My wife and I have stayed at Siesta Dunes in the past and always enjoyed ourselves but this time was different. Children were constantly hassled at the pool by the staff for stupid stuff and just as rudely as possible to the adults and the kids, no reason to put up with this!
The grounds were dirty, the pool was locked from all but one entrance and that entrance was generally blocked by a golf cart. The sun deck was roped off like a crime scene for the entire week and they finally replaced 5 boards on Wednesday, it remained closed. We had to stand in line for 20 minutes in hopes of getting beach chairs. Several guests reported getting things stolen. This place has gone way down hill. What a shame.

If you are keen on Theft and being treated poorly this is your place!

Rules, Rules, Rules…. This is the opposite of Outback “No Rules, Just Right” Every bare spot has a policy or rule posted and none of them are to benefit the guest. As if that isn’t enough they have a team of “security” in a golf carts that genuinely enjoy enforcing silly policies that they say are state laws, they are not. It is unfortunate that security is not working preventing the stealing and is instead focused on hassling guests. Our friends fishing gear was stolen as well as our snorkeling gear and management does not care.

Crowds and lines: The beach and pool are PACKED, and chairs are a huge problem. People queue up to get chairs in the morning, (picture) but the time is changed often. One-day 9:00 another day 10:00 making it difficult to plan your day at the beach. The 10:00 line up has so many disgruntled guests yelling at the arrogant disengaged staff it sounds like an Occupy Rally every day. The guests hate the policies at this place.

The pool doesn’t open until 10:00 and that is ENFORCED! This is not great for vacationing kids in and of itself. Additionally it will be randomly closed for a day or most of a day for bogus reasons, e.g. it rained yesterday so we are closed until 2:00 today.

Rubber Band Rule: you must wear a rubber band on your wrist even if it hurts, and if you lose one it costs $25, precious rubber!

Screw you on the float rule: your security deposit is held for 30 days after your visit. Why? It takes the business office that long to cut a check. Funny, when I paid they could process a credit card in seconds just like the rest of the world.

My wife and I began visiting Sarasota when one of the executives in my wife's office recommended Siesta Dunes Beach Condominium on Siesta Key and offered their apartment for our trip. We have been going back every since, for more than 30 years. When the apartment we had rented for several years was taken off the market, we found 8-205, which is owned by a couple from Ireland. All the amenities of home...two bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, dining room, living room, screened in porch, lots of closet space. Who could ask for anything more? Oh, I almost forgot. The condominium is maintained in immaculate fashion with an on-site staff that caters to your every need. You can swim in the pool or the Gulf of Mexico (the water is 87 degrees when we visit in June and July), play tennis and walk the four miles of beach. Sarasota is a great town with many good restaurants, the Ringling Museum and Art Gallery, St. Armands Circle for shoppers and St. Petersburg right across the Sunshine Skyway than spans Tampa Bay. If you don't enjoy your time at Siesta Dunes, you don't have a pulse.