I was just there last week for a stay. Overall, it was a pretty ho-hum experience. A couple of points:

- Yes, it's pretty far from the airport, you'll need to go over the causway, across Clearwater to the Gulf and then, obviously, out to Sand Key - so be prepared for a little bit of a hike.

- You'll want a car once you're out there unless you plan to stay on resort property; you'll probably exhaust that fairly quickly

- The rooms are a little dated, some can be a bit musty (which makes sense with all the humidity); the air conditioning units are very loud; it's ok if you're a heavy sleeper or the type that likes white noise, if not, you may have trouble sleeping

- Most rooms seemed to have a nice sized balcony

- I don't really agree with the 'long walk' to the beach; sure it's set back, but the property is right on the beach; probably a couple hundred foot walk

- When I was there, they weren't doing much in the form of an upgrade for my platinum status; obviously this was one situation at one point in time, but I'm sure there was availability

- The club lounge on the 9th floor is very nice - good workout center on one side, the lounge side is small, but the drinks, including alcoholic, are free and there is a nice little spread with one hot item and some cold sandwiches; most of all, the staff in both the morning and evening are top notch - really an asset to the resort

If you just want to hit the beach and enjoy the pool, this is probably a fine option. If you're looking for a truly special resort getaway experience, you're probably going to be left wanting.