This was our second visit to the Tradewinds Resort and it was just as great
as the first.I think the property looks every bit as good as the pictures.
The staff keeps the rooms and grounds immaculate,and they are so friendly.
As a matter of fact,we could not believe how friendly everyone we met on the
island was.Must be something in the water.
On the first day there,David,the president of Tradewinds showed us his restaurant
in progress at the Tortuga Inn (Tradewinds sister resort a couple of properties to
the south) It is going to be called "Le Petite Cafe by Island Creperies"
Island Creperies is a popular french restaurant on Bridge Street.They are also
going to have wine and beer etc.for take-out.They will also deliver to your room
at Tradewinds.David said they should be open in about a month.
On the third day we jumped on the free trolley to go bar-hopping.We knew all the
names of the places we wanted to go by reading the Anna Maria Island forum on
this site,but we didnt know where they were.The nice lady driving the trolley let us
know where to get off and which way to walk.It was never a long walk,lots of stops
along the route.Our three favorites were the Tiki Hut on the beach at Gulf Drive Cafe,
(A very short walk from Tradewinds) The Anchor Inn,and the Drift Inn,(friendly locals).
The rest of the time we hung out at the beach and the heated pool during the day.
We cooked breakfast every morning,and ate out at some great places for dinner.
Our one regret is that we have about 15 years before we can retire and move to this
beautiful island "sigh"
But we will be coming back yearly until then.

My family's recent stay at Tradewinds Resort on Anna Maria Island was one of the highlights of our entire vacation to Florida. Tradewinds' brightly painted pastel cottages along with the beautifully manicured landscape and grounds made us feel as though we were stepping back in time. At the same time, our spotlessly clean, well-appointed cottage anticipated our every need, providing every convenience whether we were spending time inside or heading to the beach. Moreover, Tradewinds' unique location provides access to a beautiful private beach as well as a pool and pier overlooking Sarasota Bay.

In addition to being terrific hosts, the owners of Tradewinds Resort are active participants in the community. I know this, because I purchased our two-night guest package provided by Tradewinds in a silent auction for the American Cancer Society's Race For the Cure.

My only regret is that we did not stay longer.

My husband and I had visited Anna Maria Island for the first time this past May and fell in love with it. In May, we stayed at The Tortuga Resort, which is just a few doors down from Tradewinds. We decided to try Tradewinds during this visit, because the location was great, the cottages looked well maintained, and the price was right.

We were not disappointed. The cottages are not exactly luxurious, but they are cute, clean, and far more spacious than a hotel room. There is a shared verandah, which is nice as long as it doesn't rain, a small kitchen, small living room/dining room area, large bedroom, huge closet, and an average bathroom. Our one suggestion is to bring your own pillow - ours were incredibly lumpy.
There is little view of the bay from the cottages and no view of the Gulf; however, there is a building at the end of the complex that provides lovely bay views from the rooms.

The beach is across the street and is absolutely gorgeous. We didn't see any manatee this visit, as we had in May, but we did see several dolphin each day. This is truly one of our favorite spots. The pool is a bit small (felt crowded if there were more than 4 people in it), but it was very nice and is right on the bay.

The staff at the resort was a rather hit-or-miss, ranging from outstanding and happy, to abrupt and a bit depressed. Generally, we were the ones that did the greeting when it came to maids, maintenance people, and others that worked in and around the cottages, which we found a bit odd. The folks in the office gave us some great dinner recommendations and the girls at check-out were wonderful! Though they needed us out of our cottage at 11:00 on our day of departure, we were able to use the pool and keep our bags at the front office. There was not a room for us to change in, however, so we had to use the bathroom by the pool - not a big deal.

We enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning to Anna Maria Island very soon!

Was only here for 1 day because the reservation that was made got mixed up so we got put in the wrong location. Despite that the place was lovely in my eyes. Very peaceful, next to the beach and a very relaxing atmosphere. I am hoping that I can go back here again and I think anyone that books this place will be satisfied if you are looking for a relaxing get away.