We also stayed in Unit 205. I did my homework in advance and determined that it was the most poorly located unit in the whole resort, so I braced myself for a miserable time. We had a terrific week. Jim is right that there is no beach view from the unit, so don't plan to have coffee on your balcony overlooking the Gulf each morning. Once you get past that letdown, everything else is peachy. The unit is spacious, well equipped, and well maintained for an older resort (most beach resorts are old and most are in worse condition). They didn't put showers in the original master bath, so they've installed an inventive round shower curtain around the jacuzzi and added a shower head to the wall. It works fine. Our only maintenance concern, and it was never addressed, was a leak in the ceiling over the mirror in the secondary bathroom. It happened after a particularly hard rain, so it may be a leak in the roof that's finding its way down and out on the 2nd floor.
If you're accustomed, as we were, to Disney area resorts with massive amounts of maintenance staff and around-the-clock service, forget that entire concept. There are two or three people who run the Sandpiper. The office is closed altogether on Sunday, except for one hour in the morning. Got a problem? Leave a message on the machine. It's a very laid back, relaxed environment.
The mainland is just a quick hop over a bridge, so shopping and restaurants are easy to get to. Traffic was not a concern for us and we were there the week of the 4th of July.
The beach -- oh, the wonderful beach -- has the most lovely powder white sand. It's the nicest sand we've ever encountered, and we're Florida natives. Someone in Jim's linked thread mentioned a fishy smell, and I too was put off by that. I think it's all about lucky (or unlucky) timing. When we were there, the sand had shifted and created a little gully between the Gulf and the resort. The high tide left standing water there and the sun heated it to create a less-than-pleasant aroma. I asked the manager if it was always that way and she said it wasn't. It just depended on the sand drifts.
You can rent a large beach umbrella for the week for a reasonable price (I think it was something like $25) and the resort staff sets it up for you each morning and takes it down each afternoon. The pool is small but serves its purpose. There are barbecue grills and tables adjacent. The resort also has a tennis court and a small fitness center.
We would return to the Sandpiper in a heartbeat. It's not new nor amenities rich nor staffed to the max, but it makes for a wonderfully relaxing beach vacation.
Cindy