Reservations and lodging.

I made reservations for a resort on one of the generic ';hotel'; web sites, and when I had to cancel them, they charged $25.00 and will not refund my money (over $1,000.00 ) for 30 days. When I went to the web site for the same resort in Sanibel, I could get the same deal for a lot cheaper. So, a word to the wise, use the individual resort, hotel, etc site instead of the generic hotel ones. I am rescheduling through the resort for my later vacation.

Can someone tell me what the weather usually is during the first of March?

I have never been to Sanibel before. I am looking for lodging that is on the beach and great for shelling. Due to health concerns, I need it to be close. I am considering Sundial Beach Resort. Any thoughts?

Thank you for any advice.

Reservations and lodging.

I%26#39;ve been to the Sundial a number of times and buildings A, K and E are ON the beach. Starting with L thru to T they have a good setback from the beach. If you rent thru the resort and only need 1 bedroom, and want beachfront, you%26#39;ll be in one of the buildings I listed above. All others are scattered at various angles behind or partly behind them, though some still have Gulf vies and really are a shorter walk to the beach than the L-T buildings.

Just be aware, the units aren%26#39;t all really nice. Hopefully LXR will pressure owners into doing needed upgrades. ALso, if there%26#39;s space anywhere that week take it. the big Sanibel Shell Show is the first weekend in March and the island us really busy then. March is the most popular month so booking can get tight.

Downside - there is red drift algae on and off along the beach. It may not be a problem by March as it comes and goes. It is just messy but can get smelly if it starts to decay.

Alternatives - see www.sanibel-captiva.org and www.scvrma.org for others options.

I won%26#39;t use things like Hotels.com as I have been very dissatisfied with them. Call your credit card company and put the amount in dispute.

Reservations and lodging.

Sorry about your experience with the generic hotel sites. I would definitely try one of the sites where you can rent directly from an owner or a sanibel condo rental company. Most owners deal work with a rental management company on the island and you can samples of these condos on sites like cyberrentals.com/USA/…r7712.htm

I would caution what tourmaline wrote about the Sundial units not being nice and needing updating. When you rent directly from an owner you know exactly what the condo looks like and I would have to say there are some very nice units in Sundial. By renting with the owner directly you also save on commission fees/hotel up charging.

I%26#39;m honestly sadden by all that is written about the Red Drift. We just spent 3 wonderful weeks over the holiday on the beach and can honestly say we ran into one or two days where the beach was dirty. Those days followed a rain storm where the water was kicked up violently. We had days where the water was so calm, my 3 year was swimming and people were water skiing across the waters at Sundial. It is nature. Have a wonderful trip....

Hey, thanks so much for your help. I hope I am posting this additional question in the correct place.

I am confused here--if I call Sundial Resort directly, and request a 1 br room. will I be getting a room owned by private individuals? Or will it be owned by the resort?

Also is that the best place for close and nice lodging on the beach? I am a senior citizen, but my daughter will be going with me, and I thought she would enjoy the other activities that were available. I know it costs more than most there, but I do not want to scrimp, and not be close and on the beach for the shelling. Since I have never been there, it is hard to know what to do. I believe that I had better be doing something soon, however.

And yes, the site I had the bad experience with was hotels.com. Live and learn! Thanks for any help! NashvilleShortstuff

When you book thru the Sundial Resort you get a privately owned condo that is in the resort rental program. the rental is managed like a hotel romm, but LXR does not own, decorate, or maintain the interiors of the units. You just book thru the resort rather than renting thru an agency or owner. To get all the benefits of the resort, that%26#39;s the best way, but assure you get a really nice unit, I%26#39;d go with a private owner or agency. You may sacrifice some of the resort amenities.

Sundial is a complete resort. Casa Ybel, with smaller units, is a timeshare mostly and they also have good facilities on a much smaller property. Sanibel Inn might suit.

There are many fine condos almost on the beach, but few in complexes that offer resort amenities. Those three would be where I would start. Read the reviews and see what you%26#39;re comfortable with.

Unless things have changed from four - five years ago when we were researching purchasing a condo, the situation at Sundial (and most other condo complexes) is like this:

All the units are privately owned by individuals or sometimes by a smaller entity that might own a group of units.

Owners may elect to be part of the Sundial%26#39;s rental program in which case Sundial has the exclusive rights to renting that unit. These are the units that you will stay in when booking through the resort and you will often not have a choice about the specific unit you will get when you reserve- just the type of unit (gulf view vs. garden view; one or two bedroom, etc.).

Or owners may chose to rent their units on their own with or without the aid of a local rental company. When you rent these, you can rent the specific unit.

There have been some recent posts in some other threads that you should look at about the differences in what amenities you can or cannot use if you rent from the resort or from an owner direct- I think it was the lounge chairs by the main pool that were off-limits but there may be some other restrictions.

Also check out the informative piece in the ';Inside Sanibel'; pages called ';Tips on Vacation Rentals';.

Most things are booked at this point so if you find something nice, I would take it.

Other condos close to the beach are Ocean%26#39;s Reach, Pointe Santo (our alma mater) especially A or E buildings, and Casa Ybel

When booking with an outside agency or owner you can use all five pools including the main pool. However, sometimes the main pool loungers around the pool are only for guests who book with the Sundial directly. This is not 100% enforced, but during the busier times of year, they will ask for an explorer card, which you get by booking through the resort. They do have tables and chairs set up around the main pool that you do have access to.

You have full access to the loungers and tables at any of the four smaller pools throughout the resort. Many people prefer the smaller pools as the main pool area can get very, very crowded.

You have access to the on-site children%26#39;s program for a fee. Even guests who book directly with the resort pay a fee for the program. You can also use any of the dining options on-site, instead of charging to your room, you would pay cash or credit card.

The beach equipment by the main pool is also for guests of the resort, but many private condo owners provide these in the units, or there are two agencies on Sanibel where you can rent these items from.

Daily Maid Service/Towel exchange is not included if you rent through a private owner or agency.

With all this being said, you save an significant amount of money by going outside the resort. Typically about 50%

We have stayed twice at Ocean%26#39;s Reach and liked it very much. We stayed there January 13-20 2007 and loved it. OR has a very private feel due to being down a small lane and well off any of the main roads. It is also next to a city park which adds to the feeling of seclusion. All units are Gulf front with a great beach/gulf view and just steps from the beach - Ocean%26#39;s Reach is one of the oldest condo complexes and is set closer to the beach than newer ones. After Hurricane Charley, the entire complex underwent a major renovation and it is lovely. 64 units spread over 4 buildings - 24 one-bedrms and 40 two-bedrms (I think). The complex has a pool, tennis courts, shuffleboard. The management staff is on-site during business hours and they were very nice and accommodating. When we were there earlier this month, it was mostly retired people - only one young family. I highly recommend Ocean%26#39;s Reach and totally love Sanibel.

As far as weather goes, our week in January had highs about 80 and lows in the upper 50s; I think the high temps might have been unusual for January. We stayed in April 2004 and the highs were low-to-mid 80s - can%26#39;t remember what the lows were. Probably not below 65. I would think first of March would be a great time to visit.

SWOhioLady, How was the beach?