Sandy Shores Condo Across From Johns Pass!

The building is in an amazing spot near John’s Pass, just as I expected. The rental itself was about what you’d expect, with some wear and tear, but generally good. We were there in early October, and the elevator inspection had expired August 1, 2025. We booked unit 503 last minute after our other condo needed repairs and might have been canceled. It has a great view and is reasonably updated, but it seems they only clean the basics, like the counter and fridge, to make it look good. I think the sheets had been washed based on how they looked, but they had a strange smell. The floors were disgusting on our first night, turning our feet black right away. The shower spouts were covered in heavy water buildup, so I doubt they’d been cleaned. The toilet’s “sanitary” strip looked reused from a previous guest and had dried fluid on it. The trim had months of dust. Outlets need replacing because plugs fall out with the slightest movement. After one night, mine had fallen out about six times and my charger stopped working, though maybe it was just bad timing. The master headboard wasn’t attached and was turned around for some reason, so it kept banging. Of the two lamps in the master, only one could reach an outlet, which made the other purely decorative and limited the lighting. The master TV didn’t work. Maintenance came, looked at it, and said it needed replacing. Reviews I found after booking suggest this has been known for a while, but the owner has done nothing. Several drawers in the spare room dresser were off track and jammed, also apparently unfixed from earlier reviews. The kitchen was very sparsely equipped, missing basics like scissors and Tupperware. We left some Tupperware behind. There were only about six forks, so if you eat in, expect to wash them after every meal. WiFi is shared across the whole building, which means it’s hard to use during peak times. We tried watching shows several times and couldn’t get them to load, just endless buffering. It only worked if we watched very early or very late. There are two laps in the master, but only one reaches an outlet, so the other is purely decorative and limits lighting.

Unit 204 was perfect for us, clean, with the A/C running well and an awesome view. The pool was good and parking was easy. We’ll definitely be back.

The room was still under construction, with exposed outlets, no bathroom fans, and no baseboards. The “beach view” was a parking lot. Staff were rude or unavailable throughout our stay. During regular business hours we found the door locked, and when we called, we were told, “we are out and about” and that they wouldn’t help. Absolutely terrible experience. We travel to Tampa every spring for cheer comps. DO NOT STAY HERE! We’ll never return.

The worst part was how the company handled problems. They ignored us and put off doing anything unless we got really cross. The woman answering the phone was rude and would hang up; she kept saying she’d pass on the message, but nothing happened. She promised that a man named Alec would get in touch, but he never did. Greg promised compensation, and we got one email saying everything would be handled and compensation given by Monday morning. It’s now Thursday afternoon and we’re no closer to getting it. They aren’t accountable for what they say or do. Don’t waste your money here. The bad reviews and horror stories are 100% true. If you want to stay at Sandy Shores, book through itrip. A lot of people here used itrip and had a much better experience. Our son got his head trapped between the headboard and mattress in the middle of the night when the bed gave way. The other bed in the room gave way too. They fixed one, but for the other they wanted to put the mattress on the floor and have us sleep on it until they could get a bed frame. When I refused, they brought a frame two sizes too big for the mattress. We told them it wasn’t safe for our kids. After we made more of a fuss, a man named Greg came to the door to see how he could help. We explained neither option was suitable or safe for the kids. He said he’d go to Walmart and buy a frame. Finally, after two hours of arguing, we got a safe solution. It really unsettled our children. Our son also cut his toe on a pile of sharp nails left on the TV unit. The condo is run down, half painted, and filthy. It needs a serious deep clean and upgrades. There’s barely any bedroom lighting apart from a lamp. The kitchen sink keeps backing up. The trash shoots in the building are constantly blocked, leaving rubbish on the floor around them, stinky and unpleasant, and surely not helping the cockroach problem. The electrical fan and light in the main room flicker constantly and were never fixed, even after we reported it. The elevator keeps breaking down, and its light sometimes goes out inside. The pool had to close or open late on some days because the water was too cloudy and the filter wasn’t running. The water is always dark and cloudy, and the pool mechanics aren’t working properly. If you’re thinking of booking for the pool, don’t bother. We came back from lunch once and found maintenance people in our condo. They’d let themselves in without any notice, while our belongings, including passports, were out. It made us very uncomfortable. We understand maintenance is needed, but we should have been told. It was interesting to learn the maintenance people had given John’s Pass Condos a week’s notice before doing the work. Somebody reportedly rented 104 for a few months and reported all the same issues, which have now happened to us too.