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About
3.5
#16 of 32 hotels in St. Pete Beach
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Beginning 8/19, our resort will be undergoing a property-wide transformation. During this time, we will be open to all guests and strive to minimize disruptions during your stay by working on one building at a time. We're excited to reimagine our space!
Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, this resort is located within the Miracle Mile of St. Pete Beach, across the street from a shopping center, adjacent to the public beach access and a SunRunner Stop, and a 10-minute drive from the ferry to Shell Key Preserve. Oversized guestrooms feature plush beds, a mini-fridge and microwave, free wi-fi, televisions, alarm clock, private bathroom with shower/tub combination, eco-friendly toiletries, and waterfront charm. Some guestrooms feature a private balcony, or outdoor terrace. Modern amenities include: private self-parking lot, outdoor pool, volleyball courts, beachside games, beachside food & beverage service. The resort also offers 2 restaurants and lounges. Watersport rentals are available.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Ocean View
Family
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
4900 Gulf Blvd St Pete Beach, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706-2480
Dolphin Beach Resort
1,618 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Nestled on a prime beachfront, Dolphin Beach Resort is lauded for its stunning views and proximity to local amenities. While the rooms are a mix of spacious comfort and dated charm, with some needing a refresh, guests commend the resort's cleanliness and the attentive service that adds to the welcoming atmosphere, complete with fun live music.
However, the resort fees have come under scrutiny for affecting the overall value. Amenities like the pristine beach, pool, and inclusive perks receive appreciation, despite the occasional mention of extra charges.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Lively
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Satisfactory
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My wife and 21 yr old son stayed here for two nights after a visit to the Bucs game in Tampa. I would rate it as an average hotel on par with a Comfort Inn or similar. Nothing fancy and could use some updates. Our room had a nice Smart TV, but it did not work. I even asked the woman at the front desk and she said to simply unplug it and re-plug it in to fix it. I tried multiple times and no luck. We were not there to watch TV, but it was very annoying. I believe it was a network issue, but the free WIFI worked fine. As a beach hotel, there was plenty of sand to be found in the hallways which is a shame. Perhaps they could install a cleaning system for your feet or even a garden hose for returning guests. I chose this hotel since it is literally right on the beach and we had a balcony that offered nice views of dolphins in the morning. We ended up sitting by the pool which had plenty of lounge chairs, but for some strange reason they are all bolted to the deck (Odd!). Anyway, we had a great day! I went in the heated pool several times and the water was just perfect! I was surprised to find that I had sand on my feet, yet I never left the pool area, so it must be around, but I wish they had a foot wash station. So overall, a decent place for the price. It was very quiet, but probably since this is January. As others have mentioned, I don't understand the $16/night parking fee since there was plenty of spaces, but I guess that allows them to lower the nightly rates? I was fully aware going in that was the case. The location is real nice, but I guess I would consider other locations in the future. Here is some cool trivia and I was not aware of this until after our stay. There is a low rated movie on Cable TV called 'Zola' where the characters shoot a scene at the Dolphin Resort. I did not watch the entire movie, but while cable surfing at home I saw the actors walk thru the Dolphin Resort pool area. They had the same bolted down lounge chairs and the thatch roof huts. The movie was filmed in 2020 so I wonder how much they had to pay to film here???
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Date of stay: January 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:We chose beach balcony, but would recommend ground level or pool view next time.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First, off I have read several reviews and it seems to me people complaining thing they're going to get a luxury 5-star resort at $100ish a night and let me tell you that won't happen anywhere you go. This was a great place to stay to have a little slice of beach. Staying in June we were shocked to see how slow it was. There was hardly anyone on the beach. The hotel wasn't overly full. We talked to the evening desk staff who was very friendly and explained that the restaurant was only open for Breakfast for now because of how slow it was and the lack of tourists. The pool is salt water looks clean and warm to swim in until it closes at 10pm. The bar/deck looked nice and we sat up at the picnic tables when it wasn't open and looked onward to the beach. There is a volleyball net and shuffleboard and Cabanas by the pool, you have to be there really early though if you want a pool cabana we had to leave early the last day at 8am all the cabanas were taken. There are also several little cabanas and chairs on the beach. I really have no idea if you are supposed to rent them or if they are first come first serve because there was only 1 time while on the beach someone was in the little booth and it seemed to me they were selling parasailing and other things. Sunset is beautiful. Close to some restaurants and Dollar Car Rental. As well as mini golf. Will be back.
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Date of stay: June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, Owner at Dolphin Beach Resort
Responded Jul 3, 2022
Dear Kyla1098, It is wonderful to hear that you had a great stay at our hotel. We appreciate you taking the time to share this review and inform other vacationers of the comfort you experienced with us. On behalf of the entire staff, thank you for choosing our hotel and we look forward to seeing you again in the future. Best, David Nilemo General Manager
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This is somewhat of a hidden gem. The rooms are larger than most hotels. They’re a basic hotel accommodation: bed(s), bathroom, LARGE tv, small fridge & microwave and in room coffee maker (bring your own creamer and sugar there’s never enough in those little room packets). The staff is helpful and friendly. They’re currently renovating some rooms (I’m thinking they’ll do the rest off season). We had an oceanfront room overlooking the beautiful well kept beach and the Gulf. There is a $50 a day resort fee but at least this place gives you something to make that fee a little less painful. When you check in, you get 2 drink tickets (the pina coladas are really good and they’re made fresh, no mix, when you order them) and every day that you’re there you get a $15 food credit. They also have cabanas and lounge chairs on the beach for guests to use. There are also other things that the fee covers or discounts. Check the website for the whole list. The pool is very nice with 2 sets of steps going into the shallow end ( older folks will know why this is a plus). The only reason this review is a 4.7 instead of a 5 is because the towels and washcloths in the room are like coarse sandpaper. If you get sunburned, I suggest you either air dry or bring your own towel.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, Marketing at Dolphin Beach Resort
Responded Jul 11, 2023
Dear Toni H, I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed your stay and feel our Dolphin Beach Resort is a 'hidden gem'! We thank you for your compliments. Each member of our team strives daily to deliver a positive guest experience; your feedback serves as encouragement to our associates. We appreciate having you as our guest, and we hope you’ll visit us again soon. Best, Devin Frank General Manager
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Where do I even begin…honestly this place should be shut down. It’s dirty..smells and is run down. We shouldn’t of even stayed one night how bad it was but we spent so much on the hotel we tried our best to wait it out.. first and foremost they gave us a room that our ONLY window was directly on someone else’s balcony(see pictures) so we couldn’t even open our windows. It was poorly light by a few lamps..the hallways were dirty …the lobby looked like you walked into a 1990s hotel and the paint was chipped. Upon checking the sheets we found out that 3 of our 4 pillows on the bed were stained…the sheet was stained and the comforter was stained. We then inspected our linens to realize more then 75% of them were dirty as well. We called down and requested new towels..our new towels were again stained. I called the front desk and told them that our sheets and pillows were dirty..their response was “ we only provide house keeping every 3rd day and since it isn’t your third day you will have to come down to us in the lobby and pick up sheets” I tried to call them and ask them for the sheet change discreetly so not everyone there knew how much of a s!*t hole it was. But with that response I knew I had to stand my ground..I go to the front desk and spoke with Nancy as well as the other younger gentlemen and again told them these sheets were dirty from the people prior to us and not us …Nancy then told me that she will get us fresh linens for us to then go back upstairs and make our own bed ..like whhhhaaatt??? That’s what I’m paying to stay at a hotel for! I told her we were going out for the night and won’t be back til much later so there was no rush to do it right this second and she said she’ll call down the Housekeep supervisor Rafael. How this guy is a “supervisor” is beyond me. He lacks all customer service skills. He told us to “stop yelling at him” when me while all we were doing was discussing it with him. He then told us “he was going to change our sheets” but mind you the front desk told us we needed to do it . So the communication skills lack. After MUCH reluctance he went to our room to do our sheets. We had to come up while he was doing it because we forgot jackets. I thanked him for doing it and he went “mm” and I said goodbye have a nice night & he ignored me. So somehow we got attitude because dirty place gave us dirty linens every time we asked for a refresh. The only thing nice about this place was it’s location to the beach otherwise your better off sleeping on the street. I wouldn’t recommend this place to my worst enemy. You will NEVER catch me there again..yuck! This is labeled a “resort” yeah maybe 40 years ago..now it’s like a 1-star motel. I do not advise staying at this hotel.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The Dolphin is truly a hidden gem. I’ve given it five stars because of its location & generally the way the facility is set up, and based on my experience there. If your looking for a simple but lovely experience, this is your place. It’s a nostalgic motel, so not super fancy, but there is something magic about it. It’s one of my favorite motels in the United States, & most certainly in the area. I’ve stayed at most of the major hotels in St. Pete Beach, and having experienced others, for me, only served to confirm my sentiment - the Dolphin is the best. The rooms are nice & large, very clean, and the facility has one of the best layouts of any hotel in the St. Pete Beach/Treasure Island area. You can (easily) see the beach from the pool, it’s easy to go back & forth, guests don’t seem to reserve chairs unnecessarily, so I can always get one, & the little poolside bar & restaurant is steps from both the beach & pool. The beach is one of the most pristine in all of St. Pete Beach. The beach view rooms are the only ones I have ever stayed in at the Dolphin, but even if you can’t get a beach front, the hotel is convenient & you can still get around the facility easily and enjoy the pool/beach. The people who work there are also nice & welcoming. The front desk staff always gets my reservation right, no hassles. My room wasn’t ready upon arrival this time, but the front desk staff graciously gave me a towel & said my family was welcome to enjoy the beach & pool while we waited. They were so nice about it that we didn’t even mind the wait. Flippers, the beach bar/restaurant is great, cold drinks, good food & good service. The breakfast venue is nice, too. Very simple, nothing fancy but it serves the purpose. They seem a little short staffed but still efficient (especially compared to service we received elsewhere, where we waited over an hour for our food… the Dolphin was MUCH more efficient) and the people who work there are nice & always make us feel welcome. I cannot say enough good things about the Dolphin. All of it. It’s truly a jewel.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:The Dolphin doesn’t provide pool towels, but it’s never been a problem - we go across the street...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When I reserved the room it stated my room had a balcony front beach view and I didn't also it never stated I would be charged $10 a night for parking. The staff were horribly rude and the place has an old smell to it. My husband is disabled no accommodation made for him. I am extremely disappointed with this place. Never again.
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Date of stay: August 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Iman Lakhani, Other at Dolphin Beach Resort
Responded Aug 10, 2020
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We do have ADA rooms that are available to be booked or requested when you book. They are limited, though, so we highly suggest calling to see if they are available ahead of time. It is hard to make such an accommodation at the last moment when we are very busy. Our parking fee is noted on every single site, including the homepage of our website. We do this because we want to be as transparent as possible about the fee. We do not want to trick anyone about what they will be paying to stay with us. If you did book a Deluxe Beachfront room, all of these rooms have either a private patio or balcony. This is the only room category that we describe as having a balcony. I do not know if there was a clerk error when you checked in or if you booked a different category than you thought, but I am sorry you didn't get the room you were expecting. We truly strive to make every stay a positive one and will continue working hard to achieve that goal.
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The sewage smelling water coming out of a work hole in the parking lot was the first red flag but we were meeting an old friend so we went in anyways . Then we were told only one car ( at a $10 and change extra charge ) per room . But were told they had parking across the street we could use . Talking to someone who had parked over there it was $40 a night to park in a restaurant parking lot . So we decided to get a room . The room seemed clean but had the old smell and the carpet ... well just look at the pic ... after the first night we found that the sliding balcony door had no lock but we only had one more day . The pool was way over crowded and the loud latino music kept us away from there . It did have a nice outside bar area but it was obvious that the bar maid really didn't want to be there and I was told made very weak drinks for there price . We won't be back ...
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Date of stay: August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The DBR, Other at Dolphin Beach Resort
Responded Aug 13, 2020
Thanks for writing a review of our property, though I don't know what we are expected to do about completing work on our grease trap that is required by the city. The smell is only detectable when you are in the parking lot near the trap, not when you are in the lobby, guest rooms, pool area, etc. Every single comparable property on St. Pete Beach has at least a resort fee or parking charge of $15.00 a night and all properties only guarantee one parking spot per room. We are especially strict with parking since the work we are doing in our parking lot has taken up about 12 parking spots. We need to make sure that everyone that books a room has space to park, which is why we can't allow multiple cars per room when we are busy. I looked at the carpet pictures very closely and only saw clean carpet. I'm not sure if you were trying to comment on the style of the carpet, but I didn't see anything physically wrong in the picture. Sliding glass door locks do sometimes fail due to the salt air rusting them out, however every single room with a slider has an added bar at the bottom of the sliding glass door keeping the door closed when engaged even if the lock isn't working. We have extra locks in stock in maintenance and change them whenever they are reported to us or noticed by housekeeping/inspectors. We would have appreciated it if you would have let us know, even when leaving so that we had your room number and could fix or replace the lock. Our pricing on drinks is in line with the other beach properties in the area and we do not underpour. There is literally no incentive for the bartenders to do so since it would greatly affect their tips. It is even clear in your review that you didn't order a drink and find it weak, but that you were told the drinks were weak by someone else and yet included it in the review. I find it odd that you stayed with us for multiple nights and didn't mention any of these issues until after you left. We had no way to help make your stay any better and we truly wish you had given us that opportunity.
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The fact that the price for this place was 430 dollars a night is a joke in itself. It is by no means a “resort” in any sense of the word. I’d say it’s a tier below a Motel 8. There was crust and food residue on our carpet and some unidentified dampness. The room reeked of ammonia from cleaning products which seems like the process of cleaning took no more than a Lysol spray container. The comforter had a strange stain on it. My boyfriend and I didn’t really want to question anything since we had already been completely screwed on the price. We avoided the room at all costs and left bright and early to check out. If you’re looking for a bed for 430 dollars, check out hotels tonight and stay at the don Cesar for the same price. Otherwise, sleeping in your car or on the beach would be your best bet.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
male receptionist at front desk needs training when helping senior citizens-I had a sign in the vanity to turn off water when shaving (in order to conserve water) but it took me around 13 minutes just to get hot water. his attitude told me he wasn't going to inform thr right people to get it dow
TV didn't work when we arrived got it to work when I tuned it on nothing happened. Call the next day sommeone came and told me wasn'trained to fix it he fiddled around with it for some time and he said it was going to work, AND IT DID,
The rooms had no lamp near the desl so I couldn't read zin the dark. Tour guide told me she get one and again I got the lamp,
My room cleaner did take my dirty toweks away and restocked the towels and made the bed and somrtime used the vacumn but never cleaned the bath room.But she was very friendly,
The small restsurant had enough to coose from. I was alone but she wasn't treating me the same way ae tables that were filled with 2 or 4 to a table, She never told me the specials. She dropped my food onmy table and rused over to take oders, sHE (vENESSA) never came back because I wanted another cole slaw. I asked for the check two times and never got it so I went to cashier to pay and came with her sour puss face to cashier.I gave her a small tip because she never came back with the cole slaw.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:pick a pool room. My standard room required me to another building (not a good scenario when we...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from TheDBR, Operations Manager at Dolphin Beach Resort
Responded Mar 25, 2020
Thank you very much for your review and recent stay with us. I am sorry to hear that you had a few issues during your stay with us and felt that they were not appropriately resolved. The issue with hot water could be as simple as a valve that is partially shut off, but maintenance should have been made aware. I am happy to hear that maintenance was able to fix whatever tv issue you had, but if it had not been able to be resolved in your room, we would have simply replaced the TV and taken the broken one back to our shop to have it worked on. I have to say it is highly unlikely that your bathroom was not cleaned at all during your stay, but clearly some thoroughness was overlooked if it appeared that the area had not been touched. I have passed along your comments to the dining room supervisor regarding your serving experience and it will be addressed. It doesn't matter how many people are dining at a table. Each and every guest should be served promptly and with kindness. We do appreciate your lengthy review and will do what we can to correct the issues. Please stay safe during this stressful and uncertain time!
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We requested a room with a balcony and view of the water. The view consisted of the hotels enormous air conditioner unit to the right,( with non stopping noise 24 & 7. ) another hotel directly across from the balcony, and more building to the left. We paid the same price as our son, staying in a room with a beach view, and no air conditioner unit keeping them awake all night. When we made reservations, we were never told we would be paying $16.05 a day for parking, Because of Covid, there was no housekeeping until the 4th day ( we were there for 3) The entire building was very dated and shabby looking, not even close to the photos they use for advertising, do they even wash the bed spreads ? It doesn't look like it. What a sad place.... it is so in need of at the very least, a coat of paint. No attempts to make this place attractive at all. The hallways actually stank of old age and mold.
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Date of stay: October 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
"They charge to park. Unless you are staying here. They do provide you with nice beach cabanas, towels and chairs on beach and by the pool.
The restaurant closes early. "
There are more places to choose from in the St. Pete Beach area.
PRICE RANGE
C$261 - C$412 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
dolphin beach hotel saint pete beach, dolphin beach saint pete, dolphin beach resort saint pete beach, dolphin beach resort florida
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaSt. Pete Beach
NUMBER OF ROOMS
173
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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