I came here in Mid May along with 700+ others from my company from around the world. We come here every 2 years for an international meeting. Once you drive in, you are immediately surrounded by beauty- the luxurious resort estates and the beautifully manicured golf course. The resort has dozens of bungalows spread amongst the property with only 4-5 suites per bungalow. You can tell that high rollers come here with several porches and Ferarris park in front of the bungalows. Check-in is nice and easy and the staff is eager to please. The golf course is immaculate. The facilities were well equipped and well maintained. Note: The golf course and property is covered with ponds which harbor small to medium sized alligators. So don't be afraid to see one lounging out in the sun. They supposedly are used to people and don't bother anyone. If one come out too far they will capture it and take it far away. Our meetings were catered by them and the food was good, not quite excellent. My only complaints: the bungalows can be situated very far from the main facilities and walking back and forth can be tiresome in the spring/summer heat and humidity. Also its located about 45 minutes from other places of interest. read more

I've never stayed at the Resort, so this review is for the Spa only. My husband & I did the Couple's Retreat (bath & couple's massage) here & our massage was great! Very relaxing, just the right amount of pressure. Our masseuses were top notch, as were the ladies at the front desk (more on that in a minute). Unfortunately, the Spa's atmosphere could be better, owing to things both within & beyond Saddlebrook's control. Like most spas, the locker rooms/wet area/relaxation areas are gender segregated, so I can only comment on the women's. Unfortunately, the only dry area to relax within the women's area is at a few chairs & a small table amidst the small locker room. This area also houses the entry from the lobby to the women's area, so it's pretty high traffic on a busy weekend day & not exactly soothing. A photo on Saddlebrook's website shows a woman in a robe lounging by an outdoor fountain. Unfortunately, that fountain is adjacent to the spa entrance, so one would have to traipse through the Spa's lobby & out the front door in a robe to enjoy that area that is also undoubtedly high traffic, as it is off a common walkway of the Resort. Thus, an update & expansion or reconfiguration of the Spa's facilities is needed. The wet area that houses the hot tub & steam room has some lounge chairs, which would be a decent place to relax if the women in that area would be quiet. Admittedly, I was there on a weekend day & I believe I was dealing with a bachelorette party, but the female urge to chatter loudly & incessantly in what should be a tranquil environment never ceases to confuse & annoy me. Have your party at a bar, if you want to flap your gums! Sadly, the steam room provided no respite, as the wet area lounge chairs are just under the steam room windows, so I could still hear the squawking inside the steam room. I realize Saddlebrook has no control over their guests' behavior, but a firm quiet policy is warranted. I inquired about such a policy to our masseuses &, though they unfortunately didn't boot out the offending parties, they were highly apologetic. In fact, upon check out, because I requested eucalyptus scent from my masseuse, the ladies at the front desk gave me $60 worth of Saddlebrook's eucalyptus products to make up for the noise. I really appreciated such attention to customer service, which is why I give this Spa 3 stars instead of 2. It's also why I recently returned just to replenish my stock of their wonderful eucalyptus lotion & bath gel & why I would return for a treatment, but on a quieter weekday. read more

Extremely disappointed. My fiancé and I came here today to look at the resort as a possible wedding venue. I really had my heart set on Saddlebrook because of how nice it is and also the location is very close to where we live. I really liked the venue when we looked at it today but was definitely turned off by the women who showed it to us. It was like pulling teeth to get information from them. I'll give the one girl a break because she seemed kind of new and uninformed, but the lady assisting her mentioned that she was working here for 8 years, or so. It was an awkward consultation; I had to keep asking questions in order to get tiny bits of information from them. I feel like they should've provided me with as much information as they could, to sell me on the venue. But I had to ask to see each reception and ceremony area, and it didn't really seem like they wanted to show them to me. After looking at the first spot, which I actually really liked, the woman (I don't want to say any names) actually told me that she didn't think Saddlebrook would be a good fit for us and that she had different venues in the area she could recommend that would better fit our needs. Followed by saying that Saddlebrook doesn't do many weddings anyway and that the resort is way overpriced. This made me feel extremely judged. She didn't take the time to get to know us or our story, so how would she know what "fits our needs?" This made me feel like she didn't think we had enough money to afford this particular venue or something - which to be honest, money isn't an issue with us. Long story short, I came in today really excited and left feeling terribly disappointed and judged. This was the worst, most awkward consultation I ever had. I just couldn't believe she told me to have my wedding some place else. Well I guess I will take that advice. read more

Had a great stay here. The Hopman Tennis adult clinic was great, 5 stars without a doubt, they'll work you as hard as you can go and their video reviews and critiques are spot on. Saddlebrook the resort is nice, the grounds are huge and almost like a nature preserve, wildlife everywhere, deer, alligators, herons, egrets, etc. The pools are huge with a nice bar and grill poolside, the breakfast buffet is awesome, service in the restaurants is top notch. Just about everybody we encountered working there was extremely friendly very helpful, very impressive. On the downsides, the condos are dated, no getting around it. I heard some of the condos have been renovated, the one we stayed could use it. I'm being picky, but I'd guess a lot of the customers that stay here are like me and are used to seeing granite or marble counter tops, relatively fresh carpet and tile, flat screen tvs, nice fixtures, etc, so its a bit of let down when you see a room out of the '80s. On the plus side, the condo was very comfortable, had a full kitchen, large fridge, cook top and microwave, comfortable bed and was clean, so no real complaints other than cosmetic. The must-use valet service and parking fee is a push. The resort is designed so there's no traffic around the rooms, which is great for wildlife and peace & quiet. But when you want your car you'll need some small bills. The valet service and guys are very good though, never had to wait more than a couple minutes for the car. All in all had a great stay, enjoyed the resort and can't wait to return. read more

The hubs hooked me up and sent me here on Mother's Day for a night of relaxation and the spa treatment on Mother's Day with two of my mama friends. I told him he does not need to recreate the wheel. We will just do this EVERY year. I will review the resort separately. This is about the spa. So, I love spas....and I loved this one. I gave it three stars MOSTLY b/c my therapist was....not very friendly. It is hard to pinpoint exactly the issue but she was almost TOO professional ....so this might sound more speculation. I have a therapist at a small not too fancy spa here and she is just more easy going, easier to talk with and give my concerns to, etc. This gal {who I do not want to mention b/c I don't think she did it to put me off} just didn't welcome or invite me into her space very well. I've had a LOT of massages so lots of different experiences. I am just of the opinion that if you want someone to come back....maybe offering up a friendly smile WOULD help. My massage was just OK b/c of this and for the price -- well, I just hope I get someone different next year. Other than that, I loved the spa itself. It was busy but there was still plenty of chairs to sit in near the jacuzzi and sauna area. Bring a suit if you are uncomfortable being naked, but many were not and it was a very relaxed area. If you get a massage treatment, you have FULL access to the facilities ALL day so have some lunch and lounge by the pool....how awesome is that?!?! Valet is not free but is mandatory so definitely bring some tip money for those guys. Services are HIGH end and also HIGH dollar, so be prepared....this is not just about one service ....it is about enjoying your time, fully indulging and relaxing, so plan to spend more than an hour or so there just for your treatment to really get your money's worth and if you book for mother's day, they have some fun specials, so book early! Advice to husbands and kids who love their mothers -- BOOK YOUR MAMA a relaxing day away, do NOT take her to brunch unless everyone is capable of sitting around the table and enjoying the meal where she doesn't have to help anyone or LISTEN to anyone bark at their kids. Mother's Day is about spoiling your mama .....so send her off and don't expect her back for many many hours. read more

One has to consider the entire package when reviewing Saddlebrook because there is so much that is good about it and only a few things that could use some improvement. So let's start with the good. The property is beautiful and large. It has really nice pools, one is even heated which is nice when you are visiting in February, nice pool bar, and the tennis facilities are amazing. They have clay, hard and grass courts and one of the best instructional programs in the US. The bad includes the rooms. While they are large, I think they are privately owned condos so they can be hit and miss. We stayed on a lower floor and the noise isolation is an issue. I would stay on a top floor if you can get it. The only other concern is a big one and that is the staff. Not exactly Ritz Carlton type service at the front desk and lots of confusion regarding discounts associated with the convention that we were attending. Ultimately it comes down to would I stay here again? and the answer is a quick yes. Over look the front desk and get an upper level room. Enjoy the pools, the bar, and the tennis facilities. (sorry I didn't play golf). read more

The staff is great! It's not their fault, but this is the worst resort I think I can say that I have ever stayed at! Beautiful grounds, but this place is stuck in the 1970s. I will never ever return here. My cologne was stolen from my room and the transportation infrastructure here is absolutely horrendous. I was here for a work conference and I have no idea why it was booked in a place like this. read more

I was here for a 2-day conference and did not stay here. The food we had for lunch along with the service was excellent. Some parts of the resort feel/look outdated but the rest of the property that I saw was beautiful. The staff did an excellent job accommodating our group. read more

This place was a complete joke. We thought we were getting a deal by going through Priceline with an "Express Deal" and ended up getting $crewed. Will never use them again but that's another review. This resort is in the middle of nowhere. They have you park your car a pretty decent distance from your room and force you to rely on a courier on a golf cart to get around. Had to wait nearly 45 mins after checking in just to get to our room. No one answered the phone at the front desk in the morning when we were ready to leave. We had to drag our luggage to our car. Not the end of the world but the last thing I feel like doing in the morning after sleeping on a cheap a$$ mattress is trekking 15 mins to a parking lot to retrieve my car. The room was extremely dated and in need of a makeover. Overall, our experience was awful. I was even more pi$$ed when I saw they charged a $29.96 "resort fee" read more

Needed somewhere to stay in Tampa area, & found this place via an online search. I wanted more room to stretch out compared to a typical hotel room, & this place had a b2-bedroom unit available. It's actually pretty far out of Tampa, but that's my mistake for not knowing the area better. So it's one of those huge, spread-out resorts where you have to walk long way just to get to the pool, etc. It's also pretty old. Very "old school" Florida feeling. The lobby smells old & musty & also like cheap, old lady perfume. Our unit smelled even worse; it hit us hard soon as we walked in, which was an immediate turn off but after awhile you get used to it & don't notice. Our unit was basically a condo, with full kitchen. Only two peon read more

Review is for golf courses only. Two fantastic courses here Saddlebrook course is a little tighter, tougher and more scenic. Both are in fantastic shape. My rating would be 5 star except for the requirement that you have to valet your car to play golf, while it is complimentary it requires a ride to and from the valet area to the pro shop. So you have four people to tip, driver to the pro shop, club cleaning guy, driver back to valet and finally the valet that delivers your car. Pretend your going to a strip club, bring singles. read more

We had an excellent stay in a very nice King suite. The staff jumped at our beck and call. The grounds are immaculately kept, as are the pool and tennis court areas. Your car is valet parked and they take and pick you up from your room in a golf cart within a few minutes of calling them. Everyone was super polite and accommodating! read more

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At first glance, you'd think you're being taken to a high-end resort. As you pull up, there is a guard to take your name. Then you pull up to the valet and the entrance looks great. The great stops there. I had to wait several minutes for the valet to acknowledge me. He wasn't friendly and didn't offer any luggage assistance. The check-in experience was neutral. Pleasant and quick but nothing to write home about. I then was sent on the walk to my room. I had arrived after dark and there was minimal signage to direct me. When I finally entered my room, I felt like I had entered a time warp to the late 1970s/early 1980s. The room is in serious need of renovation. Besides the outdated decor, furniture and carpet were dirty. The wallpaper is visibly peeling and there are water stains on the ceiling. The room feels extremely vulnerable to the outside. The door closes loosely with only a thin extra lock. There are two balcony doors with locks that could easily be broken, same with the windows. Definitely not somewhere I would leave my valuables. Don't expect to do any serious work while you're here, even if you're here for a work conference. The internet is extremely slow (it took almost a full minute for Google to load). Room service arrived quickly - within 20 minutes and the server was very friendly. Food was worse than airport food - not what you'd expect at a supposedly luxury resort. Overall, this place overpriced and underwhelmed. read more

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I give great rating to the staff. They are very kind and helpful. The grounds are ok. Maybe if I was a golfer or played tennis I would be more impressed. For the a conference it is very inconvenient. I have to ask for a ride to my room anytime I need to go to and from the meetings. My balcony is shared and if I don't lock my door several room as have access to my room via the balcony. The buildings/room are outdated. I have yet to find ice/vending close to my room/building. I will not attend this conference next year if it is here. read more

Worst greens I've ever played on. They don't even warn you until your there. Played the Saddlebrook course yesterday and we will never go back. Embarrassing because I brought clients. read more

Visited Saddlebrook Spa on June 23, 2018. Entering the resort is beautiful! Inside the spa found it to be "dated" with its decor. Enjoyed the ambiance of dim lighting but was it was a bit too much and found it rather dark. Hmmm, my friend and I thought perhaps the facility did not want us to see how clean it really was. Looking up as we laid in the lounge chair we viewed the filthy air vent. Our spa treatment was nothing special. Sugar rub was poor for the price $$$ and so was the shoulder&neck massage. This is all taken into consideration based on other spa experiences. Dined outside by the pool. Our salads were terrible! Lettuce was wilted, avocado brown, and overall taste not desirable. The manager was apologetic and did comp one of our meals. Probably will not return again anytime soon. read more

This place has gone downhill. Golf course is awesome, everything else is awful. They had three valets today and there were over 60 people waiting for cars - had to wait an HOUR to get my car. Staff could've cared less - they kept saying "we don't run the valet company"! But they represent YOU and we won't be back. read more

Very tired resort. Room accommodations need substantial updating. Daily room servicing is virtually nonexistent. Service staff in bars and restaurants are lethargic and seeming disinterested almost seem seem upon. Golf course is a very nice design (played Palmer course) but maintenance is that of at best a rough public course. read more

I can't even give this place ONE star. It was deplorable. Disgustingly dirty! Spots of God knows what, around the toilets. Dust and thick lines of dirt on ALL of the baseboards, especially in the corners. The glass mirrors haven't been cleaned in forever. Furniture and carpets filthy and spotted. Kitchen was gross! Patio area hadn't been swept or blown off with a leaf blower. Towels had stains on them. No poolside service, whatsoever! You take yourself to the poolside bar and pay $17 for a watered down icee. This place is FAR from resort status! read more

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Since no one from this organization responded or remarked in my experience,I change my "stars" To one. Crappy customer service. read more

Love the place, was my home course in college freshman year and worked there for a few months in what was then called the Cypress Room. Hoverer excessive tipping did not avoid them damaging my Lexus. For that reason alone I'm giving them 1 star. read more

Had to be the worst resort I have stayed at. You have to take shuttles to most rooms. The rooms are very dated. No hair dryer in my room so I called front desk 4 times. Finally got it hours later. Bulbs burnt out in room. Called maintenance but they never fixed it. Only one restaurant on the whole property. Dempsy's. I will say the steaks and service were excellent. But the night before friends told me it took 1 1/2 hours from the time they ordered to the time they received their meal. There has to be better places. read more

We have never stayed at a worse place. First we didn't get the king size bed we reserved and had to switch rooms. Then we froze most of the night, the heater was partially working, they said they'd bring more blankets we waited up till 2:20 am they eventually told us they couldn't find any. Today they checked the heater, seemed to work, tonight it's o blowing cold air so our only alternative is to switch rooms again . Wasted so much of our precious vacation time read more

We have been going for years now. It's a great getaway for Golf, Tennis and spa. Is it dated? Yes, but all the condos are being redone and new furniture in time. Food is excellent And, a very relaxing (massive) pool. read more

Interesting place for those into this kind of thing. Not the best that I've been too, but good. You can tell that they care about the facilities and what they do, and that says a lot. Likely won't be back, but that simply be issue this kind of thing isn't my cup of tea--and the expereince wasn't overwhelming enough to compel me back. read more

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I have stayed at Saddlebrook the last 6 years for the tennis program. the five stars is for tennis only. Shout out to my awesome coaches, all hard working and very dedicated! Will, Larry and Hank were awesome. Nothing starts the day like the warm up with Larry - it's Showtime! My all time favorite coach has returned as well, Phil Shelton! He is a blast to train with and now the juniors at Saddlebrook are very lucky as he is in charge of that program. I do agree with other posts about the accommodations however, dump is a kind description. But, the tennis is worth it for me and everyone who works there is very kind and thorough. read more

I love the Saddlebrook Spa but this resort is really screaming for an update and new energy. Spent July 4th poolside. I was so disappointed, no poolside drink service, none. We had to walk up to the pool bar for drinks and food ordering. It's 2019 ya'll. When we go poolside at a 'resort', we expect a little extra. Oh and the DJ was really really horrible and totally killed any fun vibes. Resort management can save money and just play a mix of Pandora stations and it would be way better. Pool needs resurfacing and some TLC too. read more

Rooms are absolutely disgusting and management is beyond RUDE! Save yourself the hassle - DO NOT stay here! First, we had SPIDERS in our BEDS and other bugs in our room. The entire paneling in the closet was exposed to the ducts and elements. We are traveling with 3 small children, so of course this was a HUGE red flag for me. We notified management who was unapologetic, but offered to move our room. So - we packed up and moved to our new room to notice that it's also BUG INFESTED. I called management back and was told "Welcome to Florida, there's bugs." I said excuse me? We stay at plenty of other resorts without this problem. I was then put on hold only to be told that "since my room UPGRADE didn't make me happy that he would offer us $50 credit on our account, but that's ALL he would be able to do. Just stay away! Totally not worth the money. read more

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This place used to be very upscale. Nothing has been done to update it in 30 years at least. It's run down & seedy now. Certainly it's not worth the prices they are charging. Once the management spends the money to update & remodel the resort it has the potential to be a beautiful resort again. Until then stay elsewhere. There's plenty of places nearby that are very nice. Check them out. I live nearby Saddlebrook & have patronized the resort for years. Sadly, I've watched the decline & nothing be done to bring it up to date. That's the reality of it. read more

Food is good, service is so so, depending on who you get on the or who waits on you. Housekeeping is horrible!! The washer / dryers are old and broken so don't do your wash there. My guess is the privately held company doesn't put much money back into the place and it shows. read more

Poor security system, poor altitude to the costumer. Unavailable for the room service

Grounds are lovely, golf was great! Rooms are old and dirty, housekeeping is nonexistent. We left the sign on the beds because we wanted our sheets changed and we came back to the same sheets :-(....they just took the sign and hid it inside of the drawer. Trashed was never picked up, we took it ourselves every time we left the room. Spider webs were visible everywhere. It's sad because this used to be a nice place. read more

They did finally get the billing issue resolved. They put extra holds on your account even though they debit you for the entire amount of your stay. It takes about 4 days to 5 days for the hold to come off of your credit card. If you are tight on funds, don't use a debit or credit card because they will hold almost double the amount on your card until it clears and it ties up the rest of your funds for other things. Paula and billing must be very busy but she did take the time to call me back and straighten the situation out. read more

I wasn't going to write a review but the final straw was when you couldn't/wouldn't give us a late check out. I only wanted until noon. A few days earlier I called to get my room cleaned. I called in the morning and when I came back at 2:30 they still hadn't been there. So I don't understand why I couldn't have the late check out if they don't come in the morning. The week started out by having room service take an hour to deliver our food and then it came cold. There isn't a store on property to buy alcohol. The front desk said I could buy it from the restaurant. A small bottle of Titos was $108.00. Isn't that price gouging? We found a cockroach in our room. I had to wait 45 minutes for someone to come help me bring my luggage to checkout. They came at 11:45...still not sure why I couldn't get the noon checkout. Most of the staff was very nice until day of checkout and then they just wanted us out. read more

Had massages and stayed the day enjoying their spa facilities. Full use of saunas, steam room and pool. What a great way to extend a simple massage. They do automatically add the 20% gratuity so be prepared. read more

My family and I booked a room at the Saddlebrook Resort Spa this past weekend and had a lackluster experience. It wasn't a horrendous experience but I would not recommend this place to others. From the outside, the buildings look a bit dated but the rooms themselves were updated and comfortable. The bad taste of this resort was in their lack of customer service and valet. My first real gripe was at the valet stand up front. You have to get your car valeted when you come and go. You cannot easily access your room from where they park the cars (it's too far away.) They also provide golf cart shuttles to get you to your room. I found it inconvenient I had to tip a valet every time I wanted to go somewhere. The most infuriating instance was when I pulled my car up with my family. I asked to leave the car up front for an hour so we could change our clothes and clean up before leaving to go grab dinner. The valets said that we couldn't leave the car there and they would need to park it. The valet instructed for me to leave the car running and he would go and park it. I came back an hour later to leave and they couldn't find my car for a while (the valet never gave me a ticket.) I wait, I wait.... I wait and then the car rolls up and finally we leave. On my way to the restaurant, I notice that my gas tank is bone dry empty! I knew that I had a little less than a quarter tank when I dropped my car off with the valet which could only mean that they had left that car running for a very LONG period of time before they finally drove it to a spot. During our stay, I had to request clean towels 3 separate times and still never received them. On top of everything else, the resort had the audacity to charge a $10 per night valet fee that I was not aware of in advance. I found out by noticing the itemized charge on my bill when checking out. read more

Old style with renovations being made but will take some time to complete. Rooms need work. However, a very nice sports bar (TDs) with lots of TVs. College football playoffs were on so we all headed over to pound wings and brews only to be disappointed when told they don't do wings. WHAT, a sports bar and no wings? Un American. The staff is great as well as the food. That's all I got. read more

I dont play golf ..but i like the restaurants in the resort. So far i have been to Dempsey's ..a fine dinning steakhouse. the place is frequented by tenant and guest from the resort mostly. after lunch i just go out on stroll near the restaurant. its beautiful.check out the pics i took. read more

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I spent Veteran's Day weekend along with 4 other Marine Corps buddies at Saddlebrook and wanted to pass along my comments for a weekend enjoyed by all of us. The accommodations were very nice, the steaks at Dempseys were perfect and the Palmer golf course was challenging and in pristine condition. The hotel and golf staffs were friendly and very helpful. This was our 3rd trip there over the past few years and we'll definitely be back again. read more

The resort itself has great amenities. The accommodations are in need of an update. The spa was very clean; although the massage therapist was mediocre. The tennis courts i saw were plentiful and in great shape. I did not play a round of golf. I was very surprised to see the number of kids around the pool area. I can not express how disappointing Dempseys Steakhouse was. We were all very excited, but very much let down. When I saw bone-in filet on the menu, I couldn't wait to try it. Unfortunately, the steak was undercooked, and not a very good cut of beef-not worth a fraction of the $46.95 price. Two of the other three steaks were also not good. Additionally, the server was young, not knowledgeable and didn't seem to enjoy his job. read more