My wife and I spent 3 days at this beautiful hotel. We had some absolutely wonderful experiences and some constructive criticism. First the good - the rooms are extremely nice, with a view overlooking the river, beds were very comfortable, bathrooms perfect. I travel all over the world, and we have stayed in some 5 and 6 star resorts, and this would rate about a 4. The staff couldn't have been nicer, all the way from the cleaners to the front desk. The food was really good, and the best that we had in Crystal River (more rating on other restaurants will be given). She-crab-soup was delicious. We both had the salmon special which was extremely well prepared and wonderful. Unfortunately, the spa is closed Sundays and Mondays. My wife would have like to take advantage while I golfed, since the weather was quite cold.

The Manatee Swim was a great experience, the dive shop at the Plantation is friendly and thoughtful, and our guide, Captain Paul couldn't have been more knowledgeable and intuitive to our individual needs. We had a fantastic experience and a lot of fun, especially when Captain Paul did his best imitation of an Italian Captain (inside joke - have to ask him).

The golf course was OK, not spectacular, but decent. Greens were in great shape, and fairways kept up very well. Just not an incredible layout, but enjoyed it anyway.

Now the criticisms: If you want to be considered as a destination, I believe that WiFi should be an automatic. Having to pay for ATT Wireless is a complete rip-off and extremely expensive, especially for people like my wife and I who travel with iPhones, iPads, etc. Each device gets charged per day. Plantation - take a note - WiFi is cheap - put it in, or don't expect return visits. We stayed at a cheapo hotel on the way to Florida, and it offered free WiFi. Also, without any other entertainment, an opportunity to rent a movie would have been nice.

Dive shop - your guide to preparing us was horrible. We didn't have a place to store our clothes and valuables that was secure, (they have lockers, with no locks) which meant we brought our clothes and valuables with us on the boat, and had no dry location - everything was wet. My expensive iPhone was OK, but could have been a problem. Tell people to bring a waterproof bag with them for their valuables and clothes, and tell them to bring extra towels. Also, a waterproof camera is a must. One last thing, when you put a wet-suit on, the zipper goes in back - something else that the dive shop could have informed us on, after all we are novices.

Had an excellent time with my co-workers on our annual managers retreat. Staff were friendly and rooms were new and clean. The bed was very comfortable, and the temps were just right for sleeping with the windows open to enjoy Florida air.

The food was good, but not great. They provided us with to-go lunches one day that were pretty lousy.

All in all, I would return.

Spent two days at the Plantation on Crystal River. We had a fantastic experience....swimming with the manatees, playing golf, and kayaking on the river. The newly renovated hotel was perfect. Our room was graciously decorated and nicely appointed. The hotel's staff was friendly and helpful. The food was spectacular. We highly recommend the Plantation.

My wife and I spent 5 days at this lovely hotel - the property is right on Kings Bay and the marina provides boats or kayaks that take you straight to the manatees. The staff was very friendly and helpful - they all went out of their way to make sure our stay was a great one, including suggesting multiple activities in the area. Our room had a patio that opened up into the lawn and looked out at the water. Super clean and comfortable. Tons to do in the area and fairly close to both Tampa and Orlando. We are very happy we decided to vacation at the Plantation.