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Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel, Sarasota

1540 Ben Franklin Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236
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Hotel Description

Sun. Sand. Swaying Palm Trees. And Great Service, Too. The Helmsley Sandcastle located on Lido Beach in Sarasota has a relaxing sunny resort flavor, with a storybook seaside setting on a 600 foot strand of private, natural white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors will be treated to thoughtful Helmsley ... More
Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel
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Description

Sun. Sand. Swaying Palm Trees. And Great Service, Too. The Helmsley Sandcastle located on Lido Beach in Sarasota has a relaxing sunny resort flavor, with a storybook seaside setting on a 600 foot strand of private, natural white sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors will be treated to thoughtful Helmsley touches, such as a morning newspaper and a small refrigerator for chilling beverages and snacks. Free Wi-Fi is also available throughout the property. The pleasures of outdoor dining for both breakfast and lunch are virtually right outside your door. The recreation staff can provide personalized sailing lessons. There's a convenient gift shop on premises and the hotel is within easy walking distance of popular St. Armands Circle, with its fine shopping and entertainment attractions. Amenities include complimentary daily morning newspaper, two heated pools, 600 ft. of private beach, golf and tennis nearby, the Candlelight dining room and lounge, handicap facilities, shuffleboard, volleyball and ping pong, cabana, umbrellas, and bicycle rentals, complimentary beach loungers, and complimentary in room safe. Meeting facilities for groups to 225, banquets to 160, and a business center are available.

Amenities

Air Conditioning (In Room)Newspaper (Free)Refrigerator
IronTelephoneTelevision (Cable/Satellite)
Non-Smoking RoomsTelevisionDaily Maid Service
In Room Broadband Internet AccessIn Room Broadband Internet Access FeeSafe (In Room)
Coffee MakerTelephone (Voicemail)Balcony/Terrace

Hotel Details

179 Rooms / 4 FloorsBuilt in 1960Electronic Key
Laundry/ Dry Cleaning ServiceMulti-lingual StaffCommon Area High speed Access
Smoke Alarm in RoomsPhotocopy ServiceMeeting Facilities
Computer Use AvailableChildrens ProgramsAdministrative Services
Uniformed Security on SiteCommon/Public Areas Accessible to WheelchairsCommon Area High speed Access Fee Ind
A-V Equipment RentalParking Area Well LitFax (For Guests)
Complementary CoffeeCommon Area Wireless AccessGift Shop
ATM/BankLaundry RoomRoom Service
Restaurant in HotelBeachGame Room
Pool (Outdoor)Boating/SailingBicycling
 
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Yahoo! User Reviews

Reviews for Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel: 22
 
 
 
 
 
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Helmsley sandcastle hotel Sarasota fl
By yahoo user, 10/13/11
The Gulf water front room that we had was the highlight of this hotel. The entire resort needs a complete makeover and is very dated. Furniture. The beds are like rocks and the bedding is cheap with holes in the blankets. The towels are fresh and nice, clean. I have to compliment the dining staff, house keeping and the beach / pool staff they were all wonderful. The Front desk staff were not accomodating and did not seem to care about customer satisfaction. The views were spectacular I had a Gulf view room and loved it. The room was on the first floor and had a door leading to the beach and a little patio area. The food was just ok and the dinner menu very expensive. Only ate breakfast and lunch there Breakfast was always good. The dining area staff were excellent and very friendly.
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save your money
By Frank, 10/1/11
we loved the beach . the pools were old not clean. the rooms were old and hard to keep clean. the outside bar was old and falling apart very messy. the buffet breakfast was poor maybe 7 items. the walkways were coming apart. dinner was almost uneatable. beautiful location take it down and put up a new resort. took my whole family there and after the first night almost checked out. i'm no snob but i expect alot more for over 200.00 per night. take my advice save your money.
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Patchwork quilt of a hotel--Enjoyed it!
By Meg, 7/31/11
Part built in the 40's, part in the 50's, 70's and one in 2000, it has a sort of interesting ambiance spread out wherever there was a spot to build on. If you like ultra modern high-rise chrome and fancy, stay away, but if you like clean, quiet, comfortable (beds were great with 1000 count sheets) convenient to kayaking, shopping at St. Armands, nice staff, great views, stay here in one of the Gulf front rooms. The tallest building is only 4 stories, and we requested and got no higher than 2nd floor and were steps from the great beach there. . You don't want to wind up with your view into the parking garage, though, in one of the lower priced rooms. Nice pool, good breakfast buffet. Summer rates were good--as good as St. Armands gets. We will go back there. Oh, there is that smell that all older tropical hotels have--mix of a little mold or mildew and maybe a little beach and maybe a little age. We're Floridians and used to it. BUT, it's clean.
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Great Place
By Gloria, 3/9/10
My husband and I were there for a week.. Rooms were very clean and staff very friendly. Will stay here again when we visit Sarasota.
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1 of 2 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
 
 
 
 
 
Great Time
By Brewer, 10/13/09
Per the other reviews...this is an older hotel, but so are the other hotels in the area. However, it is very clean and the pool and beach are excellent. The staff is amazing--very polite and helpful. Some of the best service I've experienced on vacations. The food is expensive--its good, but you should go out to eat for a larger selection and deal. The people in Sarasota are very friendly--it was a great time for all the people in my group. I will return to Sarasota and would book the hotel again. From listening to others at the hotel--a good number of people return to this place and I understand why. Again--the place has good prices on the rooms, a fridge is standard, nice pool side bar, great pools, and just offers an overall good value. Close to the circle but far enough away from the public beach that you dont have to fight crowds. Nice gift shop with good prices and supplies you need to enjoy your stay.
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4 of 4 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
 
 
 
 
 
great place to go!
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 4/14/09
The location was great we had a balcony overlooking the beach,great scenery. The service was great everywhere we went. I didn't care for the screen doors in the room. The place could use a little face lift,seemed to be a older hotel. Was very clean.Would go back again.
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5 of 5 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
 
 
 
 
 
you get what you pay for
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 1/9/09
enough said I would not go back beach is worth going to
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0 of 2 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
 
 
 
 
 
Great. We loved it.
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 5/2/08
We were a little apprehensive about the hotel after reading some of the reviews. However after our stay we loved this place. The staff was very nice. The maid service was excellent. The restaurant was good. We even decided to stay another day. The beach was great. The sun-sets over the Gulf of Mexico were spectacular. Makes you appreciate Jehovah God's creation. We WILL be coming back. We were there in April 2008. Thanks for the staff.
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4 of 6 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
 
 
 
 
 
Still my favorite!
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 2/22/08
If you are looking for hyper chic, vaguely snobby, and ecstatic night life, this isn't the place. But for a carefree, friendly, well-rounded and affordable tropical experience, the place cannot be beat. Laid-back atmosphere, friendly staff, clean, close to St. Armand's Circle.
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4 of 4 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
 
 
 
 
 
Beautiful Beachfront Location, So So Rooms
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 11/13/07
We just stayed at the Sandcastle over Veterans Day weekend. Loved the location and the property situated perfectly on the beach. Had 2 beautiful pools with nice paver patio. One pool heated, one not heated. Nice Tiki bar and gift shop. The hotel has sailboats, kayaks and aqua bikes for rent. The lobby looks nice, clean and impressive, but once you enter the guest room, it is a little outdated, shabby, stuck in the 70s, but clean. It was surprising compared to the lobby. You can be in the pool one minute and steps away from the beach the next minute. Lots of pool chairs and umbrella tables. Food was great by the pool. Could order food at the bar if you want a casual burger or buffalo fingers at the bar or poolside. Breakfast pretty good at the outdoor dining area. Kids loved it, nothing to complain about. Fantastic place at a good price, if you are not too concerned about the decor in the room and want to spend time on the beautiful property outside, which is why most go to a beachfront hotel anyway.
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9 of 10 Yahoo! Users found this review helpful
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More about Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel

The-Helmsley-Sandcastle
Set on 600 feet of private, white-sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico and only minutes from the upscale St. Armands Circle, this ... More
ForbesTraveler.com
The Helmsley Sandcastle
Set on 600 feet of private, white-sand beach on the Gulf of Mexico and only minutes from the upscale St. Armands Circle, this ... More
ForbesTraveler.com
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Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel
1540 Ben Franklin Dr, Sarasota, FL 34236
 
 
 
 
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