Hampton Inn Key West — Hotel in Key West

This property is really a gem, overall. The room: We had 2 rooms. Room 135 has a private patio and stunning views of lush tropical gardens, the pool, and partial ocean views. It does not have a working room phone or working internet currently, leaving guests without a t.v. guide and without the fancy greeting on the t.v. screen that really makes an impression (Room 137 said “Welcome Tiffany” on the screen and it was a lovely touch that would’ve made a nice first impression). The door is oddly heavy ( we are from FL; this is not your typical storm door). Do NOT rent this room if you can’t push open a door that’s the equivalent of lifting 50 pounds. Room 137 did not have this issue. The décor is modern art-deco meets California coastal maybe; it’s different but not terribly distracting. There is a small desk for working if you’re working remotely. The bathroom is very large with a built-in closet (this is where you’ll find the ice bucket- kind of weird but there is no living room or dining space so…) There is a small soaking tub and shower combo with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion provided. The beds are firm but comfortable enough to not wake up in pain. Spike, the iguana, slept on our patio railing and we had ibises visit. There is a sweet hen running around as well. The wildlife is wonderful but if you don’t like birds and large iguanas begging for your breakfast in the morning, stay away from the outdoor dining area. Remember, if you’re an entitled tourist, this is their year-round home. You’re in their space so show some respect. There is a small fitness center. The pool area is gorgeous for a low to mid-grade hotel. You can’t ask for more. Lush gardens, ocean views, and wildlife. There is a poolside bar and restaurant with a decent but small menu. Our first night, we almost had an E.R. run because they gave me jalapenos chopped up finely when I asked for none and I accidentally ate them. They compensated me for the trouble. You will be enjoying 2 free alcoholic beverages from the tiki bar per room (remember, the service is not free!). The pool is not currently heated and is entirely too cold to swim in at the moment so if you’re banking on pool days with the kids or significant other before April, find a different resort. This is not the one. There is no hot tub here to heat you up after getting out of the 68 degree pool. The property is very well-maintained, despite having minimal damage from recent storms, and is the nicest Hampton Inn I’ve ever been to. You can walk to 1-2 restaurants but we did not. There isn’t much in walking distance but a gorgeous sidewalk along the ocean. Look in and admire the fish, watch the ships pass, or walk across the road and check out the stunning sunrise and sunset views (you get both this time of year in November). Free shuttle included in resort fees (again, tips are not included and the drivers are very accommodating so make sure to take care of them).

Pros Location outside of the chaos Free transportation into downtown KW Free breakfast Free drinks and waters (2 of each per each room) Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets Wildlife (this may be a con for you) Friendly and accommodating front desk staff

Cons No technology worked in our room (phone, t.v wifi) Pool too cold to use No direct ocean front access (a small beach nearby that is a 2-3 minute drive or a bike ride away) Heaviness of our door- it was really limiting Deceptive and unhelpful breakfast staff (too lazy to restock the cream cheese. She looked at me with a sneaky smile and said they were out and then an hour later we saw they were restocked). I’d give her the benefit of the doubt but I could tell by her expression and response she knew she was lying). Get a new job if you don’t want to help guests.

Overall, I recommend this property and we will return if...

As diamond memebers, we are very disappointed with this hotel and brand over all at this point..I don’t even want to get started with our visit at the Hampton Inn in NYC just a few short weeks ago, which we are still waiting to hear back from. At this point I'm not holding my breath. The Hampton in Key West you advertise beach and water front yet you are neither..I know you are aware of this as a month ago, MJ reported the same thing which you DID respond to so I would like to think that unless you are purposely trying to deceive people you would have changed it or at the very least made it very clear. To get to the "beach front" which also does not have any sand nor can you swim in the water there btw lol you must cross a very busy road and a sea wall to get to it. Not the kind of "beach" or "water front" we were invisioning. Even your photographs on the website which are technically correct are deceiving because there aren't any cars in the pictures and since the road shows so thin you think the beach is basically beside the pool!!! Now let's talk about the pool..it is dirty. There are bugs and debree. If you want to get a towel at 8am which I dont think is too early to have towels out, you have to go to the front desk to get them or else you have to wait until 11am for the pool boy to come out. That's when we found out about the umbrellas..the pool boy came over and took our umbrella and the only one that seemed available for himself to stand where he gives guests towels. So now there aren't any umbrellas for people who want to lay by the pool. Unless you are spending money, or in your room, there isn't shade for anyone who wants to enjoy both. Some of the staff is rude. My son called the front desk a couple times to ask questions and the man at the front desk asked if he had any more questions because he didnt want him to call back. How rude! Keep in mind this was 11:30pm. Not sure why that would be a problem if that's his job know matter how many times we called. Also, my other son at lunch time asked for a menu and after 15 minutes of asking multiple times I had to ask for him. You allow everyone to smoke at bar and at the tables, the only covered space to eat there are no smoke free zones to eat. As a non smoker with children I don't think it's fair you expose them to second hand smoke and the only place covered for them to eat. At breakfast tables were dirty. Bird feces everywhere and even on the cushions were we must sit. Not very appetizing to say the least. Oh and let's not forget the beautiful sound of airplanes constantly above us. And now instead of enjoying my Florida keys vacation for the first time, I'm writing you this review sitting at the bar spending more money at the only place other than a table or my room to get shade outside. We tried calling Hilton members customer serice multiple times but no one called us back after they said they would. Then we had to call back again and they told us to take it up with the manager here on site which based on the responses to the google reviews nothing will be done. I have pics of everything not that it matters to them but if anyone else wants to see them I can post them. In conclusion, basically rooms were great spacious and clean but unfortunately everything else was not what we were expecting. The question at this point is, what good is it to be a diamond club member or a member at all at the Hilton if customer service and keeping your customers happy by taking accountability isn't a...

We stayed Sept. 18-25, 2021, our first Key West trip.

Even having read the various reviews (both positive and negative) this hotel was NOT a bad experience. It's more of motel than a hotel, really, only because you do not get to your room through the lobby like most typical hotels, but park outside a building near your room and access from the outside.

It was VERY nice to see that the hot breakfast was back! The daily combination of eggs (or omelettes), sausage (or bacon), and side potatoes was great to have again. Of course, there are other offerings for those not carnivorous, such as oatmeal, cereal, bagels/bread, fruits (bananas, apples, oranges) and other things, as well as a few juice options, milk, coffee, and tea.

This location also has a bar where food can also be purchased. The menu has sandwiches, salads, and more. The food is available up to 8pm, and the last call for the bar around 8:45pm. The pool and bar both close at 10pm.

Unlike the reviews, we did NOT experience any trouble with the staff on any shift. (and we dealt with all 3) All very friendly and positive. All the shuttle drivers are friendly and positive too, but there is one or two that have a minor language barrier. I simply used Google translate one or two times to cover what I was trying to ask or say. (the same for one of the house keepers) Know that the shuttle service route is only from the hotel to downtown and back, with no other stops along the way. (Other than airport pickup and drop off)

This was the first hotel, that I recall, having a concierge. The concierge staff is very friendly, positive, and helpful like the rest of the hotel staff. If you've never interacted with them, you should check them out to discover various activities and what-not that are available at Key West. Sometimes, there could be a small discount using their service too!

Having read one review about bogus bar charges, the night before leaving, I went to the front desk to get a print out of all charges to date. Nothing fishy for us, though I did discover that a charge that should have been charged to us was not. I personally like to ensure that any service that we've done is properly charged to the room is applied, and the general manager helped to get this done. I also discovered a missing gratuity charge to a bartender for another night, and thankfully, the same bartender was there the night before we left, so I ensured to cover him (Dennis!) as well.

The airport IS very close to the hotel (0.6 mi according to Google), one reviewer claimed a plane "every 10 minutes". Our experience was nowhere near this often. Yes, planes do tend to fly over the hotel during the day, maybe several times or so over an 8 hour period, but was definitely NOT "every 10 minutes". Some of the fly-outs are smaller personal planes/jets, and not always a major airline. Also, we did not hear any overnight flights, so they apparently stop flying at some point.

We will definitely stay here again whenever we ever get an opportunity to revisit!

Because Google reviews will not allow posting links, Google this exact phrase to see when Hampton acquired this location and what all was done: Hampton "acquired the former...