The Neptune Resort

The Neptune Resort is housed in two- and three-story motel-style buildings on landscaped grounds with a courtyard, palm trees, lawns, shrubs, flowers, and statuary. The lobby is fairly nondescript, and features a potted plant, soft rattan furniture, a flat-screen TV on one wall, and a photomural of a beach on another wall. Guests gather in and around the two swimming pools, one is freeform and bordered by a deck with blue lounge chairs and tables covered with blue umbrellas. The other pool is a smaller rectangle. Guests can also relax in shaded sitting areas, barbecue on grass grills, and have meals at picnic tables, and the vibe overall is casual. The hotel's expansive white-sand beach is far enough from the pier and main public beach in Fort Myers Beach to remain mostly uncrowded, and most guests are tourist couples and families who like the relaxed atmosphere and affordable rates.

The beachfront Neptune Resort is on Estero Boulevard overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, in an area with resorts, condos, shops, restaurants, and bars. The hotel is a five-minute walk west of the Matanzas Pass Preserve. Guests can walk about 15 minutes, drive five minutes, or take the Fort Myers Beach Trolley (for a fee) outside the hotel to get to the center of Fort Myers Beach. Here they will find the main public beach, the pier, and the shops, outdoor dining, and street performers at Times Square. Highway 865 and the Matanzas Pass Bridge to the mainland are also in town. It's a five-minute drive from the hotel to get to the Fort Myers – Key West Ferry. Located a six-minute drive away, Lovers Key State Park features canoeing, kayaking, and wildlife viewing. Also within a five-minute drive is Mound House, Estero Island's oldest standing structure sitting on an ancient Calusa Indian mound. It takes 30 minutes to reach the hotel from Southwest Florida International Airport by car. 

The 70 all non-smoking suites at The Neptune Resort are arrayed in separate two-floor and three-floor wings. Both are motel-style buildings with exterior corridors and no elevators -- guests with mobility issues should check ahead. Suites come in Studio, One-Bedroom, and Three-Bedroom Executive configurations, and all are spacious, ranging from 450 to 1700 square feet (42 to 158 square feet). Suites are clean and get good natural light, and style throughout is homey and simple, with a hint of tropical flair. The color palette includes plenty of neutrals like neutral white, grey, beige, and chocolate brown, with tile, carpeted, or wood floors. Furniture is a combination of wicker pieces, heavier hardwood nightstands and dressers, and deep-colored couches and seating. Studios and One-Bedrooms come with ceiling fans, air-conditioning, kitchenettes, sofa beds, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs (one-bedrooms have two TVs) with basic cable channels. Wi-Fi reception is occasionally spotty. Some suites have Gulf views, and Executive Suites have three bedrooms, three bathrooms, washers and dryers, full kitchens, dining areas, four TVs, and a 40-foot balcony with gulf views. Bathrooms are clean and in good condition, with decent counter space, but not all have shower/tub combos. 

The Neptune Resort is located on a big stretch of powdery white-sand beach. The hotel provides towels, lounge chairs, and umbrellas. Two cabanas are available on a first come, first served basis. Staff can help arrange water sports like parasailing, kayaking, and jet skiing (all for a fee). Guests can swim in one of two outdoor heated pools at the hotel, both with space for sunbathing as well. The Neptune also has lighted shuffleboard courts, and a small fitness center with a treadmill, stair-stepper, free weights, and flat-screen TV. The hotel has no on-site dining and drinking venues, but plenty of restaurants and bars are within walking distance, as are a convenience store and supermarket for food to cook in the suites and on the hotel's two gas barbecue grills. Guests can get snacks from the lobby sundries shop, which also carries hotel-themed clothing and gifts, and there's free morning coffee in the lobby. Also on site are a lobby business center and free parking. Note: The Neptune charges a resort fee at check-out and the front desk is closed overnight.