We booked a beachfront room (#250) for our 10-year anniversary. Was reading reviews of hotels and resorts for months before choosing Silver Sands. Ultimately, it was the location that drew us in, since while we wanted someplace quiet, we also wanted to be able to go out to dinner without driving forever. The location was nice - good places to eat nearby, and only about a 10-minute drive to St. Armand's Circle. (Went to "Dry Rock Waterfront Grill" and "Old Salty Dog" and "Dolphin Cafe"). Our room was very clean and well-maintained. Our only complaint was that the bed was squeaky, and you could hear people who were in the hallways/corridors. Our room was right next to the stairs down to the beach, which was convenient, but also meant you could hear people talking as they are heading to the beach in the morning. I never heard anyone else (no noise or talking next door), but it was a little annoying that our bedroom was right next to the stairs, so we were awoken every morning by excited kids and families heading to the beach.

The pictures of this unit don't really do the view justice. The living room, dining room, and a screened outdoor patio ALL look out over the beach. Very beautiful indeed. I was also impressed with how well we were taken care of. Everything was included. Beach towels supplied, beach umbrellas available, plenty of lounge chairs down by the beach, a drying rack outside to hang your bathing suits, shampoo/conditioner/lotion and soap, dishwashing soap and sponge, Tide detergent, dishwasher soap, coffee, etc. The kitchen also was one of the better-stocked of hotel kitchens. Pans even included a nonstick small saute pan. We really had everything we needed. Housekeeping service was polite and noninvasive. If you have your "Do Not Disturb" sign on, they will leave a bag of supplies (towels, and soap replacements for everything supplied) at your door.

Overall, while I was very pleased with the resort, I don't think I'll stay here again. The beach itself at Longboat Key is not as nice as Anna Maria Island or some of the other local beaches. Tons of dried seaweed along the shoreline, and sand is a little coarser than the powder you find on other Sarasota beaches. I also felt that while other units may be more appropriately priced, our unit was too expensive for what we got. The price seemed tolerable until you factored in the $50/night resort and other fees.

We had a consistently bad experience at this hotel (to be fair, ownership has attempted to make up for it after the fact). However...First, they directed the local baby equipment rental to deliver our equipment to the wrong room, so we did not have a crib on night 1. The bed was truly the worst I have ever slept on, and that is saying something. Worse, the bedroom caused all of us to have a severe allergic reaction, so we ended up sleeping on the pullout in the other room. The garb-a-rator in the sink didn't work and leaked sludge into the cabinet. The shower door did not work. When we asked for support for these issues from the manager on duty the response was neither speedy nor effective. Lastly, our room shared a connecting door with the room next door, and the noise was unbearable -- they might as well have been in bed with us.

As mentioned above, the hotel (mainly senior management) has made attempts to compensate us for our troubles: they sent us a gift card and a credit for 3 days on a future stay (which, of course, will never occur). I would also add that the otherwise useless day manager got us our first night free for screwing up the baby equipment delivery.

However, they still charged us roughly $2000 for a week in a noisy, poorly maintained room that made us all ill. Despite management's late efforts to make up for the chronic issues, this still constitutes a ripoff and a poor option for stays in beautiful Longboat Key. I would strongly advise prospective visitors to find alternate accomodations.

My family and I were going to a beach wedding in Bradenton and wanted to be able to stay somewhere nearby on the beach for the night. Everything was booked in Bradenton so I chose this resort last minute even though I thought the price was a bit high. We were VERY pleased with everything! The kids enjoyed having their choice of going to the pool or the beach which both were just steps away from our room. We booked a 2 bedroom, which was well furnished, beautiful, very clean, and spacious. The office staff was very friendly and laid back. I would definitely stay here again, the price was worth every penny.

We had booked the hotel from....in Siesta Key and had to get out. We have spent many years vacationing on LBK and went back to what we knew. My husband found Silver Sands by driving around looking and we lucked out. I cant tell you how happy I am to be here. We have the first floor north corner room that looks out at pool and gulf. It has an attached room for our young teen girls with its own bathroom, kitchenette, TV and queen bed. They ended bringing in a king bed for us. The decorum is very updated and tropical. Staff is very nice and accommodating. For those who are not familiar with LBK unlike Siesta Key, it Did very laid back and low key. Great for those who Just want relaxation and sun. St. Armands is just a short drive. Will be back.