Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa Timeshare Resales

On the north side of Estero Island, a 10-minute drive from the causeway, Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa has just surfaced from a $60 million renovation. Among the highlights are the unveiling of the new Captiva Villas, a 43-room annex with added meeting space that includes a 3,300-sq-ft ballroom. Other improvements include an expanded spa and updates in the older accommodations. Unlike most in its genre, this operation provides a surprising variety of facilities, though service runs hot and cold. Despite its condominium makeup, it is not immune to Spring Breakers, though families and midsize gatherings predominate the remaining 50 weeks of the year.

Composed of five buildings of varying ages and sizes, guests at Pink Shell Beach Resort and Spa benefit from intelligent design; the public road separates the resort from the Intracoastal waterway and marina, not the beach. This allows guests direct access from the hotel to the striking white-sand beach that runs the entire length of this 10-mile-long island. The hotel borders Bodwitch Point Regional Park, which is a birders paradise. Guests check in at the main building, which harbors a number of the common areas, as well as some of the newer accommodations. Constructed in 2004, the main building is among the newest buildings on-site, with the remainder spanning four decades. The original Vacation Villas were built in the late 1970s, and the Sanibel Villas opened up in 1990.

The lobby and surrounding lounge will find a giant stylized tree lording over the lounge and well-designed reception area. The varied dining options are a big plus, with selections for every budget. Of the three grills, the whimsical Bongo's, situated beside the pool, is the most casual. Its focus is on fries and burgers. Jojo's provides a similarly relaxed setting, with seating positioned in and around a colorful barge that piques children's interests. More formal dining takes place in Jack's, where the service standards reach their peak. The upscale Continental menu features fresh catch-of-the-day specials, and in the evening, the mood is candlelit and could even be called romantic.

Recreation is also a highlight, with three themed pools, a gym, well-equipped spa for health and beauty treatments, volleyball, a 200-ft-long fishing pier, watersports rental and a superb sugar-sand beach. Adults and children's programs are available throughout the year, and a game room relieves kids of their allowance. Meeting space comprises 5,600 sq ft, with the largest of the 10 rooms accommodating up to 250 people. A business center is on-site, and free parking and complimentary Internet access are nice perks

The accommodations are situated in five separate buildings, all with excellent gulf views—at least from the gulf-view side. One-third of the units eye the Intracoastal over the parking lot and marina. They are composed of efficiencies and one- and two-bedroom condominiums, all with attractive standardized island decor. Even the efficiencies provide fair proportions, the latter with sleeping areas adjoining kitchenettes with two-burner stoves, microwave ovens, small refrigerators, coffeemakers and enough dishware and cutlery to please a family of five. The one- and two-bedroom units up the ante with full-size ranges, dishwashers, washers and dryers, and one bath and one added TV per bedroom. The older units are just as large, though their decor is a little less engaging than those in the main building and the newer Captiva Villas. All enjoy well-furnished balconies and daily maid service. Room service runs in conjunction with the restaurants. Pets are not allowed. This is a lively alternative to the more sedate family offerings on Captiva and Sanibel islands.