Winter the Dolphins Beach Club, Ascend Hotel Collection

We loved the beach access even though the private beach is about 50yards long and packed beginning early in the morning. Market surf shop and liquor store are all right across the street. Location is crammed with tons of stores nearby everything within arms reach

The crazy rules. No personal chairs or umbrellas on the beach if you choose not to rent their chairs then you'll be able to lay a towel down BEHIND all the chairs all food and drinks must come from their attached bar and grill cabanas which was 32 bucks for 2 drinks. The entire property is strict no smoking or vaping AT ALL pool closes at 830pm sharp. The parking garage is a tight fit for anything bigger than a car. The corners are sharp and most suvs have to do 3 point turns to maneuver around the garage entrance and exit. Security patrols the beach and pool from 8am to 10pm. Due to conservation housekeeping is by request only and must be requested the night before.

The room was clean and the decor was fitting with the "Winter [dolphin]" theme of the property. I liked having both a mini fridge AND a microwave, which is rarely an included appliance in most hotel rooms. The boutique-style property managed to strike a balance between a laid-back, casual vibe while still providing all of the basic comforts one would need when traveling, which was refreshing, compared to many of the "newer" hotels on the beach, which are very upscale and charge accordingly.

The balcony could have been a little larger and the chairs provided could have been more comfortable. Speaking of chairs....it would be nice if they would provide "x" number of chairs and an umbrella with their rate, rather than charging extra per day, but then again, that would probably be transferred into a higher Resort fee, and some [guests] may not use that service.

Private Beach, just awesome! I booked for my daughter, son -in- law and 2 grandkids, and they loved the beach point! The maintenance guy and the manager were very friendly. The restaurant served fresh and delicious food.

They said the FD was not friendly, the balcony was flooded due to AC issues, and he didn't have any empath with them...he found another room for them, after all. The guy from the beach chairs/umbrella rentals, was not friendly and that did upset my daughter, since she was with 2 little kids and he was not paying any attention to her, rented her spot to another person, even she was the one that first requested for it. The bed linen was not clean, there was "hair" on it, at one of the beds.

The room was clean and comfortable for the 3 of us. The private beach was great and the staff was amazing with service and knowledge of Clearwater Beach. We loved our hotel and being able to support the Marine Aquarium. Well return again soon!

I didn't like having to pay for the beach chairs as they weren't comfortable and it seemed like as a guest I would've just rather had the cost of the beach chairs and underbelly built into the room/resort cost.

Awesome job with the remodel. I understand the back bar area is to be possibly upgraded but so far i give you a 10 for the changes made. Cleanliness equal to or exceed some of the chain groups that care.

music played in the lobby area ALL night. I guess third shift wanted us all to hear it live.

Love the private beach along with beach service!

The partial view balcony was not very big. The heat from the cooling unit kept it too hot to be able to sit on.

Easy access to everything

Housekeeping schedule could be done every other day. Guests shouldn’t have to ask for services when needed. Sand accumulates on the floor & in the the linens! Designated smoking areas shouldn’t be in some alley. Walking through a parking garage at night didn’t feel safe. There should be an area on the beach so you can have your coffee in the morning & smoke. Balconies should have smoking access. Outstanding bar should allow smoking area, you’d sell more beverages. We dropped over $100 a night at Shepard’s!! Other smokers we met had similar comments. Other then feeling shunned it was a decent hotel.

We were close to several good eateries. We loved that we could walk to a few other hotels for food and nightly events! The tiki bar was a good starter on the beach. There's a convenience store and coffee shop right across the street and a fun little bar that serves food all night, so we didn't have to drive anywhere the whole time.

Just one small elevator that you had to wait a bit for and the restaurant is on the street side of the building not the beach side. That's probably why we would walk to the other hotels. Also, the balcony was a little small.

The room was pretty neat. Very nice. I had a city view with a very small partial ocean view. (I was fine with that) Bathroom was ok. The location is PERECT!!! Right on the beach, the pool was clean and so relaxing. You can eat, drink, and relax all in one. Hotel is literally near every kind of shop from liquor to pharmacy needs. The staff were super nice!

I thought breakfast was included, it turned out it is actually a restaurant that you sit and pay for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, breakfast there was good, but I chose to go elsewhere for breakfast and coffee. (A little cheaper)

We were greeted by Raphael at check in, he was amazingly kind and helpful. It was our first time in the area. He took us on a tour of the outdoor facilities, gave us all the info and told us about some cool spots around the area in walking distance. Raphael really made our stay so fun and comfortable. He made my youngest son feel like a rockstar remembered his name and asked him if he was having fun each time we were in the lobby. Our room was clean, stocked with fresh towels and extra pillows, even a few bottles of Just water. The view from the balconies were breathtaking. The private beach area was perfect for sunsets and day swims. The pool had a great vibe, the food and drinks were delicious. 10 out of 10 would recommend and we will certainly be staying here on our next trip to Clearwater! Thank you Raphael!!!