Song of the Sea

Victoria and the daytime front desk staff at Song of the Sea went out of their way to make us feel at home. The staff were excellent, five-star plus. The grounds were lush and full of flowers and trees, like a private garden, and the pool was nice. Because of COV19, the Jacuzzi wasn’t available. The neighboring properties had a great Tiki bar and grill with simple meals, well prepared and full of flavor. We came for some R&R and had a fantastic, quieter beach, with fewer kids at both the beach and pool. The rooms are a little retro, but ours also had an extra back couch/bedroom with a TV, and the air conditioning never failed. If you can, I’d get a second-floor room for a better beach view. The first-floor rooms still have an outstanding garden view. The grounds reminded me of resorts in Jamaica, without having to take a plane and then spend hours in a taxi to get there.

The grounds were immaculate, and the relaxed atmosphere had that old Florida style. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We loved the beach, and the chairs and umbrellas they provided were free. The clean pool and hot tub were just right. Our room had a small kitchenette and a full-size fridge that worked well for breakfast and lunch. I didn’t find the two high-back chairs comfortable, though; something you could lounge in and put your feet up would’ve been better, since the bed was the only real option for relaxing. The screened porch chairs were uncomfortable too, and there was nowhere to hang wet towels or swimsuits. A few hooks or a small rack would’ve helped, because we ended up draping everything over the chairs.

Amanda, Mikey, the housekeeping crew, and the kitchen staff all took great care of us this past week. Breakfast was nice, bikes were easy to get for exploring the island, and beach access came with chairs and umbrellas. We also checked out paddle boards, and a kayak was available from the sister hotel next door at no extra cost. There’s a food-serving tiki bar and Dante’s restaurant on-site, plus a screened patio that helped keep bugs away. It’s clean, quiet, convenient, and has the amenities I’d expect at a beach resort, though it shows its age, a bit like staying in a European hotel. If you want a sparkling new place or to walk quickly to downtown, this isn’t the one. It worked well for couples, and there were several families there too.

Amanda and the maintenance crew were a big part of why we enjoyed our visit. Amanda was incredibly professional and friendly, and handled every request with a smile. When a couple of small room issues came up, she sorted them out promptly and gave us a $50 gift card for the tiki bar to make up for the inconvenience. We can’t wait to return, and are grateful to Amanda and the whole team for working so hard to make our getaway enjoyable. The property is beautiful, with lovely pools, a fun tiki bar serving delicious food, a nice room, and a perfect location. The activities fee felt very reasonable for all that was included: bikes, paddle boards, towels, chairs and umbrellas, breakfast, swimming in two pools, and the hot tub, all without extra charges. We also enjoyed the screened porch, the included bottle of wine, and direct beach access.