The Resort and Club at Little Harbor

Ruskin seems to be isolated, not much going on in the neighborhood. But surprisingly, there are quite a few nice eateries nearby and the manatee viewing center is in neighboring Appollo Beach. Tampa, Clearwater, St Petersburg and Sarasota are all in easy drive distance.
The Harborside resort was nicely done interiorly. Well furnished in kitchen. All the gates, elevator and rooms are accessed by electronic card. Very safe.
The pool, hot tub look nice though we did not get to use them. Fitness room offers enough of machine and equipment.
Our only gripe was they only gave 2 rolls of toilet paper for one week’s stay. You are on your own if you need more. Kind of annoying! Also, the hallway often smelled like some strong cleaning agent in the air.
Overall, decent clean place!

Beautiful suites with a view of the bay. We were on the first floor with a lovely patio. I wish I had asked for an upper floor to see the view better

I have a 3 bedroom suite right on the harbor with 2 balconies facing Tampa Bay. I really like watching boats, especially cruise ships coast in and out of the bay. I truly feel the atmosphere of a beach house in this home and my kids are having a blast. Wifi is pretty weak and the beach itself is a tad bit filthy, but it won’t ruin my experience. I’m loving this place.

Room was basic, poor to no wifi, pool was not the cleanest but not filthy either. Beach was ok at best, would not recommend this resort to a friend and will not return

Stayed 2 nights Monday — Wednesday in November.
Pros:
great location on the water for those staying at the Harborside Suites
very comfortable mattresses
beautiful coastal décor
kitchen
perfect balcony over marina for morning coffee, bird watching, fish watching, and intriguing manatee watching
beautiful décor
easy parking and luggage carts available
housekeeping employees are very nice and knowledgeable
There is a sanded beach with chairs and umbrellas on the bay.
Very clean grounds.
Lovely landscaping.
Lots of clean towels and washcloths.
Very quiet at night and peaceful in the mornings.
Very easy to get to from 75 south.
Cons:
Very slow reception process and online reservation confirmation numbers do not transfer to hotel system
Restaurant is terrible processed frozen factory food and frozen seafood. This is the main one on the beach. Interior looks like an abandoned Shoneys. Most people choose to eat in the bar as we did. At least the drinks are good.
The unit carpets need cleaning.
Did not get a chance to try new restaurant, Hooks, but the parking lot was packed late on a Tuesday.
This resort seems to be a snowbird favorite.
I am concerned there there is a lot of crime nearby because there is a sheriff’s department patrol car patrolling the resort day and night. There is a guard at entrance after dark and even though you have a large parking pass on dash, she makes you stop to record your name. If there are break ins or other crimes, at least the resort is being responsible and has great security at present.
There are 100 or more condos across the street that seem 10% occupied. Many you can find on vrbo for rent.

Marina Review — The marina staff was great and the amenities second to none. We were traveling with three sailboats and all had a great time. We found two pools, tennis courts, an outdoor fireplace, etc., etc. the weather was great so we stayed aboard our boats although it was nice to know rooms were available for company. There’s an old rule… Boats only sleep two.

Nice place, just in front of a marine and the beach. Ask for a higher floor with marine view. There is a small pool for splashing at evenings, and also there is a great bbq area for grilling the day catch. Here you are like in the middle of good beaches, you are from 40 min driving north up to Clearwater or 40 min driving south to coquina beach. The complex also has many truly good spots, but many of them, for watching gorgeous sunsets. It is a good place for relaxing and having good time with the family. I found the room very clean and well decorated. The service was perfect.

Very clean. Nice condos. Nice restaurants. It’s just that it’s out in the middle of nowhere and you have to drive at least an hour to get to a decent beach. The week we were there there had been bad rainstorms the week before so the beachy area for the resort was actually a dark brown! It was disgusting. There was too much bacteria for anyone to use it.

This area off Shell point Rd., is over a small bridge, which makes it a private Islad. The island is man made and all composed of fill. Prior to being Little Harbour, it was Bahia Del Sol for many, many years. This island initially only had a beach with a hot dog & soda stand. Years latter the original few condos, 2 houses, a marina, a motel & eventually a restaurant appeared. Now that Little harbour has taken over, they have overpopulated the island & ruined the totally unique quaint & exclusiveness of this area.
The hotel was redone & all rooms are 2 room suites. Personally I grew up with this area in my life & even lived there, at 1 point in time. Even though I am disquested with what Little Harbour has done to the island, I still use it as a private get away at times.
Most of the individual hotel suites have been sold as condos. The beach is across the street, very close, watch sunset from your living room or go to the Tiki bar. All of the rooms are pretty equal, price is usually not too high, 2 pools & relaxed environment. I know I am a bit partial, but I always enjoy my time here. If you are there on a weekend, chances are there will be at least 1 wedding on the beach.

I recently attended a wedding and reception here. The setting was beautiful, with the exception of it being a blustery 50 degree Florida winter day. The overall ambiance of the wedding on the beach and the reception in the banquet hall was ideal. The only negative is that a boat recently crashed into the restaurant/​banquet hall a few days ago so not sure what that will do to upcoming events and how long it will take them to get up and running again.

Great place to stay with family and friends! Within walking distance is the beach, several pools, and places to eat. They have several different rooms available to rent depending upon what you need and how many people you have. Staff is great and Winn Dixie is a ten minute drive if you forgot to pack something.

As one that spends 150+ nights in hotels each year I’m never sure if I’m over critical when I stay at a non-​chain hotel for vacations. The room was nice, I can honestly say that I don’t ever recall seeing a tile floor in a hotel. The WiFi was spotty at best and with kids in tow spotty WiFi can become a headache for the parents. The room was clean with plenty of towels. We didn’t eat in either of the on-​site restaurants, but both were busy. If you want a very low key relaxing stay this place is perfect.