Banana Bay Resort & Marina — Hotel in Key West

I like Banana Bay Resort. It's sort of shabby and a little run-down, but if you love the "old" Key West that's actually a plus. At any rate, it's an excellent location, on the cusp between Old and New Towns, with easy access to Old Town, the south and west sides of the island and the road off-island. It's also within walking distance of a Starbucks and an all-night convenience store/gas station (the Oco-Pep, if that means anything to you). The employees are reasonably friendly and helpful, and the prices aren't TOO ridiculous - although it's not that much less expensive than some nicer physical plants around the island, some with good location and some not. The pool seems ok, if you like that kind of thing, and the breakfast is acceptable for most travelers. And the parking lot is AWESOME for someone like me driving a one-ton longbed pickup! But I had a problem there that could have been semi-catastrophic for someone less familiar with Key West.

I was in Key West to house-sit for a month, and I wasn't sure when I could move into the house; I checked in to Banana Bay for two days, and asked if I could book more nights in the same room after I checked on my situation. The desk clerk, a friendly and personable fellow whose name I have unfortunately forgotten (so I'll just call him DC for short), said that the room was not booked, and that I could let him know the next day if I wanted it for longer.

I was given a very nice little cottage-type dwelling, ground floor in a one-story quad-plex on the small-boat canal and complete with deck with table and four outdoor chairs. The lock was flimsy, with no deadbolt, but there's a good amount of foot traffic there so I wasn't too worried (and Key West is not nearly the crime-ridden place it was several decades ago. It's practically Disneyland in comparison now). There was a small kitchen; dining nook with table and chairs; living room with television, L-shaped sofa, window A/C unit and closet; reasonably roomy bathroom; and bedroom with two bureaus (mismatched), window A/C, queen bed, and French doors to the deck (that did not open :). The tub/shower spigot was not fastened to the wall, with about an inch of PVC pipe sticking out from the wall. Irie, mon, no problem, just don't lean on it!

After unpacking I immediately went to Old Town to check on my main accommodations, and found that my friends wouldn't be leaving for several more days. Now, I could have called or gone back immediately and let DC know I wanted the room for more nights, but he had clearly stated that I could let him know the next day so I didn't even think of it. In that sense it's my own fault, but nonetheless it was quite irritating when the next morning bright and early I told him I wanted the room longer and he was forced to tell me that the night clerk had "apparently" booked the room for the next day! Not the end of the world for me, I just called a friend in the hospitality industry and they found me a decent-if-pricey hotel near the Stock Island bridge. For someone with no connections and a limited budget it might have been a very uncomfortable situation.

So I took one star off for the snafu, and one star for general disrepair and lack of timely maintenance.

Otherwise, recommended for the adventurous, and those who want an "old Key West" ambience. Just firm up your reservation...

I'd Come Back, but... As a hotel, this place is GREAT...as a Resort, which is how its billed, its severely lacking.

STAFF: I found the staff very friendly and accommodating. ROOM: Location, Location, Location. Depending on which room you get in which building (there are 3-4 different buildings) you may experience something different. I stayed in the 100-200 building which is the one that looks like a hotel. First impression of the room was WOW, then you start looking past the King Size Canopy Bed and you find poor maintenance. Some rooms have cabinets making a little kitchenette and others do not. Every room I was in needed a bathroom makeover like yesterday, but it wasn't filthy, just cabinets falling apart. One room had a great mattress while the other was horrible. But most important, the rooms did not smell and were clean. HOTEL: (oops I mean resort) The grounds are beautiful. No access to the bay, but a nice sandy beach area, though you'll probably spend your time poolside. The Tiki bar was closed the entire time I was here - what a shame! The complementary Continental Breakfast was marginal at best. I've had better spreads at Super 8's off the interstate. Its' not bad, just basic which is a shame because there is no restaurant near by as you are not within walking distance of Duval St. or restaurants and the Tiki Bar (which is supposed to serve a lite fair) was closed. This is an Adult Facility, meaning no children under 16 which was a pleasure. They are also VERY DOG FRIENDLY! We met many dogs while here and each one was well behaved. One thing to keep in mind is that though this is billed as an "Adult Resort" and there are signs everywhere delineating the "Clothing Optional" area...it is NOT Clothing Optional! What they meant to say was that topless sunbathing is permissible by the pool and hot tub. That was a big disappointment and I think the signs should be removed to eliminate confusion. I was annoyed as I did ask before booking if it were indeed Clothing Optional and at no point did they explain what they meant, they simply said YES. How hard would it be to say TOPLESS?

OVERALL: Keep in mind the price. I think the resort is at a turning point; it is either about to become run down, or its completely ready for a makeover. There was quite a bit of charm for this price range and if it were not for the confusion over the term "Clothing Optional" I would come back again. BYOB and food as the bar is usually closed. 4 out of 5 Stars because of the price, staff and...

The Banana Bay Resort is nothing short of a catastrophe, a place that probably should not be in business. Let me start off by sharing the facts of my one night stay.

Stayed in room 202 The smoke alarm was missing from my room (removed from the wall) The balcony light is not controllable and cannot be completely blocked from shining into the room. The room had two remote controls, neither one turned the TV on / off The bed creaks and squeaks because it’s made up of same material wicker baskets are. Toilet runs constantly. Doesn’t appear the bathroom drain has been cleaned since Clinton was in office. Pool furniture is in disrepair. The message light on my phone blinked throughout the night, couldn’t retrieve the message. Front desk did not answer the phone when trying to resolve issues at 9 and 11 pm. Couldn’t get steady warm water for showering, it alternated between hot / cold every 30 seconds. The property was gross and not well maintained.

What makes all of these things unacceptable? The $199 + tax per night does.

When I checked in, the first question from the front desk attendant was, “Do you have a lighter?”. I thought it was an odd question, but I think it could be tied into the fact my room was missing the smoke detector. Speculation aside, I lost half a day of my vacation because the bed in this room was crap, so much so, ambien, advil pm and other sleep medication couldn’t put me down because it was uncomfortable, noisy in addition to multiple other room issues.

This property is not unique, not special and not worth the $199+tax a night I was paying. The only thing this property does right, it allowed me to cancel the rest of my reservation without charging me. Any ramada inn or howard johnson is light years ahead of this place in every category.

After losing half a day because of my lack of sleep, I booked into the Sheridan for $219 per night. The Sheridan is across from the beach on the south side of the island, across from beach with amazing rooms.

Hopefully Banana Bay can fix their property and bring it into alignment with others in that price range or it should lower its prices. In their current state, they should not charge more than...