There isn't enough room to write my praises for the Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL. We just got back and my family all loved it (children are 13 & 16) Pool & private beach area, spotless & beautiful, never crowded. Staff A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.....immediate (and i mean immediate) attention to any request no matter how small. Room.....i don't even know where to start, beautifully decorated, flat panel tvs, granite counter tops, ceiling fans, thick full-size towels aplenty, etc., etc. Trolley runs all day to get you places off campus but we really never went anywhere very far so we walked. We were there for 2 1/2 days and were very happy just to swim in the gulf and the pool. We did not seek out other activities and we were perfectly content. So many nice table/chair groupings EVERYWHERE to sit and relax.

Went away for the weekend last weekend and have (almost) nothing bad to say about this place. From the "VIP" check-in with champagne and cold towels to the room upgrade (iprefer.com) to the service in every aspect - this hotel was top notch! everybody goes out of their way here and it shows. and they literally cater to your kids (my twins are 4) - with the beach toys and frozen grapes and even the restaurants are kid-friendly!

would advise against the bay view due to mosquito issues or keep your windows closed! although the sunrise is quite nice on the bayview side.. definitely ask for a suite - and they usually will give it - and the suites have full kitchens, two tv's, two balconies, etc...

tate's is definitely an experience and we loved the bonfire! it's nice to eat right on the beach and we didn't have anything bad here (the beef skewers were my personal favorite...). the drinks were pricey but strong!

carretta's was good in general - especially for breakfast.. the lobster/foie gras entree was quite good.. the ceviche and sushi (except for anything involving tuna) were downright tasteless and nauseating.. another good place to watch the sunset! and good drinks as well!

the beach is definitely less crowded here and the crowd is definitely a better lot than the more public areas. and the water is amazing!

we've stayed all over the world on most continents at the ritz's and other nice hotels - but definitely find this to be the most upscale one can go with a family-friendly resort! we highly recommend it and will definitely go back! and while you're there - captain memo is a great family-oriented booze cruise to go along with the experience!

I was looking for a beautiful, family friendly, upscale hotel in Clearwater Beach. At the last minute, I found this one. If any of you are looking for a resort like you would find in Mexico or the Caribbean, yet want to stay in Florida, this is as close as you'll get. It was unbelievably beautiful. The location is awesome. The pool area is great, the beach is fantastic, and the service is phenomenal. From the champagne at check-in, to the continuous above-and-beyond service, I was never disappointed. We joined Iprefer.com and were even upgraded to a Junior Suite. Each employee does more than expected, even when asked for something unusual. You won't be disappointed!
After a 5 day stay here, we went to Naples to see family and stayed in the Naples Grande. The only down side to our stay at the Sandpearl is that we were extremely disappointed in the Naples Grande. It will be hard to top the Sandpearl!

My wife and I stayed at the Sandpearl for 5 days in early June. My only regret is that we could not stay longer. The lobby and rooms are definitely five star quality without being too stuffy for a beach resort. We stayed in a gulf front Jr. Suite. The room was large, two flat screen t.v.'s, large bathroom with soaking tub and separate shower, very comfortable bed, and outstanding views of the sunset every evening from the balcony. The beach is outstanding. I did not realize there were beach properties like this in the U.S. It was large, clean and had beautiful calm waters. The pool area is nice, we never had a problem finding a chair. We did not bring our children on this visit but will probably do so in the future. It did appear to be very family friendly. Although we enjoyed the pool for the most part, there was one day when quite a few children were in the pool and it would have been nice to have a separate pool area for adults only. The chairs by the pool have sunshades attached, which are nice. However, the hotel's chairs on the beach do not have sunshades. Instead they will rent them to you at the activities desk for around $20 per day. Frankly, I had a problem with that since you are paying top dollar plus an activity fee each day. That is one of only two complaints. The second is the food and drink service at the pool area. It is very slow. They are polite, but it appeared to us that there was only one person working the pool each time we visited. She worked hard but it took a while. I think this could be solved very easily by just assigning one other person to the pool area. By the second day, we just visited the convenience store down the street and purchased our own beverages, kept thim in the room's mini-fridge (which was nice to have and separate from the mini-bar fridge). Then we brought our own drinks down with us and saved some money in the process. We ate once (our first day) at the hotel's beach grill. It was good, but as with most resorts, the food was on the expensive side. The great thing about this resort's location is that there are two great little beach cafes on both sides. If you face the beach from the pool area, you can walk 50 yards to the right and hit Frenchy's or 50 yards to the left and hit the Sunset Cafe. Frenchy's is very popular and gets busy at sunset, so get there early. The Sunset Cafe is new (open about 3 months we were told). We went there for breakfast every morning and dinner one evening. It was outstanding with great prices. I would highly recommend Sunset Cafe. There is live music there in the evenings and drink prices were reasonable. A few other things worth noting. We were greated at check-in with complimentary champagne, that was a nice touch. Also, there really is no need to rent a car unless you want to head back to Tampa for an evening. The hotel is well located and you can easily walk to Pier 60 or any number of other shops and cafes. As a result, we did not rent a car. Instead, I e-mailed the hotel concierge who arranged for a limo to pick us up at the airport and an Escalade to drive us back at the end of the week. It's $100 for the limo from the airport and $75 for the Escalade on the return trip. It's about a 30 minute trip each way. I understand that a cab would cost about $55 each way, so the net difference is not that much, and certainly less then renting a car and paying for the valet parking every day. I would probably do the same thing next time. Overall, we had a great time and would definitely return.