Arriving at the Bungalow Beach Resort on Anna Maria Island changes your mood almost immediately. Just past the parking lot on this quick little bend of a gulf front road, you find yourself passing through the property’s gazebo entrance. It’s an almost ceremonial rite of passage that requires you to leave your worries behind, live in your bathing suit and sandals and relinquish yourself to peace and serenity. To the unsuspecting guest, it’s an oasis within an island.

Most guests are surprised to learn the property is actually a former army barracks. Today, each of the 15 charming cedar bungalows has been magically transformed into a romantic little getaway that preserves its 1930s clapboard construction and old Florida island charm. It’s a very relaxing place to stay.

This beautiful place has bungalows that range from one room [...]