Cedar Cove Hotel — Hotel in Cedar Key

We live in Gainesville, Florida and routinely visit Cedar Cove Beach and Yacht Club for quiet weekend getaways. These condos are a favorite because they embody the local sleepy fisherman's village feel of the area. Additionally, the condo's are basically on the beach (joined adjacently) and the kayak/canoe departure area is on the little beach (we like to kayak around the little islands -- check with kayak rentals (on the way in to Cedar Key on 24) for great hourly deals - he and his wife are so sweet). Golf carts are also available for reasonable rent through the Cedar Key office as well, and they are a fun way to get around the entire Key!

The condo quality varies because of individual ownership. Our favorite far and away is #315! We once ran into one of the owners - Carol and her tiny one-eyed dog - and complimented her place. She was very sweet and gave us a 10% off coupon. Evidently, they regularly come down from Georgia and use it as a second home of sorts -- which might explain the niceness and upkeep. The floors are tile and a beautiful laminate that looks like aged beach wood, and the place is beautifully decorated in jewel blues and whites. The downstairs is an open area with a kitchen and balcony. The upstairs loft is basically a separate bedroom. Plus, there are 2 large flat screen tv's (which, admittedly, are nice to have even when getting away).

We have only two complaints: They don't allow pets (friends look in on our dogs back home) and there really isn't a quintessential beach bar - we like the restaurants in the area (esp Tony's famous clam chowder! and Ken's Keyside Diner--YUM) but usually enjoy grilling out and sipping margaritas on the balcony (there is a blender in the kitchen - a must!). Additional pro's include a large, cool outdoor pool and indoor hot tub (the temp is great - it is tucked away near the reception area and we've only run into someone else twice -- relaxing after pool or kayaking time). The wine selection of the onsite restaurant...

An older condo with a newer condo blocking a spectacular view. But we had a great view nonetheless! The bedroom is a loft. The stairs are a bit steep. The wifi is not good! I checked with the lady that runs the buildings, Gina! What a doll! Very nice to us.they rent all the units. With that, you should spend a little more on a great wifi system for the guests! Rolling circles on the television and phones should not be happening. The Godfather should not be interrupted 30 times on one of my few breaks while the Grandkids played basketball!! We tried something new this vacation. Instead of East coast cocoa and Hollywood. I looked on the map and found this interesting island cedar key.Beautiful! Beside Gina, Most of the locals are horrible!! Bring your own everything!! It's 40 miles to the nearest town with a walmart. And the only little market was at least double on everything! Half a pound of bologna was 5$, small instant folgers 8$ and it only got worse. We arrived late or i would have walked right back out the door! The seafood restaurant was 200$ that evening without alcohol. Just basic dinners. An Art fair was going on so parking was at least twenty$ everywhere. The locals don't wave,talk or smile. YOU ARE AN OUTSIDER on this island. The gulf access is bought up! You are not welcome anywhere here. BE WARNED! I asked a woman if my grandkids could fish from any of the 20 or so piers on the backside of the island. She said without a smile( ABSOLUTELY NOT!! YOU CAN'T EVEN STEP ON THAT BEACH!!) So you have the tiny about 150 ft beach at the city park. And that's it people! The park is very nice. You can get a florida 3 day fishing license for about 18.50$ I liked our old condo and appreciated our Hostess Gina. But we will not come back to this...

We recently stayed in room 312. The view was good, but it was a bit impeded by the newer condos in front of the building. No big deal. The condo itself was very well equipped and very clean. The only complaint we have is that the bed is HORRIBLE. You can actually feel the springs in the mattress. ||||We checked in after hours and found our keys right where the office said they would be. But there were no check-in or check-out instructions whatsoever. We initially went to the wrong building (there are 2). Once we located our place, we couldn't get the tv to work. No big deal as we weren't there to watch tv, but we did need the wifi to get a little obligatory work done. There was no info at all about the network or password. No check-out time was given and there was no info about housekeeping. We also found it somewhat odd that there was no info in the condo about things to do in the area such as restaurants, attractions, etc. Again, no big deal but it would have been nice to have. ||||We talked to someone in the office when it opened Saturday morning and she had to come over to get the tv to work because "it was easier for her to do than to try to explain it." But once we got the network and wifi passwords all was good.||||The pool is large and very clean! They could use a few more lounge chairs. The office did give us pool towels. Overall it was very good. ||||Lastly, do NOT miss the Sandbar restaurant located at this property. The service was outstanding, as was the food. I had the Island Room Salad and the Crab Bisque. It may have been the best bisque I have ever had. ||||If you're looking for a laidback, low-key Cedar Key getaway, I would...