some pretty spectacular homes . The room itself was the size of your basic hotel room with two queen beds . The decor was modern and fresh. The bathroom counter was very small and the sink got backed up but the staff was apologetic. The walls are very thin and we could hear arguments and children crying but thankfully it didn't disturb us while sleeping. The pool is your basic pool 4.6 ft to 8 ft. There is a bar by the pool which is nice. We did not eat there but they do have a restaurant.

Even though the staff was working with a large renovation they were very accommodating and went out of there way to help us get the room we wanted for a good price. We were pleasantly surprised at the room quality. We were told it was small given it was on the corner but it was perfect for us. Very clean and smelled great. Sheets and pillows very comfortable. The view facing the gulf made the room and stay memorable. Sitting on the balcony which is quite large compared to some and watching the sunset was the best. Even though it would have been nice to try the hotel restaurant but given the location so close the St. Armand's circle we had plenty of choices. The only dig on the whole experience was the carpet in the elevators. It was pretty bad but I assume it will be taken care of as part of the renovations. The 6th floor was immaculate so I assume it is all being updated.

Over priced for old hotel. Great location but unfriendly staff. Security guard watching us like thief getting coffee in the lobby. Embracing.

Monday June 24, 2019 6:30. Bar Maid is extremely rude. I'll never book a room here again. She was so rude, I decided not to eat there.

What gorgeous views. Cute decor . Relaxing and tidy colors and prints. A/c works very well. Nice staff at the front desk. Helpful & offering recommendations for restaurants in st Armand's circle. I'm enjoying this so far!!! Ok: the restaurant upstairs has a magnificent view!! Gorgeous view! But so short staffed. I'm guessing that Chris was also the chef as well. I really wasn't a fan of my food at all. I didn't think the ice tea was anything to write home about. I waited a long time for it. I wouldn't have minded if either had flavor or freshness. I recommend they make a menu with half the Items. Make it manageable. And the restaurant seems too fancy to have the waitress/manager(?) carrying the food plates all stacked and up her arm like Waffle House. I'm fine with waiting for my food just as long as you keep me informed about what's up/delay and you can distract me with nice calming music. I also recommend you fork out the hot sesame rolls with butter. Perhaps you all had to make a run to Publix for groceries.... that's fine just let me know & kindly give me a little something to nibble on. And by all means for the price I really expect the quality of the food to be a higher standard. I heard the bar downstairs has finger foods that were alright. The margarita was great. The view was the best. A few things to work on. It's all fixable. It has great potential!!

Right across from an entrance to a beautiful beach and around the corner from the great st Armand circle which is filled with restaurants and stores (make sure to go to the peanut store and the tea and spice co). Location could not be better. At check in the husband was not offered anything, despite his platinum status, so he asked and we received vouchers for free breakfast. It was a good breakfast, with options and prices on par with any restaurant. Our server chuck was awesome and it's situated on 7th floor with beautiful beach views. Worth going to even without vouchers. Room was basic holiday inn room, and there was no noise from other rooms and very little from hallway. Would stay here again

Excellent hotel. Spotless. The rooms are clean and very comfortable. Free bottled water and sunscreen in the rooms. The staff is very welcoming, friendly, and courteous. The location couldn't be better: the beach is right across the street and St. Armand's Circle is a five minute walk from the hotel with high scale restaurants and shopping.

Well worth the money to rent the breathtaking Ocean -side, for its view! Originally, I had booked a room for a night at the Longboat Key Hilton. On the day before my stay, a representative had called me to say that their hotel was accidentally overbooked. But gave me an alternative to stay at one of their other hotels with an ocean view! Needless to say, after he had offered me a room worth approximately $150 more a night. I agreed to the change. First time staying Holiday Inn Hotel of Lido Beach. Before this transaction, I was always curious about this place and their price but never before stayed here. I must say, I was impressed! The hotel itself is a little old but very clean inside. Their service was friendly and highly accommodating! The manager of the Hilton had set me up for an ocean view stay for the sudden changes. Well worth being on the ocean side! Beautiful view of Lido Key! Watched the amazing sunset from the balcony! The stay was comfortable and convenient! The pool was a little over crowded but I rather be at the beach, just 100 yards across the street. In part of the Hilton's managers accommodation, he delivered us two free complimentary adult beverage drink at their indoor or outdoor bar. Two thumbs up for service and accommodation! Another two thumbs up for the convenience and view! I highly recommend this place, well worth making sure you have the ocean view. A little more money, but worth the view! Also. Try their rooftop their restaurant. Yet another breathtaking view from above! Their breakfast buffet was awesome! BTW- per employee: this place will go under renovations soon, but will still be open for business!

The only thing this place has going for them is the super comfy beds and the amazing ocean view room...which you pay an arm and a leg for. But the room itself is nothing to brag about. They're dirty ... and our room was an end room, so apparently it was super small. If I wasn't in search of a great ocean view this weekend, it def wouldn't be worth the money at all Oh and there's not even a refrigerator in the room!

Very nice hotel right on the beach. Gulf view with balcony room is perfect. You see sunset, feel the sea breeze, waves... just beautiful. Everything is small here, particularly the bathroom . No complaints. Just love the room. I rated it 4 stars on the IHG hotel feedback because you always expect more as a platinum elite member. Location location location you never get wrong with it!

This hotel is not big on how they treat people. I don't know how many stars this hotel has but when I called to see if we could check in 2 hours earlier the woman that answered was rude, like how dare we ask, even before she checked she said no. Only reason we need to is because of our dog. What do we do with her if we have to go somewhere. I don't like this type of treatment. Most hotels tend to accommodate us so what's wrong with this one? Other than that, it's a noisy and busy hotel and it's old but it's accroos the street from the beach so everybody wants to be there. If not, I rather stay at the Indigo Hotel..

We had a group of 8 of us from Target headquarters in Minneapolis down to Sarasota to visit some Target stores. We showed up at the Hotel and everyone was checked in quickly. They are right across from the beach and we sat in the gulf for a couple hours every day after about 10 hour days. The water was like 80 degrees and perfect. The room was clean and perfect every day after I returned home after a long day traveling to 3 stores a day. They had a ton of channels on the TV, it would have been nice if every room had a refrigerator, but that is a small complaint. The pool was nice, but could have used more chairs around the tables as we were constantly looking for them with a large group. The offered free beach towels and beach chairs for those who wanted them, which was another big plus. They had a lot of good beers on tap as well and good happy hour specials. $3 taps. They also had wi-fi, which was great to do work emails after the day was over. Overall, for the price, I would be back here in a second. No big frills, but it was great for a beach hotel that you aren't going to be in the room too much.

The hotel is fantastic. The restaurant on the top is great for the view of the beach and breakfast. If you have lunch downstairs you are better off ordering McDonalds with Uber delivery. It took near an hour to get a very simple dish at the bar, Penne Alfredo. Then when I got it it was like an Alfredo soup. Broccoli was great, the bread was great, but the Alfredo was crap. You don't make Alfredo with milk. It was like a soup. But what irritated me more was everyone else in the place was getting food, me I was getting angry. Go back , no. Recommend, no.

Decent hotel. Location was the real highlight. Right across the street from a beautiful beach, minutes from fun shopping area, and close to Marina Jacks (good dining). An unexpected beginning - Stairs to get to the front entrance. We had to lug our bags up the stairs. The staff who welcomed us were super friendly. Very helpful and welcoming. When we got to our room, on the 6th floor, ocean view, the room was "meh". A/C was good. Room was very small for the price. I think we were paying purely for the view. However, we had just come from an ocean front property in Ft. Lauderdale and paid less for a room probably 3x the size and with many amenities. We had begun to rethink our decision to check out Sarasota. But we stuck it out. After all we weren't in the room most of the time -- then again, the primary reason we didn't stay in the room was their internet speed was terrible. We had to work during the day and ended up going to Starbucks nearby for their internet.

Rude staff, old rooms. Arguing (loudly and with profanity) at customers at the check-in counter, right in front of other customers. We were all stunned. Worst part? Liars. Web site says: Every room has refrigerators. They do not. You are expected to call back down to the front desk and beg them for one and then wait around for room maintenance to being one. Ridiculous! When I called to ask where the fridge was, I was told that I was supposed to know this and this was a common hotel practice. Not at any hotel I've EVER stayed at. Worst of all was then being unceremoniously and without apology or explanation transferred to some "management" phone extension; like they'd be in after 8:30p on a Saturday night. Never again. Too many other newer, and most importantly nicer, hotels around to stay here again. YMMV

I enjoyed my stay here back in November 2016. I thought that the staff were super attentive, everyone was nice and relaxed, and for the first time in a while, I was actually able to feel like I was on a vacation. This isn't a five star resort, so if that's what you're looking for, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a low-key getaway that's steps from the beach, a great and affordable room, and a quiet destination--this is your place. Also, our waitress was the sweetest person, and the views are phenomenal.

Stayed in Sarasota for the weekend as the seafood fest was going on. We booked an oceanview room. When we arrived at 2pm we checked in early and dropped our stuff. The room was a great value for the awesome ocean view. One of the best beds for this level of hotel. The only negative is the level of noise from the a/c. It's an easy walk to the circle filled with shops and restaraunts. We will come back.

I suggest you wait until the remodeling is done in February 2016 (or so they say). It's a great location, but it's under MAJOR renovations. They should be giving a HUGE discount and not getting $250 a night :( There's NO front entrance, food service at all, bar.... nothing. It IS a great location in that it's across the street from the beach and a few short blocks from shopping, restaurants and bars.... but do yourself a favor and stay a little further south at one of the other hotels until they get done with the construction. Their website isn't very forthcoming about what's going on.... so disappointing.

Great location, great staff, clean and outstanding beach access sunset views. The only thing missing and downfall was I could not enjoy a good cigar outside in the pool area or even my outside balcony. the bar also closed at 11 pm on an Saturday night. :- (

I'm the only person smiling in this hotel... My biggest complaint is about the staff. The bartender was rude to us for no real reason. We brushed it off and continued our day at the beach, going back and forth to the pool and then to the beach. We definitely noticed different treatment from the staff with us and how they were all smiles and super helpful with other people. OH! I guess I should mention I'm traveling with my wife of 5 years (lesbian couple). We feel so normal and are so normal we often forget we are " different " than other people. The Holiday Inn made us feel different.. not in a good way. We haven't felt so unwelcome and a little embarrassed in a very long time. This is my very first bad review where I felt like my sexuality was the reason for my experience! I honestly can't even believe I have to voice it. Anyways, the grounds are nice and the cleaning ladies were wonderful. However, I will not be coming back.

We dinned here often over the last 13 years but infrequently the last 2 and enjoyed all our visits.One of the reasons we liked the restaurant is the stellar view of the sun setting! Tonight's visit not so much..(The Sunset was beautiful!) The table and chairs had crumbs; the server was not too wine knowledgeable. He was very pleasant, though . We were told that they were out of filet which was what we wanted ! And, no Key lime pie. Sigh... Mind you, our reservations were for 5:45pm on a Friday night. Not 7 or 8pm My wine glass had some funky " things" in the glass. It was replaced... While we waited for our dinners (approx 30mins) ,the neighboring table was told no more bread...it is now 6: 20. Our dinners were good but the fries were not hot nor was my dinner but edible or we would have sent food back So, we are going to give the Restaurant another chance. If it is not more professional, than we will not try again. ....to be continued.

The hotel is just okay. I have stayed at better with better service. BUT...I knew it would more than likely be like this before making our reservation. We didn't come for the hotel service. We came for the view and omg! The view we had of Lido Beach was out of this world gorgeous! I wouldn't stay in a room here without the ocean view. This put all our previous beach vacays (and there are a lot) to shame. They have a restaurant on top of the hotel and it's all windows. We ate there the first night and got to see the sun set while dining. It was breathtaking. But we didn't dine there again as it was a bit pricey. The pool is just a pool. Nothing over the top. There is a bar outside that stays open until 10pm. The pool stays open until 11pm. There are no fast food joints really close, so be aware that you will have to drive just a bit to get something like that. There is a 24 hour McDonald's like 6 miles away, I believe. They also offer pizza delivered to your room and we did that one evening. Automatic 20% gratuity, but it was affordable. The pizza was just okay. I would recommend you take a Yeti cup with you and fill up on their fruit infused water they offer during the day only downstairs for free. There is a safe in your room. The water had a weird smell. Almost sulphuric in nature. I would recommend you bring a big pack of water for your room. They do give you a couple free waters everyday in your room, but obviously you need more. They also give you a small travel size sunblock for free in your room upon arrival. I like Red Bull and assumed they would have it in their little shop. Nope. Only Monster. And if the hotel attendant is busy, good luck getting any snacks or drinks from the shop without waiting for a bit. You do get a coupon for one free drink/snack upon arrival if you sign up for their points program. I didn't see any security really. Unless they wore plain clothes. Hmmmm. But nothing about this hotel made me feel unsafe. Just a hop and a skip to the beach. Overall, it was an amazing vacation.

I am shocked by these reviews! What a great place!! My family was in a recently renovated room, very nice with a gorgeous view of the Gulf. Beach access is right across the street with some of the softest sand! A short walk to St. Armand's Circle for shopping and restaurants. The restaurant on the top floor of the Holiday Inn is great. Wonderful views and a great place to eat for sunset. The staff at the hotel are always friendly and greet you with a smile. Our room came with a fridge and we asked for a microwave which was brought to our room in ten minutes. This was perfect for keeping dinner leftovers and heating up the next day for lunch. Pool at the hotel is wonderful also with extensive hours of 7am-10pm! Can't wait to plan another vacation here soon!

The staff here is very accommodating. This hotel is dated but beds are very comfy and the location is amazing! Gorgeous gulf views with a restaraunt on the 7th floor overlooking the ocean. Check out the bar at Kokonuts downstairs by the pool and see Debbie! She's very sweet and pours amazing drinks!

I'm only giving this place five starts because of the bar tender, Deborah. My mom and I have been here for two days, and she's been here the entire time working so hard. She is so sweet, and even went ahead and made me a drink early, a few minutes before she opened when she really didn't have to. Such a sweet woman. I'm writing this because she deserves a raise!!!! Hard to find people that go the extra mile in the workplace like she did. We love Deborah at the bar!!!

This hotel served it's purpose. It definitely has it's flaws but overall it was a fine place to sleep. My biggest problem is that they use satellite so during the rain we couldn't watch any TV. I don't know about you but when it's raining and you're on a vacation, all you want to do is snuggle in bed and watch some trashy tv. That's vacation! This hotel made that experience not an option. I was super annoyed. The bathroom is old and there is water damage on the floor and tiles but the bed was extremely comfortable and I slept like a baby. Our ocean view was amazing and since we only stayed one night I can't complain too much.