Before review platforms swallowed the world, hotels kept guestbooks — and this one kept its guestbook on the website. The entries below are real comments left by guests between 2003 and 2007, preserved as written, with names reduced to initials for privacy. Together they're a better portrait of the hotel than any brochure.
From the Book
"We had a great time here with you. Your staff is very friendly and respectful. The services were wonderful and we hope to visit again. Thank you from Clearwater."
"We stayed here on our way to Miami for a cruise. Everything was just as stated on their web site and other places I looked at this place. It was clean, within walking distance to the mall, and very comfortable. We wanted to stay on the return trip home but it was all booked up for the next weekend. Would surely stay at this place again!"
"I took my family to Daytona Beach for a short getaway. Because of work I couldn't travel too far and didn't want to spend the money for the theme parks. The hotel was great, centrally located to food and sites. The mall was next door — my wife and daughter loved that — and across from the Speedway. The staff was most pleasant and made us feel like we were at home. The rooms were very clean and I could access my emails for free from my room. We will definitely recommend it to other families. Oh yeah — nice pool too!"
"Hotel was great. Anyone seeking a valued property with great rooms and service, this is the place."
"We have stayed there three times, once in 2003 and twice in 2004. The people at the front desk could not be nicer — they have been the same each time we have been there. The rooms are fine, they are clean, and the restaurant there is really good. Try the pizza. The appetizers are half price in the afternoon during happy hour. They do have great happy hour drink prices too."
"We are planning to visit you for the September Jazzfest. Can't think of a better way to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary than listening to the headliners!"
"Our son is finishing up his senior year at Embry-Riddle. We have stayed with you every year he has been there. We just wanted to say thanks for the special rates and great service over the years. It was reassuring to know that we always had a 'friend' to stay with when we visited."
What the Book Reveals
Read together, the entries sketch the hotel's whole clientele: cruise families breaking the I-95 drive, budget-minded parents who'd rather have the pool and the mall than the theme-park bill, race fans, anniversary couples in town for the jazz festival, and the Embry-Riddle parents who booked the same weeks for four straight years. The recurring notes — friendly long-tenured front desk staff, clean rooms, free in-room internet years before it was universal, the half-price happy hour at the grill — are exactly the things the hotel's awards later recognized.
Sign the Book
Did you stay at the hotel, work a race week there, or grow up swimming in that courtyard pool? This archive collects memories of the property. Use the form below to leave yours.