The Capitana Key West — Hotel in Key West

Upon check in, the agent was flat and unfriendly. When we went to our room, (advertised as a “family bunk suite”) we realized that it only had one bathroom and a tiny closet - disappointing for a family of 5. We felt totally misled by the online depiction of the room. We were told by the front desk staff that “well, there is a sofa bed,” and after she spoke with “her manager” there was nothing more they could do for us. She also asked if we wanted turn down service, and we said yes. She said she added it to our reservation and also said that they would get the sofa bed ready for our daughter.

When we returned from dinner, no one had been in the room for turn down, and there weren’t even linens for the sofa bed. My husband went to the desk to ask for them, and he was told “why didn’t you text us.” Then the manager proceeded to argue with him telling him that someone had been in the room to prepare it. She told him “next time you should take pictures”. He actually did have a picture of the bare sofa bed mattress because it was smashed and awful. He showed that to her, but never an apology from them. She acted totally bothered that we actually needed linens for the sofa bed because one of my 3 children needed to sleep on it.

We also discovered that the internet TV in the bunk room did not work properly. We texted, and someone came to check it. He said he would "tell his boss", and nothing was done to resolve it - it was never fixed and useless to us.

On the second day, no housekeeping came to service our room at all - even after I texted to request that it be done by 4:00, because we had a dinner reservation and the 5 of us would need to shower in the room. I arrived in the room at 4:00, and it hadn’t been serviced. I texted to report this and never got a response. At 4:30, I had just showered and heard knocking on the door - it was 4 housekeeping staff barging in the room to clean it while we needed to use the bathroom. Again, never an apology.

I have traveled the world and experienced all sorts of accommodations, and my husband and I are very laid back. However, we have never been made to feel as undervalued as the manager, front desk and housekeeping staff made us feel at the Capitana.

We ended up having to reserve a second room for the final 3 nights of our stay so that my 18 and 20 year old children could moved into it, making us all more comfortable with the use of a second bathroom. However, that room’s (205) internet TV did not work as well. Again, we had someone come to check it, and again, nothing was done about it.

If this hotel wants to advertise as “luxury,” it has a long way to go as far as hospitality and customer service. The only staff who were pleasant were Eric and Sadi at the Tiki Bar. So professional and enjoyable to be around.

The way we were treated just about ruined our whole vacation, therefore, we will be telling all of our traveling family and friends to avoid the Capitana. What also makes this so disheartening is that we are very loyal to the Opal brand - we always try to stay at Opal resorts when vacationing, and have spent tens of thousands of dollars with them on our travels. That will come to an and as well, as we will likely seek out true luxury brands with time-tested hospitality and customer service from...

Cons: Our room (303) needed some touch-ups where the wood had chipped or the paint had faded. There were dirty fingerprints on the air vent on the bathroom ceiling. They should consider rotating or flipping the mattresses to help preserve them. The pillows are getting clumpy and may need to be replaced soon.|We initially called the hotel to ask for recommendations on how to get there from the airport, and they simply said taxi, Uber, or Lyft. We chose a taxi and ended up paying $32 for a 9-minute ride, not including a tip. Apparently, taxis charge $8–$9 per person, and a child counts as a person. When we arrived at around 9 p.m., the front desk lady was unaware of these transportation fees. So if you’re flying into Key West, skip the taxi and go with Uber or Lyft. Also, the bar closes at 8 p.m., so if you arrive late, you’ll need to drive or call an Uber to find something to eat in town.||Breakfast was included, and we thought it was great in 2021. But either times have changed, or there’s been a change in management. I have to say, I don’t recall having a worse hotel breakfast anywhere we’ve traveled. The selection was limited and poor quality, with very few changes every 2–3 days. I don’t mind limited options—but I do mind bad quality!|Bread and pastries were terrible and sparse. The eggs were either scrambled (which tasted awful) or hard-boiled (which were good). The sausages were low quality. You could pick from a fridge stocked with Chobani fruit yogurts and small milk containers that tasted strange—likely a brand that doesn’t need refrigeration and stays shelf-stable for six months due to preservatives. The cereal and oatmeal cups were cheap and pre-packaged, though there was a small daily offering of two types of fresh fruit (usually melon or grapes), which were generally edible. If you’re in a rush, you could grab some hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, or a yogurt to tide you over until lunch.||On the positive side, the staff is great and helpful. On the day we left, they were refreshing the paint near the windows in the lobby. I also noticed online they advertise the rooms come with a tea maker, and when I asked, they promptly sent an electric kettle to my room.|I have no complaints about the service around the pool.|Overall, this is still a great hotel with big, well-insulated rooms (you won’t hear a peep from neighbors), in a beautiful location, plus free parking. We rented a golf cart for two days and had fun driving to Duval Street and the beach. :)|The Smoked BBQ restaurant is within walking distance—super rustic, and actually on a boat! We thought their brisket and smoked ribs were excellent, paired with fries and a fresh cucumber salad, along with their collection of house-made dressings.|Final thoughts: Management just needs to keep up with maintenance and rethink the breakfast—either improve the quality or stop serving it altogether. Maybe collaborate with local bakeries that make their own bread and pastries? And with all the chickens around, surely someone can be found who knows how to make decent...

Love this hotel and our first stay was right after opening. We have stayed every year since and in 2023 actually stayed 3 weeks. Very nice, clean and love that all rooms face pool and beach. I do have to say I was disappointed with our last stay because the pool was so cold unable to even swim in it. Everyone spend days and evenings in the hot tub. Disappointing when you travel such a long distance to warm climate and can't swim. Each year they have decreased the heat lower and lower and it hasn't been used by very many people. I also had a bad accident 2 years ago and now walk with a cane and my right arm was severely broken and I now have prosthetic joints in entire arm limiting it's use. I have requested on several occasions that they put a nice chair or something at elevator landing like most hotels do. Plenty of room but no place to sit. By the time I walk from the corner room to elevator I need to sit. Also have requested a table and a couple of chairs in laundry room. There is plenty of room. A table to fold clothes on and chairs to sit. When their in 2024 still nothing, although prior manager in 2023 told me he would take care of it. New manager never available to talk. With no places to sit, walking from corner room on 2nd floor, then elevator and then to laundry on 3rd floor is very challenging for us handicapped people or those with mobility issues. Remember then you put in your laundry and have to get all the way back to room same route before you can sit. This is a nightmare for those of us that are mobility challenged. My husband has to do the laundry or go to our car and get a lawn chair to carry for me to have a place to sit. I feel like they are encouraging handicapped people to choose a different hotel. We moved to the Opal in Mallory Square and amazing the pool was warm, chairs at every elevator and lots of treats at the pool that the Capitana also only did twice while we were there. Prior to new pool and tiki bar management at the Capitana, snacks at the pool were at least twice daily. Non alcoholic drinks, fresh fruits, Popsicles etc.Also ordered a Strawberry Salad that was on the menu and on the online menu also, only to find out it was discontinued. It was my favorite salad in 2023. Disappointed that such a beautiful new Opal Hotel could decline as quickly as this one has with customer service. We frequent many Opal facilities on Lido and Longboat Key also and the pool is always warm even in January. Lots of comfy chairs at elevators and top notch customer service. Could you please try to listen to your clientele? Many beautiful places to stay in the Keys. Have stayed in many others and may have to remove the Capitana from our list of places to stay. Having a disability is not a choice believe me. Would love to be as mobile as I...