Tortuga Beach Club

[malyons]

I was just confirmed through II for Tortuga Beach Club this august! Had an ongoing search in place for the Panhandle but thought we couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to Sanibel since it seems to be a difficult trade and is supposed to be beautiful. I read the reviews online but thought I'd check here and see if anybody else had anything to add about Tortuga? Seems to be a no brainer of a trade to me, I just hope I'm not missing something.

Also, we were confirmed for Unit #127, does anyone know if that will be the actual unit we stay in? I know all resorts are different when it comes to stuff like that. If so, is there any way to tell whether 127 is one of the top units with the walkout balcony off the master? I'm not complaining either way but think we'd prefer the top unit if given a choice.

We'll have a 3 yr old and a 5 mo old with us, is this resort/sanibel a good place for small children? I'm thinking our daughter will love looking for shells and we'd probably spend more time at the pool than the beach when swimming anyway, so seems to be a great combination of nice pool and nice beach.

thanks!

 

[sfwilshire]

I'm not sure where this resort is, but the waves at some beaches on the Island are too rough for my taste for small children. They'll also need beach shoes because there are so many shells that it can hurt their feet.

It's sure to be a great trip, though. Be sure to eat at the Island Cow. And take a drive one day to the far end of Captiva to watch the sunset and enjoy the beach there.

Sheila

 

[X-ring]

Also, we were confirmed for Unit #127, does anyone know if that will be the actual unit we stay in? ... is there any way to tell whether 127 is one of the top units with the walkout balcony off the master? I'm not complaining either way but think we'd prefer the top unit if given a choice.

I'm pretty sure you'll get Unit # 127. All odd numbered units are on the lower level and 127 is one of the two middle units in Bldg D.

While you may enjoy the view and the roominess of the upper level units, we much prefer the lower level units for a couple of reasons:

1 - you don't have to go upstairs to go to the bathroom (in upper level units, both bathrooms are on the top floor)

2 - you have the convenience of both a front and rear entrance

3 - fewer stairs to negotiate when lugging groceries and luggage

We'll have a 3 yr old and a 5 mo old with us, is this resort/sanibel a good place for small children?

Possibly the best on Sanibel - I believe that Tortuga is the only timeshare on Sanibel with an activities co-ordinator offering daily programs & lunches/treats (small cost) for kids.

 

[malyons]

wow, thanks for the replies, it sounds like not only did we luck out finding a place in Sanibel but also a resort that will suit all of our needs. Now I just have to start counting down the days b/c the trip isn't til august! Any other suggestions for "must see/do" things in Sanibel? I've been there once before but it was only for a day from Ft Myers during a high school spring break.....needless to say this trip we will be looking for a much different experience

 

[X-ring]

I'm not sure where this resort is, but the waves at some beaches on the Island are too rough for my taste for small children. They'll also need beach shoes because there are so many shells that it can hurt their feet.

It's sure to be a great trip, though. Be sure to eat at the Island Cow. And take a drive one day to the far end of Captiva to watch the sunset and enjoy the beach there.

Sheila

The resort is on the gulf, about a mile west of the eastern tip.

I don't recall the waves being an issue for tykes in the 4 years since I've been going there but I agree that they will probably not like the feeling of shells fragments on their bare feet.

Sunset on Captiva is beautiful. Sunsets can be seen on Sanibel as well as long as you are on the western part of the island (e.g. the beaches off West Gulf Drive)

 

[theo]

One note...

I just hope I'm not missing something.

Perhaps only that August is the peak of hurricane season.
I hope that you luck out on the weather and that you have a great trip.

 

[RFW]

We stayed at Tortuga Beach in September 2007. I don't remember the layout of the resort or where the rooms are. You could call. I found the office staff very helpful and nice. We were confirmed into unit 141, but frankly I cannot recall if that is the unit we got.

I agree with what the other responses say. You will be very happy. The comment the shells is accurate, and the kids would probably want water shoes to protect their feet. Most families did hang out at the pool more than on the beach, except for sand castle construction.

The only thing I would advise you is to be sure you contact the resort if you are checking in on a day/time other than what is on your confirmation document. They have a Friday check in. I had called to tell them that we were checking in on Saturday, which they noted. They did not tell me that the office closed early on Saturday. Therefore, we were not informed of the procedure (they have a lock box where they put the keys for late checkin). I don't remember what time we got there (it was in the late afternoon sometime). There was a phone number on the office to call if it was closed, but the cell phone service was very bad, and the phone number went to HGVC, the management company. After a bit of a mini panic, and 20 minutes of calls, returned calls, dropped calls, HGVC got in touch with someone from the office staff of the resort and found out how to get our key out of the lock box. Not a big deal in retrospect, but panic on arrival would not have been my choice how to begin what was subsequently a very nice and relaxing and beautiful vacation.

 

[malyons]

Perhaps only that August is the peak of hurricane season.
I hope that you luck out on the weather and that you have a great trip.

Yes, we were aware of the hurricane/tropical storm risk, but really want to vacation to the gulf coast of FL and August is our best option so we're willing to roll the dice and hope for the best. Is this an instance where I should consider trip insurance? I've never bought insurance on one of these trips before and guess I'm not sure what would be covered.

 

[Bwolf]

Trip insurance sounds good. We go the week that bridges September to October and I buy trip insurance just in case.

You should enjoy Sanibel.

 

[malyons]

golf deal through tortuga

just read about the free greens fees at tortuga and have a new question(s)....does the free golf apply to those trading into the resort? How much is the cart fee at The Dunes Golf Club? Does it apply to my guests as well? my FIL will be staying w/ me and we'd like to go out a few times and take advantage of the golf. thanks again, getting a little too excited for this trip seeing as how it's still 7 mos away!

 

[silvib]

We stayed this past August at Casa Ybel, so I don't think we were far away from where you're going. You'll enjoy it for sure. You can e-mail The Dunes Golf Club and they'll respond - I had communication with them before we went and they were prompt at replying. Last year, I remember the cart fees were in the region of $21 but am not sure if that was for 2 or 4 people. I'll check and see if I have an old email from them. We couldn't take advantage of that rate staying at Casa Ybel but our own Club Pro arranged a good rate for us. We really enjoyed it and played 3 times.

 

[X-ring]

does the free golf apply to those trading into the resort? How much is the cart fee at The Dunes Golf Club? Does it apply to my guests as well?

All guests in the unit at Tortuga are eligible for the free golf - that's up to 6 people.

In December, the cart fees were $22.26 pp including tax.

 

[TomR]

Silvib, how did you enjoy Casa Ybel? We have an exchange there in August of this year and don't know very much about the resort itself other than it is supposed to have a decent restaurant and pool bar. Have you tried the restaurant and do most of the timeshare units have a Gulf view?

 

[silvib]

We enjoyed it very much, but be prepared for stairs! All units face the gulf. When we were there in August, it wasn't too busy other than a couple of days over the holiday weekend which coincided with our stay. I'm sorry to say we didn't try the restaurant, we just didn't get around to it. They have a great menu, a bit on the pricey side.
There are no 1st floor units as it's an empty space, under the buildings, housing the a/c units, bicycles, etc.etc. Our unit entrance was on the 3rd floor and the 2 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms were also upstairs, so it was a lot of climbing on the arrival and departure days. There was another 2 bedroom model on the 2nd floor, which had 1 bedroom and bathroom on the same level as the living room & kitchen and 1 bedroom & bathroom upstairs. This particular model also had an outside staircase from the patio.
Unit was nicely furnished, we had no complaints. Good location - I found great shells, you need to get out as soon as it's getting light.
Let me know if you need any more info. Sylvia

 

[TomR]

Sylvia, thank you for the information. I had an exchange into Sanibel a few years back that was canceled due to hurricane damage so I am really looking forward to this trip. I don't think the steps will be a problem but it is good to know about them before getting there. Just another example of the value of this forum.
Tom

 

[silvib]

Yes, the info on TUG is just great. We were prepared for the stairs so didn't make any of our bags over-heavy, given we were driving to Sanibel, that could have been easy to do, no weight restrictions. The golf clubs stayed in the car though.

 

[readyalready]

Here is a tip. When they send you 5 pages of information weeks before your trip, do not blow over the sentence about not providing beach towels. Do not interpret that to mean that there are towels for the pool that you cannot bring to the beach. Pack your own towels, or stop at Target or similar on your way in. The good news is that even if you forget, you will not have to kill the morning of the 4th of July driving around the parade route to go to CVS to blow $60 on towels. I might still be bitter.

I have to say that is was the first beach resort I have ever been to where you have to bring your own towels, and I've been to many. And on the towel subject, the last Holiday Inn Express I was at had nicer bath towels, you may as well bring those too.

 

[TomR]

Like you, I have never been to a beach resort that didn't provide beach towels. Since I am going to Casa Ybel in August, I gotta ask. Are you talking about Casa Ybel or Tortuga? Needless to say, I hope it's Tortuga.

 

[sandcastles]

I think I have stayed in just about every TS on Sanibel/Captiva and I don't remember any providing beach towels. Possible that one might have and I just don't recall. I know the two that I own don't provide them.

A few other beach resorts I have stayed in did provide them but they looked so bad I didn't want to touch them.

 

[Rice-and-Shine]

Tortuga Report

Bought at Tortuga in February after reading a lot about it over the past couple of years. We had our first stay there from June 26 - July 3. We could not be happier with our decision. It's small, uncrowded, and VERY family-oriented.

Betsy -- the GM -- and her staff keep the property immaculate. The landscaping is beautiful, the gas grills seemed to be cleaned by grill fairies, and even the night security guard took it upon himself to straighten pool lounge chairs at night. It seems everyone there has a strong sense of ownership -- not just the owners.

We have three children, aged 16, 13, and 8. There was plenty for each to do. Joanne is the best, and she holds activities for kids every morning from Sunday through Thursday. She is great with the kids -- and there were lots of them there. Our youngest had a blast -- making a tie-dye t-shirt, painting a Halloween ornament, etc.

The clubhouse is a nice place to gather and cool off, especially when Joanne is mixing up frosty afternoon beverages. For adults and kids, alike. At just $4, they're a bargain. The lunches each day are also a bargain. For around $5 per person, you can't go wrong.

There's a shaded area around the pool. If you want some of it, try to stake it out early. When we went, there was a decent breeze off the gulf, and we rarely encountered the dreaded no-see-ums. We even grilled dinner poolside and ate under cover.

I can't say enough good about the place and especially the people. It's pretty evident why many of the owners, some of whom have been there for 20-30 years, rarely exchange. Don't know that I'd want to give up a week there. And I only live 2 hours away.

Oh, and whether resorts provide beach towels or not, with three kids, we always bring our own anyway. It's no biggie.

Enjoy your stay and please let us know how you liked it.

 

[readyalready]

Like you, I have never been to a beach resort that didn't provide beach towels. Since I am going to Casa Ybel in August, I gotta ask. Are you talking about Casa Ybel or Tortuga? Needless to say, I hope it's Tortuga.

I was talking about Tortuga.

We've only recently stayed at one of the Sanibel Beach Clubs, I want to say II, and much preferred it. They did have beach towels, so we must have gotten lucky.

I'm glad that rice and shine is so happy with Tortuga. I believe in having low expectations and hope that they are exceeded. After our last Sanibel experience I probably had high ones and was disappointed. The people may be nice but the linens are crap, sheets included non-existant pool towels not. The grills were nice, ping pong and shuffleboard a hit. There were many families there and many people who parked in the pool all day, standing around drinking, drinking, and drinking some more. It reminded me of Mexico all inclusive swim up bars and I had the same concerns about bathroom breaks. Some days you could barely find a spot in the pool to move, the temp was close to air temp and there was an odd color and film on top by day 3. There was also a ton of noise from other units, to people dragging furniture what sounded like all night as well as going up and down stairs, shared landings, etc. We bailed two days early to go to Orlando of all places, which indicates our level of satisfaction, and my motto is 'if there is not a beach, it is not a vacation'.

I'm sure anyone going will have a fine time, I just wouldn't expect beach resort mecca...

 

[Bwolf]

As I recall, Caribe Beach Resort has beach towels at the Front Desk on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sanibel Beach Club I, where we own, also provides beach towels. It is the Beach Club next to the Nerita Street beach entrance.