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GUEST REVIEWS
Expedia Guest Rating
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
TripAdvisor provides an assessment of hotel quality based on more than 60 million reviews & opinions from real travellers. The traveller rating represents an average of individual ratings for this hotel.
See all #### TripAdvisor ReviewsRooms & Rates
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Property Amenities
Four miles from downtown Sarasota, this casual Lido Beach resort is across the street from South Lido Park nature trails and one mile from the upscale shops and restaurants of St. Armands Circle.
Situated on 600-feet of private white-sand beach, The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel offers complimentary beach chairs, and volleyball and shuffleboard courts. Beach cabanas are also available (surcharge.) Guests can rent kayaks, personal watercraft, small sailboats, and bicycles. Also on site are a complimentary fitness center, two outdoor pools, and a game room.
American fare is served in a coffee shop, dinner restaurant, and a sidewalk café. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres are served nightly at the pool bar.
Business services are provided at the front desk. Wireless Internet access is complimentary throughout the property.
The hotel has seven buildings, one-four stories high, all with exterior-corridor access. One- and two-story buildings do not have elevators.
Room Amenities
Rooms
Guestrooms at The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel span seven buildings, one-four stories high. Views are of the pools or the Gulf of Mexico. All rooms include complimentary wireless Internet access, phones with voice mail, and complimentary newspapers. TVs come with HBO channels. Compact refrigerators and safes are additional conveniences.
Bathrooms have shower/tub combinations or showers only, interior and/or exterior vanities, and makeup/shaving mirrors. A sitting area with two upholstered chairs is included.
Dining
Sandcastle Coffee Shop - Off the pool area. Indoor and outdoor dining. Casual American fare. Breakfast and lunch.
Candlelight Restaurant and Lounge - Seafood, steak, and other American cuisine. Dinner. Lounge open from early afternoon to late evening.
Floridian Sidewalk Café - Open-air dining. Casual American fare. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Sandcastle Pool Bar - Light fare and cocktails. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres, 4 PM–6 PM. Open mid-morning to dusk (weather permitting).
Room service - Available from early morning to late evening.
Recreation
Recreational activities are centered on the resort's 600-foot private beach. Favorite pastimes include swimming in the Gulf of Mexico or enjoying a game of volleyball on the white sand. Available for rent are personal watercraft, kayaks, small sailboats, and bicycles. Use of beach chairs is complimentary. The hotel also provides beach cabanas for a surcharge.
In the courtyard are two outdoor pools with lounge chairs and a sundeck. The complimentary fitness center includes a treadmill, stair machine, stationary bike, and free weights. A video-game arcade shares space with the guest laundry.
Across the street, the Gulf of Mexico, Sarasota Bay, Big Pass, and Brushy Bayou border South Lido Park. Activities include bird watching, scenic outlooks, nearby running trails, and canoe and nature trails. Bobby Jones Golf Club, 8.5 miles from the resort, is open to the public.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the hotel; fees may apply.
Showing 1 - 10 results (of 283) · See more The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel reviews
out of 283 reviews
“Great resort”
I was delightedly surprised by how charming we found the Helmsley- After reading some remarks regarding the "tiredness" of the hotel, I was hesitant to commit That said, it is very difficult to find at least adequate, if not quality accommodations for under a week's stay. The choices (in my opinion) are either on the "dump" side, or demand prices similar to the Ritz. We liked the Helmsley in particular due to it's location and it's convenient/gorgeous layout.......I am an avid swimmer & was delighted with the lap length pool; early am swims were super the pool was surprisingly empty..... Very close to pool is the tropical hang loose tiki bar for drinks/ casual food, and equally close is the casual outdoor dining area as well as indoor dining.......We thought the food was terrific and very reasonably priced......... I agree with others that the rooms were tired and small, not surpassing (again in my opinion) more than an "adequate" rating..... The room, however, was not a high priority to us as we spent very little time there; for those who like spacious and state of the art tech stuff, you wouldn't be happy To wrap it up I'd say the Helmsley has been the BEST value we've experienced over the years.
“Perfect!”
Great location. Super friendly and helpful staff. Charming 'old Florida atmosphere'. I counted 35 steps from my room to the sand. The beach was perfect - nearby beaches were packed with people but the Sandcastle's beach was private and tranquil. Complimentary towels and chairs are a nice touch, too.
“Looking forward to returning!”
The building looks old, but it is one of the cleanest hotel we have ever stayed in. The staff was very nice & always greeted us with a smile. Our view of the gulf from our room was breath taking! We would book here again for sure! It had an older TV and the bed was bit uncomfortable for my husband, but it would not defer us from a return trip!
“great hotel”
Me and my wife went here for our honeymoon and absolutely loved it there. We can't wait to go back. The service was great, rooms where clean, and was in the perfect location. Would recommend to anyone and will defiantly go back!
“A nice, friendly, pretty quiet and reasonably priced place TO UNWIND :)”
This place is very clean, friendly, unpretentious but reasonable! The location is superb!
“awesome”
excellent location and accomodations. friendly, helpful staff, clean and comfortable. very family friendly, great for all ages. the beach is just outside your door, great views.
“Right on the Beach”
It was a nice place to stay. It is right on the beach. The breakfast buffet was great. The staff was friendly and helpful. I would love to go back.
“Love the location of the hotel. Near St Armand's”
Would've liked a different location for our room. Not poolside. Didn't appear to be an option when the reservations were made. However, the last 2 years we were blessed with an outside room.
“Relaxing trip”
We had a very nice time in Sarasota. The beach was beautiful and the hotel was nice. Our room had a leak in the bathroom from the room over us. Maintenance had to come twice to get it fixed but they came quickly both times we called them. The staff was very nice and very quick to answer our calls. The hotel is near St. Armands Circle where there are plenty of restaurants and shops.
“On the beach and great facilities”
We get consistently good service and facilities at the Helmsley. It isn't the height of luxury but it strikes a good balance between cost and location/facilities etc. They have their own section of beach, a deck if you want to watch the sea without getting your feet sandy and good pools and pool bar. The little gift shop at the hotel is good too. Beds are comfortable and the breakfast is good value. The only things we think fall short here are the lack of wi-fi (coming soon) and the bathrooms could be bigger - but it's not a major problem.
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:
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Showing 1 - 10 results (of 283) · See more The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel reviews
The preferred airport for The Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel is Sarasota, FL (SRQ-Sarasota-Bradenton Intl.) - 9.4 km / 5.8 mi.
Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property's location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometre.
