La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Key West

Just returned from spending three nights in the Hemingway Suite at La Concha. We loved the suite and the 180 degree views of Key West. The decor and overall vibe of the hotel were great.

What wasn’t great? The check in process. We arrived around 5:30pm on a Monday for reference. The person at the front desk welcomed us and it immediately went downhill from there. She seemed surprised we had booked a room “on the seventh floor.” She had to call somebody and leaned down very close to the desk while speaking quietly. It was as if she didn’t want us to hear the conversation. There was some back and forth about which room to put us in (701 or 702) - though we had booked one specific room, the Hemingway suite. Apparently that person had to check on something because they had to hang up and call back with a final verdict.

I asked if everything was ok and she said yes. Then she started rambling as she waited for the call back. It felt like she was just making things up as she went on. Things she said to us include: The seventh floor rooms are concierge so the front desk can’t check us in, the concierge people upstairs do it. She doesn’t want to put us in a room only for us to have to move to another one (that was definitely foreshadowing!). There was an issue with noise in the seventh floor hallway the night before. She can’t believe “just anybody can book those rooms online” because they’re executive rooms. (Note - that’s not the best thing to say to a guest who did in fact book the “executive” room online.) Do you still want to be on the seventh floor? We booked the Hemingway suite, is it not available? Oh yes, it’s available. (Then what in the world is all of this absurdity about??)

Concierge calls back and she tells us we are in room 702. She attempts to finalize the check in but the credit card reader rebooted and we had to move to the person at the other station to finish the process. Finally, checked in after about 30 minutes.

We get to our room and it’s not what I remember from the pictures online. Remember, we booked one specific room. I checked the Marriott app and they changed our reservation from the Hemingway suite to the Vista Island view room. I called the front desk to ask why we were not provided the room we booked. I spoke with the second person from before at the front desk and she asked to place me on hold while she checks with a manager. After a couple minutes she asked if she could call me back. A few minutes later the original person we worked with at the front desk called and apologized for putting us in the wrong room. She would send somebody up with new room keys to move us into 701.

20 minutes later, nothing. I left the room to go downstairs and get this mess straightened out and met two employees coming out of the elevator. I asked them if they were going to room 702, but they were not. I explained what was happening and they were very helpful. One went on to the room he was there to help, but the other helped us with our bags and moved us to 701. He went downstairs and was back with our new keys in just a couple minutes. We also received two drink coupons for the hotel bar.

Finally, after almost an hour and half from our arrival, we are in the room we booked - room 701, the Hemingway suite.

The entire process was just absurd. The comments from the first front desk person made us feel judged and like they were trying to save the room for an “executive” instead of a normal couple who booked it online. It was like they were trying to hide something. We never heard from a manager and we never even met the elusive concierge who controls the seventh floor.

Will we return to La Concha? Not sure yet. It’s a beautiful hotel and in a perfect location, but this ridiculous experience has left a very bad taste in my mouth. It was definitely NOT a Marriott Autograph...

I travel weekly and this is the Worst Marriot I have ever stayed off, from the rude staff to the obnoxious construction noise to not even having a water bottle or cups in your room. I would never stay here again, I traveled across the country to vacation in Key West. I love Marriot Properties and was excited to see a property in the location near all the activities. This hotel does not meet the fine quality facility and friendly Marriot staff I am accustomed to. This sentiment was also shared by another customer who complained to us about this hotel The bad experience started at check in with the rude check in employee. Upon learning the pool was under construction at check in, she stated, " well it was listed on the website". We said we called the reservation in and she stated we were told over the phone about the construction, which we were not and did not appreciate her demeaning attitude . We also showed the staff the Bonvoy app which does not mention the construction at this hotel. Although the pool is closed and there is obnoxious jack hammering going on at the property they still charge you a resort fee on top of parking. The room was just okay at best and none of the lights near the bed functioned. After a long day we wanted to get some sleep and went to take some asprin and there was not one water bottle in the room , not even ONE plastic or paper cup available in the room. We had to take medication late at night by bending over the sink and filling up my hands with water like drinking out of a trough. The next morning i had to get cups out of the lobby after having a joke of a breakfast. There is not a designated dining room as, there are tabled in the lobby area and serving trays on top of the tables for a buffet like at a Hampton Inn but near as nice selection at Hampton Inn or a Best Western. Tacky for a $400 a night hotel. I went to get strawberries and there were only 4 in the bowl, what a joke. Upon check out we brought up a few of our concerns and instead of an apology we were met with defiance basically blaming the lack of water bottles and no cups on us as if we had asked for room service, the missing items would have been noticed, this is not my job to make sure rooms a equipped with bare minimum essentials such as water or cups or fixing lights. While having breakfast you have to listen to non stop jack hammers and construction which we were never warned about this hotel should be even be opened or make it clear when people book that is is under construction or alllow people to back out of their reservation when they find out. Instead of an apology for no water or cups the blame was put on us for not calling. I was already in bed and didnt want to call just to be awakened by staff knocking on my door. This is a hotel, how does room service staff not know how to stock a room.

Anyway this was by far my worst Marriot experience, we were told to come back in a year and try it again, not a chance. I have much more pleasant stays at Best Western at a fourth of the cost. I was not able to post a review on the website and I learned you can only leave a review on the website if sent a review. Dont listen to me, read the multiple negative reviews from other customers. This place needs to have a hgh up GM from corporate be a secret customer...

I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with my recent stay at The La Concha Hotel in Key West. As a Titanium Member, I have come to expect a certain level of service and accommodation, but unfortunately, my experience fell far short of those expectations.

Upon arrival, I was informed that the suite I reserved back in May was not available. This is part of an ongoing issue I've encountered with Marriott properties, where 9 out of 10 times, my suite night upgrades are not honored. This pattern of unfulfilled promises is frustrating and diminishes the value of my loyalty to the Marriott Bonvoy program.

To add to my frustration, when I contacted Titanium services for assistance, I was connected with a representative for whom English was a second language. This made an already stressful situation even more challenging to resolve.

I was also disappointed to discover that the hotel is currently under construction, with two of the three restaurants closed. Despite these significant limitations, the hotel still charges a $150 destination fee. The only credit provided for this fee was $30 per day, which could be spent at the remaining small "restaurant" or the bar. As my wife and I do not drink and already receive complimentary breakfast due to our Bonvoy status, we were unable to make use of this credit. Essentially, we lost $90 over the course of our stay.

To make matters worse, the breakfast we did try at the one available restaurant was clearly reheated in a microwave, rather than being freshly prepared. This was far below the quality we expected from a Marriott property. Additionally, both the gym and pool were closed, further reducing the value of our stay, yet the full destination fee was still charged.

The restrictive nature of the $30 credit—unable to be combined, rolled over, or used for items in the Market—felt unfair and limiting. The fact that internet access is included as part of this fee was presented as a perk, but in today's world, that should be a basic expectation, not something to justify an additional charge.

We also overheard another couple being informed that the hotel had been overbooked, and they would not be provided the room they reserved. This, along with our experience, suggests a pattern of poor management and customer service at this property.

In light of all these issues, I strongly believe that the destination fee is not only unjustified but also potentially misleading. It is my opinion that such practices should be reviewed for their legality, as they result in a significant financial loss for customers who are unable to utilize the promised amenities.

I would appreciate a prompt response to address these concerns and look forward to hearing how Marriott plans to rectify...