Pros

  • Quiet beachfront location in South Padre Island near Schlitterbahn Waterpark
  • Simple rooms with balconies, flat-screen TVs, minibars, and coffeemakers
  • Most units are apartments with kitchenettes or full kitchens
  • Lovely, huge outdoor pool with adjacent whirlpools and giant chess
  • Spa with lots of body treatments, Aveda products, and salon services
  • Small gym has basic cardio and weight-training equipment
  • Las Olas restaurant serves seafood and Mexican specialties
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
  • Free on-site parking
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Cons

  • Maintenance issues throughout
  • Cleaning fee added on at checkout
  • Parking lot is far from reception (but golf cart rides available)
  • Complaints of poor breakfast
  • Restaurant isn't open daily for dinner
  • Gym is small and dark
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Bottom Line

Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is an older mid-range vacation property catering to families and groups on a budget. Most of the 70 units here are apartments with cooking facilities and sofa beds, but even standard rooms feature furnished balconies, free Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and minibars. Maintenance, however, seems to be lacking, and there have been complaints of sloppy housekeeping. The main courtyard houses a large pool with two whirlpools, a giant chess board, and lots of lounge chairs. A wooden path links to the beach in the distance, where there are more lounge chairs still. Other amenities include a spa that uses Aveda products, a small (and dark) gym, and a restaurant with limited weekday hours. It's worth considering Isla Grand Beach Resort nearby, which offers rooms and condos and features sleeker amenities. Rates, however, are generally higher there. 

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Jacuzzi
  • Kids Club
  • Pool
  • Spa

Oyster Hotel Review

Peninsula Island Resort & Spa

Scene

Older mid-range family resort with rundown beachfront grounds

Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is a mid-range vacation hotel popular with families on a budget who want self-catering options. Rooms and facilities are situated in pale-yellow, six-story structures situated on a flat stretch of land between the main road and the beach. Common areas here feel rundown in many places, with patchy grass on the hotel's lawns and worn concrete floors in the semi-outdoor hallways. The lobby here is simple, with a few modern art prints and a predominantly neutral color scheme, though most guests hang out at the pool at the heart of the resort anyway. Competitive rates, big apartments with multiple bedrooms and cooking facilities, and easy access to the beach make this a popular pick with families, but those with a slightly bigger budget are probably better off staying elsewhere.

See More Scene

Location

Quiet beachfront location on South Padre Island, near Schlitterbahn Waterpark

The Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is located on the southern part of South Padre Island, which helps make it feel quieter than hotels in the middle of the hotel sprawl. It's along the beach, though reaching the sand from the pool takes about two minutes via a wooden boardwalk. A vacant sand lot separates the parking area -- closer to the road and somewhat of a walk -- from the hotel. Nearby attractions include Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Port Isabel Lighthouse & Museum, and the South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center, all within a five- to 10-minute drive of the hotel. It's 12 minutes by car to the South Padre Island Convention Center, while getting to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge takes about 45 minutes by car. Factor in at least an hour to get to the Rio Grande Valley International Airport, depending on traffic.

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Rooms

Simple rooms with balconies and apartments with kitchens

Rooms at Peninsula Island Resort range from entry-level hotel room-style Deluxe units (added to the property in 2016), clear up to a three-bedroom Presidential suite, with One- and Two-Bedroom Apartments in between. Decor across categories is simple, consisting of beige walls brightened up with large colorful abstract or underwater scene prints, off-white tile floors, comforters in neutral or green hues, and sliding glass doors that lead out to furnished balconies. Some of the views aren't that great, particularly in pool-facing rooms towards the coastal side of the building, which have partial pool views and partial views of a parking area and a barren patch of land. 

Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs with cable channels, minibars, safes, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi, and all of the units come with sofa beds or plush benches that can be made up as small beds, a good choice for those traveling with young children. All but the Deluxe rooms are set up like apartments, having fully equipped kitchens with stoves and ovens, or kitchenettes with microwaves, toasters, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers. Simple bathrooms have cream-colored tiling, granite countertops, and either shower/tub combos or walk-in showers. Basic toiletries and hairdryers are provided. 

Note that a cleaning fee is added on to final bills and that there have been many complaints of maintenance issues. Housekeeping is also reportedly sloppy, which means that toilet paper isn’t always replenished and that there might not be enough towels for all guests staying in the same room.

See More Rooms

Features

Large outdoor pool area, small gym, Aveda spa, and seafood restaurant with room service

The star feature at this resort is the huge outdoor pool, which has a beach-style entrance on one end, a small splash area with a mini basketball hoop on the other, two submerged whirlpools, and plenty of space to accommodate lap swimming and people who just want to hang out in the pool and relax. There's a gigantic chess board off to one side and tons of lounge chairs, with more down on the nearby beach. Back indoors, there's a fitness center with a few pieces of cardio and weight-training equipment, but the space is dark and tiny. There's also a small spa offering massages and other treatments using Aveda products.

The hotel's on-site restaurant, Las Olas, is open for breakfast and lunch every day of the week, but it doesn't offer dinner service daily. The focus here is on seafood and Mexican cuisine, and there's a large wine list with lots of offerings both by the bottle and glass. Room service is also available. While there are no proper meeting spaces, the hotel does do destination weddings, with services out on the beach. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and there is plenty of on-site parking, also for free.

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Things You Should Know About Peninsula Island Resort & Spa

Also Known As

  • Peninsula Island Resort & Spa - All Suites

Room Types

  • Luxury
  • Presidential
  • Studio

Address

340 Padre Blvd, South Padre Island, Texas 78597-6501, United States

Phone

(956) 761-2514

Website

Oyster Hotel Review

Peninsula Island Resort & Spa

Scene

Older mid-range family resort with rundown beachfront grounds

Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is a mid-range vacation hotel popular with families on a budget who want self-catering options. Rooms and facilities are situated in pale-yellow, six-story structures situated on a flat stretch of land between the main road and the beach. Common areas here feel rundown in many places, with patchy grass on the hotel's lawns and worn concrete floors in the semi-outdoor hallways. The lobby here is simple, with a few modern art prints and a predominantly neutral color scheme, though most guests hang out at the pool at the heart of the resort anyway. Competitive rates, big apartments with multiple bedrooms and cooking facilities, and easy access to the beach make this a popular pick with families, but those with a slightly bigger budget are probably better off staying elsewhere.

See More Scene

Location

Quiet beachfront location on South Padre Island, near Schlitterbahn Waterpark

The Peninsula Island Resort & Spa is located on the southern part of South Padre Island, which helps make it feel quieter than hotels in the middle of the hotel sprawl. It's along the beach, though reaching the sand from the pool takes about two minutes via a wooden boardwalk. A vacant sand lot separates the parking area -- closer to the road and somewhat of a walk -- from the hotel. Nearby attractions include Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Port Isabel Lighthouse & Museum, and the South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center, all within a five- to 10-minute drive of the hotel. It's 12 minutes by car to the South Padre Island Convention Center, while getting to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge takes about 45 minutes by car. Factor in at least an hour to get to the Rio Grande Valley International Airport, depending on traffic.

See More Location

Rooms

Simple rooms with balconies and apartments with kitchens

Rooms at Peninsula Island Resort range from entry-level hotel room-style Deluxe units (added to the property in 2016), clear up to a three-bedroom Presidential suite, with One- and Two-Bedroom Apartments in between. Decor across categories is simple, consisting of beige walls brightened up with large colorful abstract or underwater scene prints, off-white tile floors, comforters in neutral or green hues, and sliding glass doors that lead out to furnished balconies. Some of the views aren't that great, particularly in pool-facing rooms towards the coastal side of the building, which have partial pool views and partial views of a parking area and a barren patch of land. 

Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs with cable channels, minibars, safes, coffeemakers, and free Wi-Fi, and all of the units come with sofa beds or plush benches that can be made up as small beds, a good choice for those traveling with young children. All but the Deluxe rooms are set up like apartments, having fully equipped kitchens with stoves and ovens, or kitchenettes with microwaves, toasters, mini-fridges, and coffeemakers. Simple bathrooms have cream-colored tiling, granite countertops, and either shower/tub combos or walk-in showers. Basic toiletries and hairdryers are provided. 

Note that a cleaning fee is added on to final bills and that there have been many complaints of maintenance issues. Housekeeping is also reportedly sloppy, which means that toilet paper isn’t always replenished and that there might not be enough towels for all guests staying in the same room.

See More Rooms

Features

Large outdoor pool area, small gym, Aveda spa, and seafood restaurant with room service

The star feature at this resort is the huge outdoor pool, which has a beach-style entrance on one end, a small splash area with a mini basketball hoop on the other, two submerged whirlpools, and plenty of space to accommodate lap swimming and people who just want to hang out in the pool and relax. There's a gigantic chess board off to one side and tons of lounge chairs, with more down on the nearby beach. Back indoors, there's a fitness center with a few pieces of cardio and weight-training equipment, but the space is dark and tiny. There's also a small spa offering massages and other treatments using Aveda products.

The hotel's on-site restaurant, Las Olas, is open for breakfast and lunch every day of the week, but it doesn't offer dinner service daily. The focus here is on seafood and Mexican cuisine, and there's a large wine list with lots of offerings both by the bottle and glass. Room service is also available. While there are no proper meeting spaces, the hotel does do destination weddings, with services out on the beach. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and there is plenty of on-site parking, also for free.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Beach

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Children's Pool

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Jacuzzi

  • Kids Allowed

  • Kids Club

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Mini Bar (with liquor)

  • Pool

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Spa

  • Supervised Kids Activities

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.