Southwest Florida is one of the most popular destinations in the United States right now. Here are the 5 best hotels in Fort Myers, Florida.
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The 5 Best Hotels in Fort Myers, Florida
Some hotels on this list may not fit your criteria, but each has its own reason for making ours. Whether it’s the location, design, or amenities of the property, there’s something special for everyone. These are our 5 best hotels in Fort Myers, Florida. We have avoided stretching the area to Cape Coral or south to Naples to keep it concise. Certainly, Naples deserves its own list which is no doubt forthcoming.
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point
One of the darlings of the Hyatt brand in the United States is the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. The property is a high-rise beachfront resort halfway between Fort Myers Beach and Naples. The hotel has direct water access, but Lovers Key State Park is the closest beach. In fact, to consider this a Lovers Key resort or a Bonita Beach resort would be fair – both made our list of the 5 Best Beaches in Fort Myers, Florida.
I’m not shy about my affection and knowledge of the Hyatt program. For enthusiasts like myself, this is misbranded. It should be a Grand Hyatt all-day long. The mega-resort has a sprawling campus with a number of restaurants. Every amenity a guest could want including valet parking, fitness center, outdoor activities, and hard-to-get table reservations at in-house restaurants.
The hotel is waterfront but that can be misleading. The area for which the hotel resides is lined with mangroves, not sand. That, however, does not restrict visitors from putting their toes beneath the sand, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point came up with a great plan to solve that.
They bought an island.
Departing several times throughout the day, a privately contracted pontoon takes hotel guests from the property to its own island (near dog island from the best beaches post above.) Because of its private nature, this is one of the rare cases where a beach is not open to the public in the area. The hotel has provided loungers facing the water and provides beachside service chargeable to a guest’s room bill.
Perhaps the beach isn’t your thing (I know people like this, as odd as they are) – not to worry, the Hyatt Regency has an incredible water park. Five waterslides including dual racing slides as well as a tandem inflatable slide cater to guests of all ages and swimming proficiency. Private cabanas can be secured from the concierge, table tennis is available too. A zero-entry pool is perfect for the youngest swimmers.
Adults will find an estate-style series of adults-only pools far away from the splashing of children, several restaurants and bars, and of course poolside service from staff.
Guest hotel rooms and suites are also impressive. During a fellow Globalist’s stay, he was able to secure a complimentary upgrade to a corner suite with three balconies and two connected guest rooms along with a living room and guest bathroom in between.
For cash stays, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, across from the Coconut Point shopping complex, is one of the more expensive in the area. Nightly rates start at $300 but can climb to $500 with ease. Watch for a category change later this year that drops the property back from a Category 5 to 4 which would allow for more guests to use certificates for their stay.
Hotel Indigo
Downtown Fort Myers was forgotten by most as the city advanced further south along the water to Estero then melting into Naples. However, as of late, Downtown Fort Myers has had a renaissance some of which has been fueled by new investments like Hotel Indigo and others. The area is also called the “River District”, the hotel is opposite the famous courthouse.
Close to a number of restaurants, bars, and the waterfront, Hotel Indigo has a superior location for those looking to be in the middle of Fort Myers, Florida. Those that read my post, 3 Unique Things To Do In Fort Myers, Florida, will recall the Edison Ford museums which are not far from the property. Adjacent to that is one of the pre-eminent golf courses in the city, the Fort Myers Country Club.
A member of the IHG family of hotels, Hotel Indigo finds itself in the “lifestyle” category of hotels, though when compared to other Lifestyle brands Indigo is far more affordable. IHG’s most famous brand is Holiday Inn, suites like Hotel Indigo’s are rare among the chain’s other brands. The hotel doesn’t make our list for its aesthetic necessarily, though the conversion has seen a stylish update – its location is one of the most enviable in the city.
Hotel Indigo offers a variety of rooms and suites in unique configurations, many with balconies.
South Seas Island Resort
The sprawling South Seas Island Resort is on the gorgeous and lush Captiva Island. True resorts on the small island (accessible by boat or bridge from Sanibel) are rare. South Seas offers guests something unheard of on Captiva, a golf course. That complements its beach access, tennis courts, and numerous outdoor activities.
The resort is ample in size but have a way of feeling small as the rest of the island does. Guests will find the seclusion and privacy the resort offers is one of its finest traits. Families and couples can take advantage of home rentals and large guest quarters.
In addition to land activities which include waterslides at the pool, boat docks will take guests out to see the dolphins riding waves just minutes from the dock.
Casa Ybel Beach Resort
Assuming that you don’t click any other link in this post, click this one. The Casa Ybel Beach Resort’s website shows better in its home page video than any still image I could include. The location of this Sanibel Island resort is stunning. It has everything a guest could want to get that boutique island resort feel.
Walking out of guest facilities onto the beach, the Gulf of Mexico and Sanibel’s famous beaches await. Looking past the exterior of the building (not my favorite part), the pool and palm tree-laden sand guide guests to sun and sea life splashing just outside their doors. Tennis courts are available for active guests, bicycle lanes around both Sanibel and Captiva beckon.
This property has another unique offering that few can manage in the area. It has the feel of a holiday rental or family-run bed & breakfast, with the amenities of a full beach hotel. Don’t pass up the chance to see Casa Ybel Beach Resort.
Luminary Hotel & Co. (Autograph Collection)
A rare new-build property in the River District of downtown Fort Myers, the Luminary &. Co. takes a sophisticated and modern approach with a nouveau Art Deco decor. As a very large property, the Luminary is able to cater to substantial meetings and private events and is often selected for weddings.
The hotel faces the water with downtown restaurants and shops a walkable distance just across the street. Its most attractive feature may be the outdoor swimming pool near the top of the building. Excellent sunlight, views of the area, and poolside service welcome guests.
As a member of the Marriott family, guests can earn and burn points for their stay. Unfortunately, Marriott Bonvoy has a myriad of criteria that fluctuate with regard to guest benefits at particular properties, unlike Hilton and Hyatt. Loyal Bonvoy members should consult staff prior to their arrival to determine what they can expect based on their status and stay.
The full-service hotel has all of the modern amenities one could expect from a premium hotel. Guests staying in Fort Myers should consider the Luminary in addition to other fine hotels on this list.
What do you think? Are there hotels you would add to the list? Some you would. strike?
Nobody stays in a hotel in Ft Meyers. They just stay with their parents or grandparents!
So true! I was meeting some good clients in The Villages last week (now that place is scary!) and it was filled with teens and their parents. All seemed to be staying for Presidents Day weekend with retired family that live there.
I made the mistake of wearing a suit there this past Sunday whereby a woman asked me in the Starbucks at the town square if, “I was the new minister at her church.”
The Hotel Indigo is being renovated this year and renamed from IHG to Hilton’s Tapestry brand.
“Watch for a category change later this year that drops the property back from a Category 5 to 4 ”
are there hints towards this or is this more of an optimistic comment?? don’t get us too excited!
The hotel was formerly the best Category 4 redemption domestically in the US before moving to Category 5. Categories are dependent on prior-year occupancy levels. If this was graded on an absolute number with no bell curve, every hotel would be a Category 1 in 2021. That wouldn’t make sense due to exceptional circumstances, of course. However, I was at the property several times this year and I observed that cash rates remained very high despite very low occupancy even relative to other properties during the pandemic. This leads me to believe that it will slip more than other properties and it only has to fall one category to qualify for Cat 1-4 certificate redemption. It would have also lost a substantial amount of occupancy from the loss of those Cat 1-4 redemptions from the prior year.
I hold a number of events at the Hyatt in Bonita Springs each year during normal times. It’s a very well run property with excellent management and staff. And they do an excellent job with meeting planning and catering. However, we market this location as being more associated with Naples. Fort Myers just being the airport access. They too market it as such.
The only odd thing are the small wall ornaments in the guest rooms. First time I checked in there was late at night and I just crashed in bed. I woke up freaking out as I thought there were bats in the room.
I can’t comment on the ornaments, but I will dispute a little bit of the Fort Myers vs. Naples aspect.
It’s true that Hyatt views it as a extremely northern Naples hotel (their internal naming covenention reflects this.) Culturally, you could make that argument as well, but not logistically. Fort Myers Beach is exactly 17.9 miles (by car) from the airport (RSW) – precisely the same as the distance to the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. No one would disput that Fort Myers Beach is part of Fort Myers with respect to the airport, nor the farther Sanibel nor Captiva properties, so Coconut Point would have to fall in the same category as well, right?
Much of this is that people in that area also choose to associate themselves to Naples. I have clients with homes in Bonita Springs and they never say they are going to their SW Florida home or Fort Myers. They say they winter in Naples. I assume there is a stigma there to associating with Fort Myers given the property value differences. So to the Hyatt leans to Naples as they could never get those rates as a Fort Myers Hotel, despite the geography.
I concur on all fronts.
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point does not “provide beachside service chargeable to a guest’s room bill” on the private island. They have bottled water and sodas you can buy via credit card. No food or cocktails.
What about Pink Shells in Fort Myers..a friend recommended this resort..Any feedback!
We went to the pink shells for our 15th wedding anniversary..the people the staff should say were so awesome….we are leaving today for our 25th anniversary and to the pink shells….we couldn’t think of any other place without flying …and pink shells the first choice …I know we will have a great time again…
I recently stayed at the Luminary in DT fort Myers , Hotel is a Dump , nothing to do around there and definitely over rated , I actually checked out Earlier end Resumed my stay at the Westin Cape Coral with much nicer Grounds and on the Water ..
The Luminary has a Roof top bar that is a small Room and could maybe Fit 20 ppl at a time and there pool is tiny in comparison to a Regular…. hotel Pool …..Unless u have to stay in DT Fort Myers , don’t waste your $$ at the Luminary. I would give it a Catagory 3
The Lani Kai is also great
Lots of small well kept older hotels for much less $$. Same beach, spend your money on food and fun.