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"Cedar Cove is a wonderful taste of old Florida. Well appointed Cottages and suites, a great beach and wonderful employees all made for a perfect vacation. Any little problem/question we had was responded to immediately. I can't wait to go back!"

"This is a tough review to write as there are aspects of Cedar Cove Resort which are favorable and other areas that we did not like. We stayed for 2 days in early July of 2026. First, the manager and workers are extremely helpful and friendly. We got to know the part time maintenance person, Steve, who helped carry our bags to the second story room. He also drove us to a number of venue’s out of his good will. Steve gave us a superb lay-of-the-land review. The manager does leave at 4:30pm. If you needed to check-in or have an emergency, a phone was outside the front office to call. A box was close by to drop in your key if you needed to leave early in the morning. Two towels are given to you. A basket is in the room to deposit them when you leave. Cleaning is done on a “ask” basis which was fine for us. Unlike Sarasota which is just south of Bradenton Beach where high rises are everywhere. Bradenton Beach has a limit of three stories. Also, there are no Marriott’s or Hampton Inn’s on the beach area. The Inn’s and hotels on Anna Maria Island are owned by mom-and-pop type of establishments. Anna Maria Island is highly loved by many people over the years. The area does grow on you. Cedar Cove is situated on the main two-lane road, which is usually very busy. There are a number of parking spaces right along this road, feet away from where people drive. After a while, we just got use to “this is how it is.” Parking at Cedar Cove is designated. I guess the more expensive the room you have, depends if you get to park near your room? We just did not like where we parked. We booked directly with the hotel and reserved a room with a “garden view.” Being that we live close to the beach on the Florida’s East coast, having a “Gulf view” was not important to us. Also, the prices go up depending on the view you select. We were given a room on the second floor of their main three storied building. Nowhere was there a “garden view” except over a Palm Tree. The manager did offer a room across the busy street. We decided to stay in the 2nd storied room. We just don’t like climbing stairs and that’s when Steve came to help carry our bags. The room was definitely clean. My wife did not like the bathroom though. I found the bathroom doable. Having a real key and locking the door from the inside is a bit quirky. Steve took us to buy some lotion as there is none in the room. There is hanging bottle of liquid shampoo and body wash by the tub. There is coffee in the room. There was a small package and half of powdered creamer and sugar. More of the condiments should be given, particularly for a 2 day stay. If we wanted more coffee, we could purchase more from the front office. There was a large refrigerator and a microwave. If you needed to cook, there are barbecue pits outside. The older style AC did make plenty of noise. Our AC, was situated over the bed which made it even nosier. I did not mind the “white noise” though, and it did make the room cool. My hearing is impaired a bit, but my wife did hear the upstairs room making noise at night. The Forty-inch TV had plenty of stations. But it was an older model without streaming capabilities. Even though Cedar Cove is on the beach, it is several hundred feet from the water’s edge. If you carry the lounge chair to the ocean’s edge, you are expected to carry it back. A $25,000 fine could be assessed against the hotel for lounges left along the beach. The fine is to protect the Turtles laying their eggs along the beach. You can easily see where turtle eggs are laid, particularly in the summer months, and these nests are well marked by a dedicated Turtle Patrol. There is no doubt the beauty of the white sand beaches and the greenish-blue waters. If you are lucky without clouds, there is also an incredible sunset that can be viewed. For someone from the North, this is what you desire and pay for. There are a good many restaurants along Anna Maria Island. A “free” trolly service is offered and there is a “trolly stop” next to Cedar Cove. There is usually a 15 minute or more wait depending on the season. We did take advantage of this service. Cedar Cove will rent you a “golf cart” if you so desire. There is no speeding on Anna Maria and usually there is plenty of congestion anyway. Best to take the trolly or rent a golf cart. A mile south from Cedar Cove along the beach is Gulf Drive Café. Our breakfast was exceptional. The dinner, though, was a major disappointment. We also went to the Salt Café. It is rather expensive. Steve told us his favorite restaurant is called, “The Feast,” but we never did make that journey. Not far away is the historic area of Bridge Street Pier. I did enjoy the very crunchy conch fritters at Anna Maria Oyster Bar. Dallas, the bartender, is exceptional. Cedar Cove is an older property but well taken care of. Depending on the room may determine your experience. We thought the price point to be good considering there was no pool or breakfast. If you come for the sun, beach and Gulf, you should not be disappointed. If you found this review to be helpful in anyway, please click the “thumbs-up” icon to let me know."

"Cedar Cove was perfect for our beach vacay. The resort provided all the amenities necessary for a worry-free trip. The staff was friendly and went above and beyond during our stay. It is a great choice for a visit to the beautiful beach on AMI!"