Sun Tower Hotel & Suites on the Beach

The food was really delicious, and the place looks great, but our first visit was marked by the manager’s attitude. She told us we couldn’t sit outside, even though several tables there had an ocean view and three were already occupied. I politely asked why, three times, but she only repeated that we had to sit inside. It was just lightly drizzling. Our waitress was kind and professional. When I asked him, he gave us a reasonable explanation right away, which was all I wanted from the beginning. It’s disappointing that the staff member gave much better service than the person in charge. That unpleasant first impression overshadowed what could have been a great experience.

We found some good restaurants within a 20-minute walk in either direction, with great drinks, food, and service. One night we took the water taxi to the south end, about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. The beds were comfortable, the Wi-Fi worked well, and the pool was quiet. The beach vibe was on point. The hotel is right on the ocean and surprisingly quiet. Our room was ready even though we arrived before check-in. The resort fee made me expect more service, though. The restaurant servers were very nice but inexperienced, so things got forgotten, and the bartender couldn’t make some simple drinks. At check-in, no one told us the restaurant hours or how to use the Direct TVs in the room, and we didn’t get the pool hours either. There was no food or drink service to the beach chairs, and the beach towels were thin and small. The fee set expectations for a more resort-like experience.

I love this hotel for its location and amenities, and the beach and water were beautiful this time. But after four years of visiting for weekend dates with my husband, this stay left a lot to be desired. The service has slipped. We paid extra for one of the deluxe suites because that was all they had, and requested early check-in. I understand check-in is at 3, but seeing others get their rooms before then while ours wasn’t ready until exactly 3 was infuriating. There are only three ground-floor deluxe suites with large terraces, and at that higher price I’d expect housekeeping to prioritize them. The front desk staff on 5/2 were snooty, and the SandbarGrille waitress was lazy. I had to get up several times to get her attention. I watched her restock sweetener caddies one at a time, making ten trips to the kitchen. Maybe don’t hold a 7am Sunday yoga class right by my terrace. I wanted a quiet sunrise on the beach, but the terrace was surrounded by people and club music at 7 in the morning. The front desk used to be warm and friendly, with a little Old Florida charm. This time the staff felt cold and militant. The parking attendant was imposing too, questioning me at my car door as soon as I pulled into the spot in front of the hotel to ask if I was checking in. The place needs to be handled better.

The room sizes are large and the hotel is right on the beach, but the property is dated and needs a lot of updates. The junior king suite pictures falsely advertised what our room would look like. The elevator had no air conditioning, and the lobby smelled peculiar, possibly of an animal. The staff were friendly, but they didn’t deal with problems. We had to shower in standing water, apparently from a clog or something. I told staff three times and emailed too, but no one replied or fixed it. We weren’t offered compensation or moved to another room. It was disgusting, unsanitary, and very inconvenient.