Our Testimonials

A Sunny Return We returned to The Island Inn for our first visit since Hurricane Ian and was heartened to see construction underway and Sanibel rebounding. We had a beautiful ocean-view room for six nights in the Matthews Lodge, which was extremely quiet and included a screened in balcony patio and a fully equipped kitchen. The staff was very attentive and friendly. We encourage you to support this historic property.

as close to perfect as it could be Best hotel ever. Amazing staff. Beautiful views. Steps away from the ocean with ocean views from the room. We couldn't be more impressed.

Simply perfect We could not have met our 8 day stay, which we could enjoy until the turn of the year in this wonderful aparthotel, better. Even booking by phone from Germany was totally uncomplicated, and we were advised calmly, competently and friendly in every respect by Ken. The spacious room with a fully equipped kitchen is practically right on the beach so we could enjoy breakfast every morning on the large balcony overlooking the sea and the sound of the waves. This was totally quiet and few people could be seen walking on the beach. It couldn't be better. The sleeping area could be separated by sliding doors and also in the bathroom different areas could be separated. By the way, the building was the only one in the whole area (as we were told) that survived the last major hurricane almost unscathed because it was built in the highest hurricane category (No. 5). Accordingly, you can feel safe there at any time. Shopping facilities such as supermarkets and other small shops are easily accessible in a few minutes by car. Many excursion destinations such as Captiva, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach are also easily accessible by car. Despite the holiday season, traffic was limited and there were no parking problems. Southwest Florida International Airport was also within 45 minutes. During our next Sanibel stay we will definitely spend our holiday in this beautiful aparthotel again.

Remarkable this my first time coming back here since Hurricane Ian and I have to tell you the folks at Island Inn have really outdone themselves. the rooms are very spacious and include a full kitchen everything you need to make a meal is provided, and, plates and so forth. the only thing I dint like was the coffee maker is very old, it needs an upgrade. it has a very large balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. and the sunrises and sunsets here are spectacular. please do bring bug spay and the feisty mosquitos come out. they provide housekeeping services but only if you request it. they rent bicycles and kayacs. the front office staff is very knowledgeable about Sanibel and can provide any information, they provide a list of places that are open for business. they also have laundry facilities on site for the guest. if you've never been to Sanibel Island it must be on the top of your bucket list and definitely I highly recommend you stay at Island Inn.

Great Beach, spacious rooms, lovely place to be. What an amazing place to stay. I wish we were there for longer to better enjoy all the amenities. The hotel is really a series of little suites. There is a full kitchen, a living room area, and a bedroom area. Spacious and lovely. Plus there is a screened porch area where you can be cooked by a fan and watch the ocean. There are hammocks, beach chairs, and umbrellas ready for guests. We did do this but there were paddleboards and kanaks to rent. But what we spent our time on was shelling. This has an amazing Sanibel beach access to terrific shelling. We didn’t even hit a low tide which better but still came home with 40 shells of various types. Even meet friendly people while shelling. You could cook at your room, but you are only a few minutes by car to a lot of restaurants. The hotel provides you with information about what is open and closed as well. Good people and a great place. Several people we meet come here every year and that says a lot. Oh, and they even provide a shell cleaning tub.

You MUST try the Island Inn at Sanibel--you won't be disappointed-!! This was our first time staying at the Island Inn at Sanibel. Everything exceeded our expectations! From the beginning, we spoke with Ken and then we were greeted by him upon our arrival. So welcoming, warm and knowledgeable about things to do and places to visit. We stayed in the Matthews Lodge Gulfview Luxury Suite of the Inn and our suite was AWESOME. The private beach had chairs, umbrellas, grills, cornhole and yes--PRIVACY. Perhaps it was the time of year (Sept 12-14), but there were no crowds and quiet surroundings. We are traveling construction superintendents working in Venice FL, just less than 2 hours from Sanibel. We hope to visit again before our work sends us to another place.

Excellent Experience! Absolutely loved the Island Inn. The front desk team was exceptional from check-in to check-out and even provided a helpful folder with all the information needed.

The room was spotless and well-equipped with everything you could ask for - living room area, full kitchen, two TVs, balcony, and more. A big plus: no fee for umbrellas and chairs at the beach! While there isn't a restaurant or pool on site, they do have grills and it's just a short trip to grocery stores and plenty of nearby restaurants.

What a wonderful stay - highly recommend!

Enjoy

A “MUST” stay!! We LOVE Island Inn! Ken and Glory and so welcoming. This is our second time returning. The units are right on the beach and have everything you would ever want. We rented bikes and paddle boards and had so much fun. The screened in porches are so lovely and the view is amazing. Wonderful shelling right outside; as well as free beach chairs and umbrellas. Highly recommend! We will be back!

Amazing Anniversary Getaway We had an incredible stay at the Island Inn for our anniversary, and we can’t say enough about how wonderful this place is. Ken and the entire staff went above and beyond to make our trip truly special, and their kindness and attention to detail made us feel right at home.

The rooms were very comfortable with breathtaking beach views, and the hotel provided so many thoughtful free amenities—like beach chairs and umbrellas—that made our days by the ocean even better. The screened porch was perfect for relaxing (citronella candles from the store were a lifesaver for the no-see-ums), and we loved how welcoming and friendly everyone was throughout our stay.

Even with parts of the property still being rebuilt, the Island Inn already feels like a slice of paradise. We can’t wait to see it fully restored and will definitely be making all of our future Sanibel stays here. Highly recommend this gem to anyone visiting the island!

Island Inn overnight stay We had such a great time! The condo was beautiful and very clean. I would highly recommend. Dinner at Doc Fords was an added bonus to a great day!

Amazing Inn at Sanibel Third time staying in Sanibel.
This hotel (or Inn) is amazing. Staff was very friendly and helpful.
The room is amazing. Huge space, nice kitchen and supplies, balcony with a lot of chairs and table to sit and relax.
King size bed was great and bathroom has 2 sinks - identical as photos.
They offer 1 covered parking spot (in the summer or raining season, this make a difference).
The Inn is right at the beach, in a private and nice place at Sanibel - away from the public beach area. My wife loved shelling in peace and found several shells to her collection.
They offer chairs/umbrella at no cost. And bikes for rentals.
Cleaning staff was great and service everyday.
I stayed in Matthews Lodge Luxury suites. They offer the Starky Lodge studios too, but is smaller (but has 2 queen beds).

Amazing! We stayed in a beachfront cottage and it was incredible! Cottage was clean and kitchen well stocked with dishes and papertowels. The beds are not the best, but they are clean and serve the purpose. There was one bedroom, 2 bathrooms, living area(with pullout) and a screened porch in addition to a full kitchen. After staying here, I don’t know how we will ever go back to the beach resorts on the emerald coast!

Waterfront stay near Ding Darling We had a terrific time. The cottage was in great condition and very clean. The staff that came by each day for cleaning were very polite and friendly. The staff for breakfast and at dinner were all very welcoming and friendly.
One of the staff members shared how well they were treated by management, and we felt happy to hear that. It was a great location, and loved the privacy of a cottage.

Great stay at a great hotel We initially were worried about not staying in a franchise hotel but as soon as we pulled up our first impression took those worries away. We booked a room with a view of the gulf and it did not disappoint. The staff was the friendly room was updated and clean... The food in the restaurant and the wait staff was terrific. They had a live piano player and singer that was a nice touch. The free continental breakfast was more like a full breakfast because they did have eggs. The beach was very quiet... not very many people on it. The beach chairs are included but umbrellas are a fee. The water was not clear or blue... it is a light brown. The beach sand is white with lots of shells to search through and bring home as a souvenir. Definitely, recommend this hotel and will be back to visit someday. More

Excellent Choice! I'm so glad we chose the Island Inn for our stay in Sanibel Island. The accommodations were beautiful, clean, and updated! We had a beautiful screened in porch that looked out onto the serene waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The staff was very helpful and they even sent us a bottle of champagne since we were celebrating our anniversary. It was a short walk to the beach, a lovely pool and bikes to rent to take advantage of all the bike trails on the island. I would highly recommend Island Inn!

Wonderful Hotel! We had a splendid time at the island in in Sanibel Island our unit was facing the beach and they included a welcome drink as well as a wonderful continental breakfast. The room was clean brand spanking new large and very enjoyable. Would highly recommend

Nice and Relaxing Very nice place, close to the beach, the swimming pool area is not that big, but nice. The Matthew cottage has big rooms with a good kitchen and separate bedroom. The included breakfast is not so good, is’t mostly bread and cake.

5 star stay on all points We loved our stay at the Island Inn, the resort is smaller and never seems over crowded. The service we received from all team members was outstanding, from check-in, dinning to the handyman & maids. Everyone was so helpful and always with a smile. Our cottage was so clean I was shocked no sand and it sat on the beach. Each day we returned to a spotless cottage. We will return.

Wonderful Beach Stay My friend and I visited last week for a 2 night stay. I have been coming to Sanibel since I was a kid, and love to return whenever possible. We booked one night and ended up in the Kimball Lodge. Rooms were very comfortable and clean, and we had a walk out right to the beach with a screened in porch. We liked it so much we decided to stay a second night, and were moved to Matthews, which is all newly built. We had a king suite with living room, huge kitchen, and a massive screened in porch overlooking the beach. The pool is amazing, as it is cooled in the summer to a refreshing temperature. Service was great, and they recommended a really good lunch spot. We rented bikes and enjoyed riding around Sanibel for a few hours. I cannot say enough good things about this place, and we will definitely be returning. Off season is great! More

Excellent Service My wife and I stayed for a 2 night getaway. We travel frequently and work in the hospitality industry (Hotel Management).
Location was great, right on the beach, and service was excellent!
Rooms had a “Island cottage” feel with modern kitchen and bath. Spacious for 2 people with a good size screened in balcony overlooking the ocean.
Beach walk with hotel organized Naturalist was great and strongly recommend if you are looking for shelling and learn more about the local wildlife.
Breakfast was included. Even if basic Continental, a good start to your day.
We brought our own bicycles but they do have bike rental available.

Adult paradise! The Island Inn completely surpassed all of my expectations! Check in was seamless, with Ken providing us a slew of wonderful information - I felt like we were checking into luxury day camp! The new suites in the Matthew Lodge were incredible. There was tons of space and the screened porch overlooking the gulf was absolutely perfect. We heard hardly any sounds the entire time we were there, making for a very relaxing vacation. The grounds of the resort are well maintained, and every staff person we encountered was so very nice. Keil in maintenance even gave us a tour of the different buildings, making sure to point out where we could wave to family and friends via live web cam.

My only complaint, which falls more on previous guests than staff, was that there was a coffee stain on the sofa. This building on the property is new this year and it was a shame to see this already!

We are already looking at coming back again - even the red tide didn't ruin our stay! More

We lucked out on this one Booked the Island Inn sight unseen at the last minute and really lucked out! It turned out to be everything we could have hoped to get. Just as the description, a mix of old and new, with an amazing beach and a relaxed feeling. The hotel staff was helpful and excellent. We will be back for sure!

Highly Recommended!!! Thanks for sharing your Island Inn experience with us! We appreciate your detailed review and hope you can join us again on your next Sanibel trip!

Paradise on earth This place is a small paradise. Staff extremely courteous, we could see the ocean from the room, the outside balcony was just amazing, We loved siting there and looking at the sunset. The only negative is the Breakfast, pretty poor. There is a small swimming pool and you can ring the chairs on the beach. Thank you for these amazing days.

A beautiful place We stayed for two nights in a very comfortable, well equipped, two bedroom cottage with great views of the water. We loved it!
The red tide is not much fun, and unfortunately stopped us swimming in the ocean, but we happily went on a couple of beach walks. The daily accompanied walk with a marine biologist from the shell museum was worth doing - we spotted so much more with his help!
Staff were very friendly and helpful. Would happily return.

Location perfect for a relaxing time Great location on the beach. Unfortunately sea / beach difficult to access due to red tide .
Beautiful 2 bedroom villa with large living room and separate kitchen . Large veranda outside and small but very comfortable pool.(toys for kids available ). Every morning a biologist comes by to give a complimentary shell/beach tour .
Staff is very friendly .

Our family Really had a great time here and will definitely come back sometime

Beautiful view and a guided shell walk too The Island Inn was the perfect spot for our anniversary trip to Sanibel Island! There are several lodges near the water, and our room had a gorgeous view of the Gulf. The dining building as well as the beach were only a short walk from our room, and the room was classy, clean, and well decorated. We wish our bed was a bit more comfortable, but otherwise we highly enjoyed our room! We were delighted that there was a shell walk on the beach included in our stay, guided by an expert from the shell museum. We highly recommend this beautiful resort!

Great Weekend We came down during "Red Tide" and still had a great time. The property is amazing and you will fall in love with it. We stayed in the cottage directly across from the ocean. Ken assisted us in our booking and checking in. He is a true asset to the organization. We will be back for sure....

Perfect 40th Anniversary! We brought our children and grandson with us to Island Inn to celebrate our 40th anniversary and renew our vows. I can’t say enough about how nice every one was! We stayed in the Zyreep House- very roomy and comfortable. Yummy pastries on the complimentary continental breakfast. Happy hour- a nice choice of red or white sangria, or a tropical cocktail and some delicious tapas. The restaurant had amazing steaks! The vibe of Island Inn, like all of Sanibel, is friendly and relaxing!

Fantastic- round Two Already looking forward to round 3. Quiet relaxing stay. Really incredible staff. Nice continental breakfast every morning. Fun shelling, sign up for the guided shell walk. Beautiful sunsets. Small island so easy access to everything. Great old Florida feel. Fished from the beach.

Wonderful, beautiful, peaceful! We loved our stay at the Island Inn. The room was large with a balcony and ceiling fan. Breakfast and coffee every morning really helped. The restaurant and bar was great too. The staff couldn't have been nicer. We were there in July and are going back again in October.

Beat employees! We booked this place on the spare of the moment, and I love my choice!!! I spoke to Ken when we did our booking and he was so patient and answered all my questions. We booked room 247, it’s a walk out to the beach and if you leave your curtains open , you can see dolphins in the am from your bed!!!! They included breakfast, which includes eggs, pastries, bread , fruits , juices and coffee. They provide a discount card for the neighboring store or excursion. The employees are amazing, Ken, Kyle, Angelica who took care of our room , the ladies at the breakfast, who took care of our needs are awesome!!!! Thank you for such a beautiful stay!

Hidden Gem! Absolutely a hidden gem! Perfect location, exceptionally clean. Staff was beyond friendly and helpful. I was blown away to see how all staff, from front desk, to cleaning, to lawn care staff all went way out of their way to anticipate guest needs before we even had them.

Best run hospitality business I have ever seen.

Feel was quiet, intimate, and charming. Will definitely be back ASAP. Wish we could have stayed much longer!