I was apprehensive about this property, as it was the only one left to choose anywhere near water by the time we made our reservations. What an unexpected surprise to find out how nice it is! The room (we had room 1402 in the Azalea building, a two room unit) far exceeded our expectations. It was spacious and beautifully remodeled. The master bathroom had a big soaking tub as well as a shower, and the guest room had a combination tub and shower. There were three flat screen televisions, so everyone could watch something different if they chose. The only negatives are that this property is not anywhere close to the beach (a 10 minute drive to the closest one) and that there is no television schedule available. The concierge informed me that it's because they have both HBO and Cinnemax combined, so they can't get a schedule, which seemed kind of odd to me, but it was only a minor inconvenience on the one rainy day we had there. The one addiitonal negative is that this property does not have a hospitality suite in which to shower and change if you have a late flight. Every other property we have stayed at has had one, so it was a bit of a shock, and in addition, the restrooms by the pool do not have a warm water indoor shower, only the cold ones beside the pool, so there is no way to actually get cleaned up if you spend your day by the beach or pool.
This property has a wonderful, kid friendly pool, and the whole place is immaculately maintained. Every single person at the property was very friendly and helpful. We rented bikes one day at the recreation center, which was a nice option to have. The property provides wonderful towels for the pool, so you don't need to bother taking those with you. there is a little store at the main office for things you absolutely have to have, but the grocery and pharmacy are only 5 minutes away. The main office does have DVDs, and there is also movie rental at the grocery. The beaches, once you get there, are beautiful. We were there October 14th-22nd, and it was not crowded at all and very clean. There is no snorkeling or diving to speak of (no coral reefs), so don't waste your money on equipment for that. We rented a pontoon boat at Flippers at St. Andrews Park, and took a whole day over at Shell Island. Nice to have your own boat, so you can bring food and enough to be comfortable all day at the island, as there are no amenities there. Take the short hike to the other side of the island to be on the gulf side, it's much nicer than the lagoon side, which is kind of stagnant smelling. there were THOUSANDS of jellyfish on the lagoon side. we swam anyway, and found quite a few sand dollars and empty shells.
There is a long pier to walk out onto in front of the Wyndam right next door. Golf was very good, we played both courses at the property. There is a great spa (Serenity Spa), also at the Wyndam next door. If you schedule a massage or other treatment, allow plenty of time to enjoy the steam room, whirlpool and relaxation area. The women's and men's side are separate. Overall, this was one of the nicest Mariott properties we have stayed at, and we would most definitely come back.
Room Tip: the trees are very high, so if you want a lagoon view (no ocean view available) ask for floor 4 and...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC