Captiva Island Inn

The included breakfasts were a real highlight, full breakfasts and fantastic. I was surprised that the coffee at R.C. Otter's was better than Starbucks up the road. Everyone at the Inn and restaurants was very nice, too. We stayed in #12 (Loveshack), which is small but worked perfectly for us. It’s at the end of the drive, so we didn’t smell the restaurants and could barely hear the music. The bed was comfy, the AC worked great, and there’s a good-sized fridge and a nice patio. The Inn provides beach chairs and umbrellas for free. The beach is lovely and very close. Next time we’ll bring our portable grill, and we’ll definitely come back.

The location is still amazing, between the bay and ocean, with six restaurants, an ice cream shop and a tiny grocery store within walking distance. The complimentary breakfast is great, and the housekeeping staff are nice, though the cleaning hasn’t been thorough. I started staying here nine years ago, but after my last bad experience I’ve chosen other places on the island. It feels like things have gone downhill over the past few years, which is sad. The last time I was in the love shack, the fan was noisy and there was no bathroom light without it, so I had to unplug a floor lamp and bring it into the bathroom. The north-facing room window looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in ages, and there were cobwebs, dust and dead insects. I do like that it’s tucked away at the end and feels secluded.

The Sunflower Cottage was cozy and clean, with comfortable bed and pillows, plenty of fresh towels, and a nice cool room. It’s a good size for two, and the beach, restaurants and rental items are all an easy distance away. The price is great, so I’d stay again. The one drawback was the cottage’s spot behind a restaurant dumpster. You couldn’t see it, but stepping outside meant getting hit with the smell.

The bed and pillows were comfortable, and we liked having a choice of two restaurants for breakfast. The location is hard to beat. Still, a few things would have improved the stay: the ice machine didn’t work, the overhead fan needed a pull cord, and the room felt stuffy even with a floor fan running. The bathroom grout badly needs redoing, and the black-looking mold was off-putting.