South Seas

My first time back to the resort since Hurricane Ian. Love all the new outlets and look forward to more to come. The staff is always phenomenal and ready to tackle any request or service we needed. Funnel fries at the new pool/slide area absolutely my favorite new item!! Thank you for a wonderful stay!

Rough reopening. Under staffed at all restaurants and the food was terrible. We had a baby with us and could not use the bath tub because the water came out brown from the tap. We could not access the pool or tennis courts that were suppose to be available to us in Lands End. There is no SPA

My experience staying at South Seas was first class. The employees treated us like we were family starting from checking in to when we unfortunately had to checkout. The rooms were spacious, clean and well stocked to make us feel right at home. I was there for New Years and the firework show they put on was amazing 🤩 Would I come back, ABSOLUTELY 👍

This was, without exaggeration, the worst travel experience my family has ever had. Problems began immediately at check-in. I presented my American Express Platinum card and explained that the reservation was booked through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, only to be told there was “no Amex affiliation.” That was the first red flag. We had requested early check-in and a one-hour late checkout and were told none of that applied. We were explicitly told prior to arrival that our unit had a Gulf water view. Upon arrival, it was clearly a golf course view. This was a material misrepresentation. It also became clear that the overseas, outsourced reservation team has serious communication and language issues. We were also told we would not need a golf cart because of our proximity to pools and restaurants. That turned out to be completely false. There is no parking at many restaurants or beach areas, making a cart essential. When we requested one, we were told they were sold out and that we were required to use their exclusive vendor, despite multiple other rental companies on the island. After an early flight, we asked where we could get breakfast and were told there is no breakfast option anywhere on the property. Let that sink in. A full-capacity resort on an island, with no breakfast and no disclosure of this anywhere on the website or during booking. The nearest grocery option is roughly an hour away. From that point on, the trip went downhill fast. Dining was a complete disaster across the board. Beach House: After waiting 50 minutes, we cancelled our order. The table next to us waited over an hour and a half. Our server told us we were still seven tickets away, and our order was basic — pasta, two salads, and an appetizer. This was our first night. Pizza & Scoops: The website states they are open until 9:00 pm. When we arrived, we were told the pizza side closes at 8:30. With no other options available, we literally had ice cream for dinner. Cabana lunch: It took over an hour and a half to receive two chicken salads and a chicken sandwich. Harborside: Marketed online as an Italian steakhouse. In reality, it is an undisclosed prix fixe menu with only three entrée choices, something never mentioned online, at booking, or at check-in. We arrived for a 6:45 pm reservation, checked in at 6:40, and were told there was a 40–45 minute delay. We were seated outside under a heat lamp in freezing conditions. The first course was a single small scallop. The Caesar salad arrived with no dressing — just lettuce. The entrée arrived cold. Not lukewarm. Cold. This was a $100+ per person meal before drinks. Housekeeping never occurred once during our five-night stay. We scheduled cleaning more than 24 hours in advance and confirmed again the morning of service. We returned at 5:45 pm after a full day at the pool and beach to find the unit completely untouched. We had to go to the pool area ourselves to get towels and toilet paper. Even when supplies were eventually sent, they didn’t arrive until around 8:30 pm. Calls for basic necessities went unanswered throughout the day. There was no backup toilet paper in the unit. That detail alone perfectly sums up the operational failures here. We were later told that housekeeping had to prioritize five families whose rooms were not ready past the stated 4:00 pm check-in time. So while existing guests were left without cleaning or supplies, new guests were still waiting hours past check-in. This property is clearly operating at full capacity with nowhere near the staffing required. Every single employee we encountered was polite, apologetic, and clearly overwhelmed. They are not the problem. They are completely set up for failure. Multiple staff members openly stated that since private equity ownership took over, staffing has been slashed to unsustainable levels, temp agencies are not allowed even during peak weeks, and the sole focus is on cost savings. The result is a resort that looks functional on paper but fails at the most basic level in real life. We seriously discussed checking out early and moving closer to the airport just to salvage one decent meal before going home. If you are considering this property, understand this: it is not currently capable of delivering even a basic resort experience, let alone a premium one. Between misrepresentation, lack of food options, nonexistent housekeeping, extreme understaffing, and total operational dysfunction, this stay was a complete failure. This place may have once been great. Was our family’s favorite before Private Equity took over. It is not now. Travelers deserve to know that before spending thousands of dollars and wasting a hard-earned vacation.

Rented a deluxe condo unit (5206) and it had leaking bathroom and mold on ceiling. We were very disappointed in the quality of this mid-level room (they rank them standard, deluxe and premier). Town of Captiva is cute, beaches had great sand. The grounds of South Seas Resort were great, the new water park was fun, restaurants nice and the marina pool area had a wonderful view. The staff were nice. But all the condo units are owned by private parties so you have no clue what the quality of your unit will be when you book. They should require owners to commit to certain maintenance standards of condo units and furnishing quality to be considered a deluxe or premier level unit (they cost more than a “standard”). I don’t like taking a risk on room quality, especially for the price, therefore not sure we’ll ever go back.