Looking for a motel in Ft. Myers this weekend (Tampa: hotels, vacation)

[Ladywithafan]

I'm going to a class and am looking for recommendations of reasonable (cheap?) but safe location on South Cleveland Avenue!

Any suggestions?

Cheap would be like under $50? And not moldy!

I'm thinking that it'd be a lot better to wake up in F.M on Sat. morning...class starts at 8a.m. then to have to get up at 5am and drive from Sarasota...

[mrs1885]

Not sure about the Cleveland Ave area - if I remember correctly it's not the greatest of areas. Personally, I'm all for making a vacation of sorts out of classes for work so my suggestion would be stay on the beach if you have a car. 2 suggestions:

Lani Kai (pronounced lonee-ki) - they've always taken very good care of their property. They've got a great little tiki on the beach with a really relaxed atmosphere. The tiki is a favorite local hang out. A friend of mine that still lives in Naples is getting married there next month.

Outrigger Beach Resort - also on the beach. They've got a formal restaurant and a casual restaurant / tiki hut between the beach and the pool. They totally gutten the place to the walls and renovated the entire thing the winter of 2004. They've got suites that are fairly well priced - we were going to put up family there for a weekend when we got married. The rooms would have been $50 a night for the suites with a kitchenette.

If you don't have a car though, I'd get ahold of their Chamber of Commerce and ask what's in that area.

[hiknapster]

Many Cleveland Avenue motels are dicey. However, my parents use to stay at the Fairfield Inn which is further south and in a decent area. Believe me, my parents wouldn't have stayed there, otherwise.

I think the Lani Kai is a fun place, especially when I was younger, but there are some real horror stories on Trip Advisor about the place. Take that for what it is worth.

[Ladywithafan]

I've got a car, no problem there, driving from Sarasota on Friday so I don't have to deal with that on Saturday morning. My class starts at 8 a.m. at the Clarion hotel on S. Cleveland...I could stay there, I think the rates are $80/night but if I could stay at the beach, that'd be nice!

Class is from 8-5 so beach is not totally important on either sat or sun, but Friday could be a great beach day....IF....it's not raining...like it is now in the Tampa area...we need it sooo bad so no complaints though...

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by mrs1885

Not sure about the Cleveland Ave area - if I remember correctly it's not the greatest of areas. Personally, I'm all for making a vacation of sorts out of classes for work so my suggestion would be stay on the beach if you have a car. 2 suggestions:

Lani Kai (pronounced lonee-ki) - they've always taken very good care of their property. They've got a great little tiki on the beach with a really relaxed atmosphere. The tiki is a favorite local hang out. A friend of mine that still lives in Naples is getting married there next month.

Outrigger Beach Resort - also on the beach. They've got a formal restaurant and a casual restaurant / tiki hut between the beach and the pool. They totally gutten the place to the walls and renovated the entire thing the winter of 2004. They've got suites that are fairly well priced - we were going to put up family there for a weekend when we got married. The rooms would have been $50 a night for the suites with a kitchenette.

If you don't have a car though, I'd get ahold of their Chamber of Commerce and ask what's in that area.

I'll look into both right now...thank you!

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Many Cleveland Avenue motels are dicey. However, my parents use to stay at the Fairfield Inn which is further south and in a decent area. Believe me, my parents wouldn't have stayed there, otherwise.

I think the Lani Kai is a fun place, especially when I was younger, but there are some real horror stories on Trip Advisor about the place. Take that for what it is worth.

Really, hmmm....? I need peace & quiet on Sat. night as Sun I'll be taking a test in relations to the class....

That's why I'm out of Sarasota on Fri-day! I need no distractions!

They're both pricier than I wanted to do, but look GREAT! like I said, I'm in class 8-5 S/S so it might be worth my while to just stay where the class is...I think the Clarion's like $80...Comfort in is $60 and the Ft. Myers Days Inn is $45.....

Anybody been to either of these..chains...can't be too bad!

[hiknapster]

Do not under any circumstances go to the Days Inn. I'm at work now. When I get home, I'll check on which hotels are which. I am very familiar with the area. Some of those hotels in that stretch of Fort Myers are very dicey. I'll respond to you at about 4 p.m.

By the way, Fairfield is extremely quiet. Dad parked the Mercedes there the entire time without incident. Very clean. Decent continental breakfast. Very quiet pool area.

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Do not under any circumstances go to the Days Inn. I'm at work now. When I get home, I'll check on which hotels are which. I am very familiar with the area. Some of those hotels in that stretch of Fort Myers are very dicey. I'll respond to you at about 4 p.m.

By the way, Fairfield is extremely quiet. Dad parked the Mercedes there the entire time without incident. Very clean. Decent continental breakfast. Very quiet pool area.

Gotcha! Thank you. Crack usually makes the price go down, in my experience!

[hiknapster]

Okay. I'm back. I didn't have time to assess the situation at work.

I say go with the Clarion.

Here's the situation. Places like the Comfort Inn and Days Inn are on 41, which is essentially a really busy street with a lot of strip malls, and the like. The problem with those hotels is, right behind them is crack city. You would never know it by standing on 41, and you might not even know it by driving through those neighborhoods.

It's called Pine Manor, but they call it Crime Manor.

Here's the deal with the Clarion. It's further south on 41, and much safer. The hotel, last I heard, needed a bit of renovations to its rooms, but the hotel itself is decent. It has a nice tiki bar and pool, frequented by low-key middle age folks. No spring breakers there. There's a decent steak house inside of the hotel.

In fact, during Hurricane Charley, law enforcement and safety personnel stayed there.

Anymore questions, just ask.

[Ladywithafan]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Okay. I'm back. I didn't have time to assess the situation at work.

I say go with the Clarion.

Here's the situation. Places like the Comfort Inn and Days Inn are on 41, which is essentially a really busy street with a lot of strip malls, and the like. The problem with those hotels is, right behind them is crack city. You would never know it by standing on 41, and you might not even know it by driving through those neighborhoods.

It's called Pine Manor, but they call it Crime Manor.

Here's the deal with the Clarion. It's further south on 41, and much safer. The hotel, last I heard, needed a bit of renovations to its rooms, but the hotel itself is decent. It has a nice tiki bar and pool, frequented by low-key middle age folks. No spring breakers there. There's a decent steak house inside of the hotel.

In fact, during Hurricane Charley, law enforcement and safety personnel stayed there.

Anymore questions, just ask.

Thank you so much! Yeah, having lived in Bradenton for 16 years, I can spot the dealers and users with my eyes shut. Stay where the class is!!! Makes sense!