The Helmsley Sandcastle - Sarasota, USA 

We spent two fabulous weeks at the Helmsley Sandcastle in June 2008 and we cannot rate the experience highly enough. Firstly, the hotel is located on its own private beach, so you quite literally step from the hotel straight onto the beach. We upgraded to a Gulf View room as soon as we arrived and would recommend this as the views, particularly the sunsets are quite stunning. The room although a little bit dated was a good size and kept very clean. The staff could not have been more friendly or helpful We ate breakfast at the hotel most mornings and had some meals in the restaurant all of which were good quality and value. The hotel was just over a mile from St Armands Circle, where you could walk to by going along the beach. However for the times where we didn't feel like walking or taking the car, the hotel provided courtesy transport there and back. We used this a few times and found it to be an excellent service. We will definitely go back to the Helmsley at our first opportunity.

Interpreting these reviews is sometimes difficult so having prepaid for a week I just hoped for the best. On arrival the reception staff were exactly as you would wish ; both friendly and efficient. They whisked our cases away to our room while we parked the car. The room itself ( overlooking the pool) was typical American Mid-range which to my European eye looks a bit dated. It was comfortable ,clean and looked as if it had been redecorated and carpeted within the year. The bathroom had been poorly treated by previous guests and needed replacement but everything worked! The location is superb and safe. Next time I'll go for the Sea view - It's worth the extra IMHO just for the Sunset views from the balcony. Beach access , pool , restaurants are all to hand although Wifi Internet Access is limited to the Lobby Area and caused me some problems. The Wifi needs to be improved because many of us on vacation still have "confidential" work to be done. The great surprise was the quality of the food. We found this to be superior to the pretentious establishments in St Armands Circle and again the Staff were friendly and eager to please. Overall we were more than happy with our stay and would be happy to return. For us it was a great value for money break hence my rating.