Saddlebrook Resort

Theres a beautiful resort in there somewhere but its just not quite there yet. You can tell it may have once been a top notch property but now not so much. The pools and hot tubs were pretty from afar but up close filled with dead love bugs, bird feathers, green algea, and piles of dirt gatherered on the bottom. The hot tubs didnt get hot our 1st 2 days then once they started working there was broken plastic and dirt on the floor and scum rings on the tile. The rooms were cute, quaint, and clean. Up close not so great. The pocket doors need painting or replacement and were spattered with paint and dirty, the bedroom furniture was quite out dated but the mattresses weren't terrible. The new carpet was nice but closets smelled of mildew. The room overall just felt outdated. All of the exterior areas need work from landscaping and foutain repair to new roofs and pavers at the pool buildings. The spa wasnt quite a mosaic property expierience either. The facilities were quite dated and had a mildew smell. I had a scalp and foot massage that were quite lack luster. Goat bar and grill had good food and drinks. The breakfast bar at Rare was really good. The staff were all kind, professional, polite, and helpful and did their best with what they had. The golf courses were excellent and were enjoyed by both my sons and husband. We also had family photos taken on property that were great. We were a family of 4 with 2 boys ages 3 and 7. Unless its cleaned and updated we probably will opt for an airbnb the next time we are in the area from the St. Augustine area. I also woke up on the last day with a terrible burning rash on my ankle that appeared out of no where.

when we got there it was busy but the lady who checked us in was awesome. We were by the office so we didnt need bell person. we got to our room and not bad it was clean. 1 small trash can in the room in the bathroom. We left Saturday morning to go to the stadium and was gone all day until 11:45 p.m. we opened the door with food because we were hungry. As the door open a horrible smell over came us. It smelt like back up sewage. we put our food on a little end table with a lamp because no other table or place to put it. Called front office right away. Lady answered told her my room number twice and what was wrong, she says we will move you can you hold, I was trying to let her know we were tired and didnt want to move at midnight and they were busy with alot of events going on.She come back on from hold and says the introductions again I said I was on hold and she was like oh yeah 209 put me back on hold before I could say anything a min later it disconnected us.No call back no nothing. In the morning I got a message saying we didnt need to come to office to check out so I message back and said I need to talk to someoneso they sent me back a lady's name Samantha. So I went to front desk explained to her what happen she apologized and said she waived the resort fee. All I could say was thank you and left. Started driving and was thinking you kinow I was tired and hungry from a long day expected to go back and relax and a nice resort to the smell that mad us sick , couldnt eat , got hung up and no call back, to putting my head under the blanket to sleep. Called back later that week and ased for the manager. She was in a meeting and took my number and later that afternoon she returned my phone call. She was very apologetic anfd said if I ever come back down there she will take care of me. Really! I will never go back there. For a customer to go threw what we did and the last day we was there the valet people were so Blah like they didnt want to be there. I asked the other hotel we went to what would they have done? The manager was standing next to the clerk and said first I would refund you the money of that night. I said thank you thats what I thought. Customer service and you try to satisfied the customer. Oh well will not stay there again. So please check your room and a drain was in the closet thank god I didnt use the closet or my close would have stunk.

It's very complicated to get into the resort. Maps do NOT take you where you need to be and it's a big resort in the middle of homes. Very confusing. They said it had just been renovated but nothing looked new or renovated at all. I had a problem with Valet, one person in particular, wouldn't give me my keys because the valet before him forgot to give me a ticket. This was not handled professional at all. He actually yelled at me and said I wasn't getting my keys until I gave him the ticket that I never received. I was then late for the wedding I was on my way to. Very frustrating! The room was OK at best and definitely not renovated like they had said. If it was, you couldn't tell. The golf carts are the only way to get around on the resort, but they were never available and we had to walk everywhere, even with a formal gown on, I had to walk a long distance to get to valet and same when we returned from the wedding. We had over 40 people in our party staying at the resort and I'm sure my review isn't the worst one. My biggest complaints were the valet guy that yelled at and wouldn't give me my keys that were in his hand and the long walks to and from your room. There was a plumbing issue as well. One pool was drained completely while we were there, and the tub wouldn't drain while you were showering. The food and drinks were good. The staff in the restaurants were friendly but the walking and not able to reach valet to pick you up EVERY TIME WE CALLED. We either got no answer, or the wait was so long we ended up walking. I am disabled, this was not how I expected me trip to go. My niece, the bride, is the one that found this place and thought it would be nice for her entire family but by day two she was apologizing to all of us that she recommended this resort. If you take anything from this review, please fix your transportation at the resort. It's not as simple as you made it out to be. I was there four days and only had two rides, not because I didn't want them but because they were either too busy or didn't answer the phones at all. And you have to pay per day for those golfcart rides you DON'T GET.

It's an older resort but I'd stay again. Great service at the front desk, Brew, and GOAT restaurant. Did not like the no parking your own vehicle. My vehicle was literally 100 feet from my room but I had to walk up to the valet every time I wanted to leave. Pool vibe was great. The lobby was super clean. The rooms are ok.

I recently stayed at Saddlebrook Resort for five nights as a conference attendee, and unfortunately the biggest issue throughout the entire stay was the complete lack of housekeeping service. Not once during the visit was the room cleaned, trash removed, towels refreshed, or basic housekeeping provided. For a resort hosting conference guests and extended stays, that level of neglect was extremely disappointing and far below expectations. That said, I do want to recognize Heaven and Sam at the front desk. Both were professional, kind, and genuinely helpful during checkout. They listened, treated the situation respectfully, and did what they could to assist after what had otherwise become a frustrating experience. Their customer service and professionalism stood out and made the departure process much smoother. The property itself has potential, but consistent guest services and room upkeep need significant improvement, especially for guests attending professional events and staying multiple nights.