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Sanibel Island, Florida
| Frequently Asked Questions
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| Accessible from the mainland by a toll bridge or by boat, | Can I make the Sanibel Island reservation by phone? We |
| Sanibel Island is 22 mi/35 km long and some 2 mi/3 km | would be happy to help you make any Sanibel Island hotel |
| wide. It's pretty and lush, although recent condo and hotel | reservation by phone. You can call our toll free number |
| construction has changed the pristine, undeveloped | between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through |
| character it used to have. With lots of resorts, restaurants | Friday (CST). 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. |
| and little shops, this island is definitely upscale compared | |
| with nearby Fort Myers Beach. As you enter the island, the | How can I be sure information about my credit card is |
| road gets narrower and the pace slows. You very quickly | secure? We use secure-socket-layer (SSL) encryption, the |
| want to join the cyclists, joggers and walkers on the | standard encryption on the Internet. This type of encryption |
| extensive network of bike/pedestrian lanes. Likewise, as | allows you to feel confident and secure about supplying |
| you leave Sanibel and cross over to neighboring Captiva | personal and credit card information. |
| Island, the road narrows yet further, and you'll see another | |
| noticeable upscale shift. | Is free breakfast available? Some hotels offer free |
| | breakfast with each room night booked. This information |
| Most of Sanibels mangrove swamp shoreline along | can be found on the property information "detail" page for |
| San Carlos Bay is protected within the 6,350-acre J.N. Ding | your specific property. |
| Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Darling was a | |
| conservation-minded cartoonist who helped to establish the | Is there a minimum age requirements to reserve a room? A |
| nations wildlife refuge system. Exhibits in | minimum age of 18 is required by most hotels to book a |
| the refuges visitor center include a re-creation of his art | room. Some require the guest(s) be 21. These |
| studio, a display honoring him and other heroes of | requirements and other amenities information on the |
| conservation, and a bird-observation room overlooking | property "Detail" pages. |
| outdoor feeding stations that attract many birds. You can | |
| walk or drive through the refuge on a 5 mi/8 km road atop a | How will I know when my reservation is confirmed? Our |
| dike separating saline tidal flats from freshwater ponds that | confirmation number displayed immediately upon |
| in winter attract vast flocks of migratory ducks. The | successfully making your reservation. Our systems work |
| refuges varied habitat supports more than 200 avian | behind the scenes to email you the final confirmation |
| species, including such rarities as the great white heron, | number. |
| bald eagle, reddish egret and roseate spoonbill. The large | |
| wading birds are most active at dawn and sunset. | Can I book the reservation to stay tonight? Some hotels |
| | accept reservations until 3:00pm on the arrival day. Only |
| Across the road from the refuge is a 262-acre conservation | hotels that follow this policy will show when the today's |
| center maintained by a local environmental group, the | arrival date is typed into the search form. |
| Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. Its property | |
| along the Sanibel River includes a native-plant nursery and | Are free shuttles supplied from the airport to the hotel? |
| four miles of trails through marshy swales and forested | Some hotels do offer free shuttle services from the airport |
| ridges. Alligators, gopher tortoises, raccoons, otters and | but not all. Please verify this information on the property |
| many species of birds dwell there. | information page, if this is import to you. |
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| Sanibel has nice white-sand beaches famous for their | What are additional fees and taxes? Each city/state has |
| harvest of seashells (low tide is the best time to go). Walk | different rates for taxes. Taxes are calculated and |
| along the beach for any length of time, and you'll | displayed on the hotel reservation amount. For some hotels |
| understand what people are referring to when they mention | there are additional fees charged to your room reservation. |
| the Sanibel stoop. You're allowed to take only two shells | These additional charges help us have the lowest rates on |
| per day with live creatures inside, but there's no limit on | the Internet. |
| empty ones. If you have a chance, visit the Sanibel | |
| Lighthouse in Old Town Sanibel, which was built in 1884. | Can you give driving directions? Yes, click the map link |
| | displayed on the property "Detail" page. This informative |
| Cross a short causeway at the far end of the refuge and | map will give you the main cross streets and address. Click |
| you're on Captiva Island (11 mi/18 km long and 1 mi/1.6 km | the tab: "directions", type in your address and click |
| wide). The dominant property there, located on the very tip | "submit". A detailed list of where to turn and how many miles |
| of the island, is South Seas Plantation Resort, with literally | will be displayed. |
| miles of beachfront on the Gulf of Mexico. Even those | |
| staying elsewhere will probably find their way there the | Do I pay for the entire reservation amount or do I just make |
| resort has upscale restaurants, and sightseeing cruises | a deposit to hold the room? It depends on the room you |
| leave from its marina in search of dolphins. | book. Some of our partners require just a $5.00 room night |
| | deposit to hold your room while others require a full |
| The farther you go out onto the island, the more expensive | payment for the room at the time of your reservation. Please |
| and in demand the accommodations tend to be (the best | refer to the amount displayed on the confirmation page to |
| resorts require minimum stays ranging from two nights to a | see what your credit card will be charged upon making the |
| week). Even if you're not overnighting, we recommend an | reservation. |
| excursion to Captiva for a look around. You won't be barred | |
| from the beach state law requires all beaches to be public | How do you book a room for someone else? You can us |
| but you'll find that the lack of public parking creates | our system to book a room for someone else. Make sure |
| something of an obstacle to visiting the shore. Or sign up for | you include that persons information as the guest. You can |
| the introduction-to-shelling walks that are offered Saturday | have a different person paying with their credit card than the |
| mornings by biologists affiliated with the Sanibel-Captiva | name and address of the guest staying in the room . |
| Conservation Foundation. | |
| | Instant confirmation, what does that mean? We coordinate |
| To the north of Captiva is Cayo Costa, home to Cayo Costa | closely with the properties in the database. Only those with |
| State Park, one of the largest unoccupied barrier islands in | room availability for the requested dates can be displayed |
| Florida. The park is only accessible by private boat or the | and booked through our system. After receiving |
| ferry from Pine Island, the neighboring and larger island to | confirmation on your credit card amount, the system |
| the east. If you're looking for a back-to-nature getaway | instantly issues a confirmation on the computer screen. We |
| that's far from the crowds, Cayo Costa is the place: It | also forward the hotel's official confirmation number within |
| remains much as it was 500 years ago. Enjoy miles of | 48 hours. |
| natural beaches, pine forests, mangrove swamps and | |
| spectacular bird life. Phone 941-964-0375 for ferry | "Internet hot deals", what is it? We work directly with many |
| information. | hotels to provide the lowest possible rates available on the |
| | Internet. In most cases, these rates are lower than all other |
| Farther north are Boca Grande and Cape Haze (though | online websites. These are designated with a "hot-deals" |
| you'll have to make a lengthy trip around Charlotte Harbor if | link and are listed first for search performed by destination |
| you don't have a boat). Boca Grande, on Gasparilla Island, | city. |
| is something of a throwback to the quieter days on the Gulf | |
| coast. Since 1913, Gasparilla Inn has been a winter retreat | Can I contact someone to help me? Yes. We have tried to |
| for many wealthy visitors attracted by the excitement of | answer most questions with our frequently asked questions |
| tarpon fishing in Boca Grande Pass. An old lighthouse at | sections. If youd like to talk with one of our knowledgeable |
| the south end of the island is a local landmark. The | customer service representatives please call our toll free |
| abandoned railroad right-of-way is now a 7 mi/11 km | number between the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday |
| bicycling and walking path, and the old station has been | through Friday (CST). 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and |
Florida Hotels
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FAQ Continued
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