14 Best Hotels in The Lower Gulf Coast, Florida

Once known as Uncle Henry's, this marina-lodging-shopping complex north of downtown Boca Grande has Tommy Bahama furnishings decorating its rooms and two-bedroom suites. A stylish waterside bistro, casual bar and grill, swimming pool, and shops make up for the resort's distance from town.

This 12-story resort sits on the beach, and many of the suites, especially those on higher floors, have stunning views. Units have rich red and orange accents, updated kitchenettes, and bathrooms. Premium units have a living room with queen-size sleeper sofa and a separate bedroom. The well-organized children's programs include everything from crafts to scavenger hunts. An on-property spa adds a measure of luxury.

Smaller and not quite as busy as the area's other big-brand hotel, this 11-story property has spacious rooms featuring a contemporary, beachy style and private balconies with full or partial ocean views. The large pool area has comfy loungers, the stand-alone spa has 11 treatment rooms and a full range of pampering services, and the on-site dining options offer something for every palate.

This secluded luxury resort, with its marble-and-mahogany lobby and championship golf course, makes a lovely, tropical sanctuary for families who want a refined atmosphere. The resort offers such fun features as an elaborate 3-acre water park, a rock-climbing wall, and a s'mores fire pit. The massive pool area is the largest south of Orlando with four pools, five waterslides, and a lazy river. For something more natural, catch a ferry to the hotel's private island beach that's great for shelling, or rent a kayak and paddle around Estero Bay. Handsomely appointed rooms overlook the water or the golf course. The spa is known for a rare water-shiatsu pool; also unique is the interpretive center, an area that has displays showcasing natural and prehistoric history. The hotel is equidistant to both downtown Naples and Fort Myers (read: a slight hike), but, for what you pay, the amenities can't be beat. Did we mention there are five restaurants on-site?

Choose from your own cottage on the beach, or take your pick from six different styles of modernized hotel rooms at Sanibel's most established inn—built in 1895 as the home of Will and Harriet Matthews, whose love of entertaining turned this place into the sought-after resort that it is today. Value-enthusiasts will be happy here because there's no resort fee and most everything is included, like tennis, shuffleboard, a heated pool, free Wi-Fi, and beach chairs. If you want to spend some of your hard-earned money for dinner, do try the restaurant, Traditions on the Beach. It's worth it. The Matthews Lodge contains the Gulfview Luxury Suites—another splurge worth considering.

A grandiose circular drive and rocky waterfalls front this sophisticated hilltop resort with twin 11-story towers and villa-like suites, the island's longest stretch of sand (over 3 miles), a massive spa, and three pools—including one with slides and water features. Shops, stylish restaurants with impressive menus, and large, sleek rooms equipped with plug-in technology add to the feeling that leaving the resort would be a silly idea, unless, perhaps, you're a golfer: the hotel's two courses are 10 minutes away by shuttle. The Lanai Tower offers opulent, adults-only, condo-style accommodations, and guests staying on floors six to nine have exclusive access to the luxurious Paradise by Sirene amenities, activities, and dining.

LaPlaya epitomizes posh and panache down to the smallest detail—note the Balinese-style spa, marble bathrooms, and a stuffed sea turtle toy to cuddle during your stay. The boutique resort draws inspiration from the natural elements surrounding it and features rock-waterfall pools, a beach fire pit, a tony beachfront restaurant, and a casual tiki bar that serves food. Of its 189 rooms, 116 are beachfront with private balconies. The Gulf Tower boasts lavish guest rooms that exude coastal sophistication in decor and over-the-top amenities, such as a system that chills and serves wine by the glass.

At this 12-story, beachfront class act, one of the island's first condo-style hotels, all the well-equipped one- and two-bedroom suites face the water and look down onto the crescent-shaped pool. Bathrooms have marble floors, walls, and vanities, plus separate tubs and showers. Full kitchens have high-end GE appliances. The Sale e Pepe restaurant wins raves for its Southern Italian cuisine and luxe dining room, which spills out onto a beachfront terrace. Don't miss the ringing of the bell celebration at sunset, a tradition you won't soon forget.

Both vacationing families and businesspeople who want luxury pick this sprawling resort complex, which towers over the island-studded San Carlos Bay at the last mainland exit before the Sanibel Causeway. Choose from two lodging options—a concierge club–style inn and the hotel—and most rooms have sweeping bay views. There's also tennis, a superb spa, restaurants (one of which is a buffet-dining yacht), the gorgeous circular windowed Charley's Bar, and a large free-form pool. Rent a kayak, Jet Ski, or pontoon boat; take a wildlife-viewing cruise; or go fishing. The beach is small and bay-side, but Sanibel's gorgeous stretches of sand are a quick ride away.

At one end of this upscale property just across the bridge from downtown is a 97-slip marina with a luxury hotel (a boater's dream); at the other end is a resort with large cottages and a water-oriented recreation park (a family's dream). To get between the two parts of the 20-acre complex, you can hoof it or take the complimentary Mercedes shuttle, which will also take you downtown or to the nearby beaches. The views are lovely as are the accommodations, which range from standard rooms to modern one- or two-bedroom suites. On-site amenities include restaurants, boutiques, water-sports outfitters, five pools, a lazy river that kids adore, an adults-only oasis, a friendly pool bar and grill, a fitness center, an intimate spa, and tennis courts.

Beach access, a golf club, and top-shelf luxury are all yours at this ultramodern high-rise, which attracts meeting crowds but is still popular with families thanks to amenities like an immense free-form pool with a 100-foot waterslide. Accommodations, which have a coastal-style decor, are the largest in Naples, and every room has a direct Gulf view and a private balcony with plush seating. It's a short walk or tram ride to the 3 miles of powdery white sand on Clam Pass Beach, and the Naples Grande Golf Club, with an 18-hole Rees Jones–designed course, is on a sister property just a few miles away. If the links aren't your thing, the spa just might be: it's an indoor–outdoor "village" with four pavilions, gardens, and tranquillity galore. The hotel also has a renowned tennis program. Catch of the Pelican and Rhode's End are among the on-site dining options.  

Well situated near the beaches and shopping off Gulf Shore Boulevard, this casual hidden retreat is practical and comfortable, featuring spacious, condo-style suites with all the comforts of home—from full kitchens, flat-screen TVs, and Wi-Fi to updated furniture and blackout drapes. There are on-site laundry facilities, too. The abundant amenities and amiable customer service more than make up for an overall scene that's not necessarily the trendiest in town.

At Naples's most elegant golf resort, Ritz style, luxury, and service prevail, and guest rooms overlook the 36-hole Greg Norman–designed Tiburón course, where you can polish your skills at the Impact Zone Golf Academy. The lobby lounge is decorated in rich upholstery, with floor-to-ceiling views of the manicured greens; the terrace is beautiful, particularly at night when the fire pits are aglow.

Cape Coral's only luxury resort, this modern 19-story tower sits alongside a marina fringed with mangroves and caters to families and water-sports enthusiasts. Full-service, with a variety of high-end accommodations, it also has restaurant and other dining options, specialty shopping outlets, galleries, three resort pools, and a spa. All rooms except the most basic have kitchens and a washer/dryer. A free shuttle boat ferries guests the 45-minute distance to the beaches of Fort Myers Beach. Bike and kayak rentals are on-site. Pets are allowed in some of the units. From the marina, you can book charters and nature and sightseeing tours.