We wanted a good location, accessible to FL West Coast Spring Training games, and also a nice beach spot on the Gulf Coast. This Sand Castle II unit provided both.
Arrival and check-in was competently handled by the ladies at Plumly Real Estate, just up the road from Sand Castle. Their resources and amenities, including free bikes and movie DVD rentals, were a nice touch and added value to our stay.
The unit itself served our needs with comfortable furniture, TV's and appliances that worked, and, being a corner unit, a nice wraparound outdoor deck for morning coffee and evening sunset watching.
Beach access was easy. There are plenty of comfy beach chais lounges with canopies to rent - pay the $25 and they're yours for the day. If you like walking, the beach goes for miles north or south, with plenty of firm sand along with gulls, pelicans, herons, and other indigenous sea birds to photograph along the way.
Sand Castle II also provides good restaurant access. The Pub is right across the street, Crabby Bills is about a mile north, and there are plenty of options driving south. We especially enjoyed Johns Pass Village and Boardwalk in Madeira Beach. Try the Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company. Great brew and food - sit outside to avoid the noise!
A few quibbles: This unit is on the 3rd floor, very near the pool and hot tub. The latter is very popular all day and well into the evening. We could hear hot tub conversations clearly in the master bedroom. Nothing rowdy, but the noise did detract from an otherwise peaceful location. There are also no recycling bins or facilities in this building - everything has to go in the trash, apparently. Trained as we are to separate our bottles, cans, and paper, it wasn't easy being "green"! Finally, there was no ice in the icemaker when we arrived, so I had to go out and buy some to get us through. What's a condo on the beach without an icy evening cocktail?
Thanks to Richard for sharing this lovely location!