12.21.2010

The Tortuga Inn













If you are my friend IRL you probably know of my brand loyalty to Hilton. I am a devoted Hilton hotel consumer and have been for about 4 years. It started when I worked for the evil M---thon Oil Company and spent many, many nights out on the road. I quickly learned that as far as business class chains were concerned, Hampton Inns were pretty consistent in quality and I loved the packed to-go breakfast bags for a morning snack in the car. So I joined the Hilton Honors program (points never expire!) and became incredibly loyal. I even have the Hilton American Express Card. James and I got engaged in the Conrad Chicago... so yeah Hilton's are special to us.

So what did this super long/boring intro have to do with this post's title? Actually a lot. When it came time to find a place to stay on Anna Maria Island to see my grandpa, I was so excited to find out that there was a Hilton just slightly down the road (20 min) in Longboat Key. I was not excited when I found out that a room the size of a closet was $200+. So after one night, I decided to try elsewhere. And then came the Tortuga Inn.

I wasn't thrilled to spend the night in a place that wasn't a chain and that didn't give me points. But then I fell in love with this little oasis.

So... heads up. As Anna Maria is a destination for travel, no place on the island does hotel blocks for weddings. However, the amazing people at the Tortuga Inn are giving our wedding guests 10% off. I've stayed twice with them now and I can't get over the level of customer service, the beauty of the grounds, and the value of their suites. Our goal is to try to have all wedding guests stay at the Tortuga Inn or their sister property .25 mi down the road at the Tradewinds Resort. James and I suggest that if attending our wedding with another couple (or 2), that you book a two or three bedroom suite. If this is not your idea of fun, we suggest the individual cottages at the Tradewinds for just the two of you. Let me know if you are interested in booking and I'll give you the reservation code.

To show how nice the rooms are, I took photos of the two bedroom suite we had while we went back to the island for my grandma's funeral. My brother Chris stayed with us and he liked the place as well.
The second bedroom where Chris stayed. The beds can come as twin beds or if you give the Tortuga a heads up, they will move them together and put on a mattress pad that turns it into a king bed.

The room James and I stayed in. It looks much smaller than it is.

The full sized, furnished kitchen that had everything you would need to cook a full meal if you wanted.

Full living room... and what you can't see off to the right is the tv that has a dvd player and VHS player. Not sure why you would want VHS... but it is an option. Also my nerdy heart loved the books in the book cases... real books to borrow while you lay out on the beach!

This was our private gate entrance that had a landscaped patio. It was amazing.

Other side of the patio... you can see our gate in the back.

And the large spacious bathroom.

So you can see why we think this place would be a great deal if two couples decided to bunk together. It would be a cost saver and allows you to have a nice two bedroom apartment.


A courtyard pool hidden between rooms. Not the main pool but it was really neat. My point and shoot camera at night does not do it justice.

Our courtyard with fountains and shrubs and trees. You can see our open gate to the right.









If you are attending we hope you'll agree that this a treasure and stay on property with us.

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