Sandpearl Resort with Kids

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Clearwater Beach was one of our favorite pre-kid vacation destinations. We recently decided to give it a go with kids, but our favorite pre-kid hotel was great because there weren’t really any kids or families there, which clearly would not work for us now!! After some digging, we found and chose the incredible Sandpearl Resort. Mamas, this amazing kid-friendly resort actually made me feel like I was on vacation with the kids, instead of just a trip. Enjoy my honest-mom review of Sandpearl Resort with kids.

What is the Sandpearl Resort

The Sandpearl Resort is a ~250-room luxury resort, built in 2007 and part of the Opal Collection Resorts. TripAdvisor awarded the Sandpearl Resort a Travelers Choice award for 2023. This award is earned by consistently earning great reviews from travelers and ranking within Tripadvisor’s top 10% of properties.

The Sandpearl Resort is not all-inclusive and does charge a daily resort fee of $35 per guest that includes things like pool and beach chairs, pool towels, use of the fitness center, Wi-Fi, and in-room bottled waters to name a few.

I think it is important to note that the prices for Sandpearl Resort vary greatly depending on the time of year. We visited in early November, and the nightly price was 1/4 of what it would have been during April Vacation when our friends looked into going. Definitely do a little research on their busy times and investigate different weeks to find a reasonable option for your family.

Where is the Sandpearl Resort?

The Sandpearl Resort is beachfront on the beautiful north beach section of Clearwater Beach. As you drive into Clearwater Beach on Route 60, it is to your right via the rotary.  Turn onto Mandalay Avenue and the Sandpearl Resort is just over 2 blocks up on your left.  It is a 0.4-mile walk to Pier 60 (a must-visit hot spot on Clearwater Beach), which took us less than 10 minutes with two kids. 

Sandpearls location is convenient to the beach, Pier 60 and so many restaurants! We ate at several delicious, kid-friendly restaurants in Clearwater Beach, and all were easily walkable from the resort, without a stroller.

Making Reservations at Sandpearl Resort

Sandpearl Resort Reservations

Of course, you can book straight through Sandpearl Resort. But there are often lower rates on other websites.

You can visit TripAdvisor’s Sandpearl page to compare hotel prices for your dates on Hotels.com, Expedia, and the official hotel website. This allows for a quick comparison of the best rates for your vacation.

If you are a Booking.com fan, the website has worked with Sandpearl for over 12 years, since 2011. Check current Sandpearl Resort rates at Booking.com here.

Residences at Sandpearl Resort

Yes! There are condos at the Sandpearl Resort on VRBO, and they are available to rent on VRBO. What does this mean for you? First things first, more space!! Most condos include a kitchen and living space, at a minimum which we all know makes a huge difference when traveling with kids!! Secondly, the listings I checked out cost less for the penthouse condo with kitchen and living space than the standard hotel room. Umm yes, please!

Check out VRBO’s Sandpearl Resort Rentals Here to book your favorite!

Flying to Sandpearl Resort

The closest airport to the Sandpearl Resort is St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, about 15 miles away. But it is a small airport and there were no direct flights from our region there, so we flew into Tampa International Airport, which is about 21 miles from Sandpearl Resort.

Sandpearl Resort is 110 miles from Orlando International Airport.  Be warned, there can be a lot of traffic between Clearwater Beach and Orlando on I-4, which is over 70 miles of the ride. It took us over 3 hours to get from Clearwater Beach to Orlando, on a Saturday afternoon in November, so not even during rush hour.

Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers is about 150 miles away, but will likely be a shorter ride than Orlando given that I-4 traffic.

*Mom tip: If you fly into Tampa, there’s a convenient, delicious, waterfront, kid-friendly restaurant right off the highway in Tampa, called Bahama Breeze. We stopped there on the way from Tampa Airport to Clearwater Beach because everyone was starving.  It is convenient off the highway, with delicious food for all and some of the kindest servers I have encountered since having kids. 

If you are flying to Clearwater Beach, be sure to check out my Essentials to Pack when Flying with a Toddler and Must-Haves for Flying with Baby posts for helpful airplane tips to start your trip off on the right foot.

Parking at Sandpearl Resort

We utilized the valet services at Sandpearl Resort for our rental car.  Parking is limited in Clearwater Beach, so this was an easy choice.  The valet there has a very easy drop-off process, located right in front of the hotel’s main entrance.

Valet parking costs $30 plus tax per night. You can access your car as needed, without an extra charge. Also if you need recommendations, ask the valet team members.  One of them recommended a fantastic ice cream place right down the block that we thoroughly enjoyed!

Check-in Process

Once you walk into the resort, you know you are on vacation!  The lobby is bright and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and breathtaking, beachfront, ocean views. There is complimentary champagne and sparkling cider for adults, along with juices or sparkling cider for the kids. 

Our check-in process was seamless and because we stopped for lunch, our room was ready when we arrived. If you’re flying to Clearwater Beach and arriving early in the morning, I would advise packing a pool bag as a carry-on, just in case. This will allow you to enjoy the resort, even if you have to wait for luggage from the airline.

Guest Rooms at Sandpearl Resort

We booked a partial coastal view room at the Sandpearl Resort, and the views were incredible!  We were on the side of the building but with a full beach view to our left and the city of Clearwater to our right.  The balcony was the full length of the sliding doors, holding 2 chairs, and a table.

Our room had 2 queen beds and was large enough for all of our luggage for Clearwater Beach, and the second half of our trip in Disney World.  The bathroom is huge, with a shower and tub, and there is a decent-sized closet. 

Room views are divided into gulf front, gulf view, partial coastal view, and standard view which looks over Mandalay Avenue. Room types in addition to the 2 queen room we chose include king rooms, junior suites, as well as one and two-bedroom suites available.

Packing for your family’s vacation can be overwhelming, check out my Packing Tips for Family Vacations post where I share tips that stream-lined my packing process shortening it from days to hours (and I actually have everything we need!)

Sandpearl Resort Amenities

The Pool

My kids LOVE the pool at the Sandpearl resort. It’s beautiful, clean, and has a zero entry option so they could play and enter gradually without being in over their heads. The pool is heated for year-round comfort.

There are many pool lounge chairs, tables with umbrellas, and lounge chairs with covers. All pool chairs are first come, first serve and included in your resort fee. We never had trouble finding covered chairs by the zero entry side where we could see the kids. 

There are servers at the pool that come around to take drink and food orders for Tate Island Grill.  Options include a full bar with lots of specialty drinks and margaritas, appetizers, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a kids’ menu. For my non-alcoholic beer drinkers, they do serve non-alcoholic beer both at Tate’s and poolside! There are flags you can raise at your chair if you need service, but we never needed to as someone was always checking in.

You can leave your tab open to your room, and they check back in with you frequently. There is an activity desk by the pool, to pick up fresh towels each time you use the pool and showers to rinse off. The Activity Desk desk staff will also set up your chairs and towels if you would like.  We did not use that service as we were chasing the kids to the pool. 

Pool cabanas are available to reserve, for an extra cost. They boast TVs, fans, couches, and fridges. I honestly don’t remember seeing them, but they do exist if you are interested.

Kids Club at the Sandpearl Resort

The Sandpearl does have a kids club called Camp Ridley for ages 5-10 years old. We did not take advantage of the kids club, as Baby J is not quite old enough and we were only there for 3 days so wanted to spend it together. Camp Ridley offers arts and crafts, nature walks, and scavenger hunts and has the cutest turtle mascot Ridley whom we met one evening by the pool. The hotel does advise reserving your child’s space prior to your arrival on site.

The Spa at Sandpearl

Well, friends, I wish I could tell you about my relaxing experience at the spa, but I didn’t even have time to check out the spa lobby on this trip! Maybe next time!

I can tell you that the spa offers everything from facials and massages to mani/pedis and waxing services.

North Clearwater Beach

As I said earlier, the Sandpearl Resort is located beachfront on North Clearwater Beach with a 700-foot span of private beach. There are many chairs and umbrellas for resort guests. Chairs are included as part of your resort fee, and you can rent cabanas for an extra charge.

One of the best parts of Clearwater Beach with kids, and specifically North Clearwater Beach, is the gentle water. Even with an impending hurricane rolling in, my kids’ ages four and seven, who are not strong swimmers, were able to enjoy the water safely. 

At low tide, there are tide pools that form which my kids loved exploring and jumping in. There are many shells on the beach for kids to explore and check out.  Just be sure no creatures are living in your shells!

Sandpearl Resort Restaurants

Tate Island Grill

We did eat at Tate Island Grill one evening for dinner. It was our first night everyone was tired from traveling, and while the food was decent, the convenience was unbeatable. The servers were very kind, the food came out quickly and the sunset views were incredible!

Marketplace

There is a little kiosk near the lobby in the Sandpearl resort offering Starbucks, coffee, cereal, oatmeal, and some basic breakfast pastries. The hours are perfect for early birds, 7 am-2 pm. It is a great and convenient spot to grab a quick morning snack or coffee.

Marketplace offers freshly made pastries, pre-packaged cereals, fruit, oatmeal, and other quick-grab items. We grabbed morning snacks for the kids there as it was so convenient to run up from the pool to grab something.

Caretta on the Gulf

We did not eat at Caretta on the Gulf, because it looked a bit fancy for our little wild man but oh my goodness the menu looks incredible. We will be eating there at least once on our next trip when he is a bit older. Caretta also showcases beautiful beach and gulf views, along with the perfect spot to watch the sunset.

Sandpearl Resort with Kids Review

Overall, I 100% recommend the Sandpearl Resort with Kids for a family-friendly vacation in Clearwater Beach.  We were blown away by how beautiful, clean, and bright the resort is overall.  Our room was spacious, with gorgeous views and plenty of light from the sliding glass doors. 

The pool and beach at the Sandpearl are perfect.  The proximity to Pier 60 and the ability to walk to many family-friendly restaurants with gorgeous views are the icing on the cake of this amazing Resort. 

As I mentioned earlier, feeling like I am actually on vacation, instead of doing my normal Mom-chores just in a different location is huge and this resort enabled me to feel like I was on vacation. Can’t beat that as a Mom!

I hope my Review of the Sandpearl Resort helps you plan lodging for your family’s Clearwater Beach trip. If you check it out, please let me know how you liked it below!

Visiting Clearwater Beach with Kids

Now that you know where to stay during your Clearwater Beach visit, let’s talk about what to do on your vacation! Check out my posts about Visiting Pier 60 with Kids, the gorgeous Caladesi Island and of course, Kid-Friendly Restaurants on Clearwater Beach.