When looking for the best hotel in Fort Myers beach, it may be more like the best hotel for the money. We have generally stayed at the Edison Beach House. I can tell you, there’s very little wrong and a lot right with that place.
This time, we decided to look around and see what other properties we might try. Our review of TripAdvisor came up with The Flamingo Inn. It is an older property that has been upgraded. To be honest, we think they did a pretty good job,
The Upgrade
In our estimation, it appears the building was built in the 1950s or 1960s, based on the style of the architecture and layout. Our room was in the corner of the second floor. It was a large, single room with an adjoining bath. Like many of the rooms we have stayed in, it was dominated by the king-sized bed. The bed had nightstand on each side – one for each of us (we like that).
Plus, I can say the bed was pretty comfortable.
Our room had all the regular creature comforts. We had the obligatory TV, fridge, microwave and coffee maker. There was a closet with hangars and a small table and chairs where we could work or have a bite to eat.
But we also enjoyed a small valet where I could hang my clothes. In addition, there was a stand-alone, adjustable full-length mirror my wife could use in getting ready. She told me what a handy thing that was.
Our bathroom also was a significant upgrade. There was a pentagon-shaped shower. It was small, with the clear panels made of plexiglass. However, it was easily large enough to take a relaxing shower and there was plenty of hot water.
Possibly the best part of our shower was the rainfall head and matching spray wand. This provided us with a most luxurious experience. We were impressed both with the design and the functionality of them. The spray wand certainly made it easier to get the last traces of sand from our feet.
Location, Location and Location
When we first looked at a map, we thought The Flamingo Inn was a bit closer to Times Square. However, when we arrived, it was better than three miles away from the center of the action. Estero Boulevard is the only real thoroughfare through Fort Myers Beach. That, combined with traffic, construction and lack of parking made driving back and forth somewhat of a challenge.
However, The Flamingo Inn actually is very near the Gulf itself. A short walk down Flamingo Street led us to a beach entrance. This was a rather long path, covered in a blue material that made it easy for those dragging wagons or in wheelchairs to get down to the sand.
There were park-for-charge spaces at the end of the street, which certainly made our walk worth the effort. Several signs were planted among the Florida native plants on the way down the walkway. They explained everything from beach procedures to information about turtle nesting season.
In fact, there was a designated turtle nesting area just where the path emptied out onto the beach. The beach itself (which apparently has no official name), was wide and virtually uninhabited. Because there were only a half dozen or so paid parking spaces, we surmise there wouldn’t be a lot of visitors.
We were informed that the hotel would have provided chairs and a beach umbrella upon request. Sadly, we were not able to take advantage of that offer this time, but might well do it during a return visit.
In Summary
When looking for the best hotel in Fort Myers Beach – at least the best hotel for the money, we got a pretty good value. There were some downsides. The stairs up to our room were steep. This was especially challenging while carrying our luggage. There was no real view from our windows. Worst of all, we had noisy neighbors who had a couple of barking dogs.
We can say, the owners have done a respectable job upgrading the place, Our room had highly polished wood floors and nice crown molding around the top, The place was quite clean. Overall, The Flamingo Inn was a good value – although it was a bit far down the island for our taste.
