Island Inn

Hotels
9.2 (242 reviews)
3111 West Gulf Drive , Sanibel , US
+1 239 472 1561

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Free
Children allowed

Facilities

Daily Maid Service
Complimentary WiFi
Complimentary Parking
Beach Chairs & Towels
Pool
Full kitchens
Private balconies
No resort fees
Free WiFi
Free Parking
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Direct beach access
Beautiful beach and views
Comfortable/roomy rooms
Property is clean and well maintained
Conservation/nature focus
Lending of beach gear (body boards, scoops)
Quiet/tranquil atmosphere
Family-friendly (dolphin sightings, kid gear)
Cons:
Pool closed / under construction
Construction noise and on-site repairs
Appliance issues (dishwasher) and TV volume problems
Perceived high price during repairs
Hurricane damage mentioned

Categories

Cleanliness
9.6
Multiple reviews explicitly mention the property is clean, well maintained and comfortable, so cleanliness is rated very highly.
Service
9.9
Guests note helpful touches (lending of body boards/scoops at reception) and staff investment in conservation; no service complaints were reported, supporting a very strong score.
Location
10
Repeated praise for immediate beach access, private beach, stunning views and prime beach-side positioning justifies a top score for location.
Room Quality
9.3
Rooms described as tremendous, roomy and comfortable; minor issues reported (dishwasher and TV volume not working) slightly lower an otherwise excellent room quality.
Amenities
7.8
Beach gear lending and direct beach access are positives, but the closed/under-construction pool and ongoing repairs reduce the amenities score.
Value for Money
8
Several guests commented the property felt pricey given active reconstruction, noise from machines/workers and unavailable pool, lowering perceived value.
Food and Beverage
9.2
Standard quality for this hotel tier
Overall Experience
9.8
Overall sentiment is very positive — guests report beautiful scenery, memorable stays, plans to revisit, and strong conservation efforts despite some construction disruptions.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-10-28 20:26

Property Description

Island Inn, the oldest continuous accommodations on Sanibel Island (opened 1895), offers beachfront suites and studios on 550 ft of Gulf beach, with a timeless, elegant "old Florida" approach.

Important information:

Upon check-in photo identification and credit card is required. All special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges. Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: RSW

Property Policies

  • Check-in / check-out

    Check-in from 15:00, check-out until 11:00.

  • Minimum age

    Guests must be at least 25 years old to check in.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed. Service animals are always welcome.

  • Deposit

    A security deposit is required.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available and is free of charge.

See all policies

Location

Guest Reviews

9.2
Based on 242 reviews
Cleanliness: 9.6
Service: 9.9
Location: 10
Room Quality: 9.3
Amenities: 7.8
Value for Money: 8
Food and Beverage: 9.2
Overall Experience: 9.8
H
Hernando • couple • us
10
Pros:

tremenda habitación… excelente playa.. el hotel está en reconstrucción y no le demerita nada a las habitaciones.. lástima aún no funciona la piscina

2026-08-06 • via Nuitee
K
Kim • family_with_children • nl
9
2026-08-05 • via Nuitee
J
Joanki • extended_group • us
6
Me gustó pero me faltó
Pros:

Muy buena ubicación y las habitaciones muy cómodas

Cons:

Me párese muy caro para todavía estar en reparación y tener las máquinas y los trabajadores al lado tullo haciendo ruido y no tener ni la piscina reparada es decir si no está bueno el tiempo para playa no tienes otro entrenamiento

2026-07-20 • via Nuitee
L
Lee • couple • us
10
Pros:

Sanibel is on a long hard road to recovery. This property is headed in the right direction to fulfill the Sanibel experience. Will revisit next year to support their progress!

2026-07-10 • via Nuitee
S
Shelley • couple • us
10
2026-07-02 • via Nuitee
M
Mona • family_with_children • us
9
We loved it and made beautiful memories.
Pros:

Shells!! Close proximity to the beach and great view of the beach. We loved that the Inn is very much invested in the preservation/conservation of natural resources and wildlife. Easy access from parking, room and beach.

Cons:

Our dishwasher did not work, had to hand wash all our dishes. Volume on the TV did not work. We chose not to report to staff so as not to have our vacation interrupted by technicians in our room making repairs/replacements.

2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
M
michele • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Beautiful scenery. Tranquil

2026-06-29 • via Nuitee
H
Heather • solo_traveller • gb
10
Pros:

Property is clean, comfortable, well equiped and maintained and situated right on the beautiful shelly beach.
We stayed in Matthews Lodge which had direct access to the beach via stairs from the verandah. We would sit out there having breakfast in the mornings watching dolphins swim by close to the shoreline.
Our grandaughter was able to borrow a body board and shelling scoops, buckets etc from a lending area at reception, which is a great idea, as these items are usually discarded to landfill after only a few days use.

Cons:

Nothing

2026-06-14 • via Nuitee
J
Janette • solo_traveller • us
10
Pros:

Beautiful! So close to the beach and beautiful private beach access!

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
R
Roy • couple • us
10
Honeymoon.
Pros:

Quiet, relaxing fun honeymoon. Will be back.

Cons:

Hurricane damage.

2026-05-26 • via Nuitee
H
Heather • couple • us
10
2026-05-21 • via Nuitee
N
Natalia • family_with_children • us
10
Volveremos siempre!
Pros:

Todo es hermoso! Una vista increíble, cómodo, limpio, bien ubicado🤩🤩

2026-05-17 • via Nuitee
A
Augustine • couple • us
9
Great boutique hotel on prime beach location
Pros:

Beautiful beach and roomy accommodations

Cons:

Under major construction and currently no swimming pool.

2026-05-15 • via Nuitee
M
Michael • solo_traveller • us
8
2026-05-06 • via Nuitee
N
Nicole • family_with_children • ch
10
Wir hatten einen tollen Aufenthalt und würden sofort wieder buchen!
Pros:

Sehr freundlicher Empfang. Wir haben viele Informationen, Ausflugstips und Ideen bekommen.
Fahrräder können direkt vor Ort gemietet werden.
Die Lage ist einzigartig und wunderschön, direkter Strandzugang.

2026-04-16 • via Nuitee
E
Elizabeth • family_with_children • us
10
Pros:

Location was great. The building was amazing it felt new. Very clean.

Cons:

My stay was perfect.

2026-03-20 • via Nuitee
L
Lynda • couple • us
10
We had a wonderful stay and look forward to coming back and watching them rebuild .
Pros:

It was everything we were looking for!!! Even durning construction and the Devastation they occurred they have still managed to make everything look and feel wonderful.

Cons:

They didn’t have a longer stay for us because they were booked.

2026-03-14 • via Nuitee
K
Kathi • couple • us
9
Absolutely beautiful suite/beach but be aware major construction going on.
Pros:

Absolutely loved the inside of our suite and the ocean front. Loved having the "living area" along with the screened in porch.

Cons:

I think Booking.com should have emphasized the amount of construction going on. All that was noted was no pool access due to construction--very small note. The reality is there is MAJOR construction going on. I booked the suite and then on the Inn's site I saw they emphasized no pool or dining access. I would have selected another hotel/inn. I feel a bit mislead by booking.com to be honest.

2026-03-06 • via Nuitee
B
Beatty • couple • us
8
Pros:

Location and staff! Room was nice and clean.

Cons:

No pool or restaurant

2026-03-03 • via Nuitee
T
Tomasz • family_with_children • pl
10
2026-03-01 • via Nuitee