Glades Haven General Store — Local services in Everglades City

We just got home yesterday from our stay at Glades Haven and we thoroughly enjoyed it! We had Cottage 16, its full size with a kitchen. We were able to check in early and our cottage was very clean as well as the grounds of the resort, the décor was awesome! perfect for the setting. There were fishing poles lining the ceiling and beautiful copper wall art. The pool was right across the street and it was also very well maintained. I understand all cottages are individually owned so maybe we just got one of the best ones...??? I cant figure out why others might have had issues but check in for us was smooth, the cottage was clean, smelled good and the bed was very comfortable. We paid $169 a night and maybe that sounds high to some because you pay that much at a 4-maybe some 5 star hotels but this isnt a hotel so why expect a hotel atmosphere? Stay in hotel if thats what you want. This is a fishing type resort and considering they supply everything and youre basically getting a small house I think the price is very reasonable. We also rented kayaks right there at the marina and I'm ashamed to say I don't remember the gentleman's name that helped us but he was there July 10 at about 7:30am and had a beard. He couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. Gave us a map and told us the best places to go, tutored us on the kayaks and was right there when we got back to help us get back in. WE LOVED OUR TRIP! and will be back FOR SURE! To the resort I just have one small suggestion, since there isn't housecleaning during the stay-which we prefer- maybe stock the coffee so there's enough for the number of mornings people will be there. We spent 2 nights and only had coffee for the first morning. Granted, I know we could have brought our own since we knew we had a kitchen but forgot and with hotels/motels there's daily cleaning and they replenish the coffee so its there when you get up. Maybe without that service just leave 2 packets for 2 nights when the cottages are prepped? that would have been a nice touch. Certainly didn't take away from the overall experience, it was just an "oh bummer! no coffee" moment when we got up at 5am Sunday morning and neither one of us were quite ready to venture out to find some lol. And finally for those this is important to, I don't know if there was Wi-Fi because we didn't try to use it, we were out enjoying the...

the cabins are mostly as they appear in the ad. some have more than others. ours was ok. the sheets were chewed a little?!?, and there were alot of tiny biting bugs in the cabin. the furnishings are garage sale vintage and one of the two twin beds had a broken box spring. do not bring your boat here unless it can sit in 6" of water and has a titanium bottom and diamond cutting propeller. the channels are very narrow and the water flows in and out of the channel fast enough to throw you into the oyster beds on all sides. we ruined our propeller on the first morning in the "channel" between the bridge and marina. we mentioned to the people @ the marina that they should tell people about the channel being not navigatable within an hour or two of low tide. the lady said "people ruin their props there all the time ". DA! once you get past the little bridge, it's everything you dreamed of, without the sight fishing (the water is cloudy)or channel markers. if you didn't come to sightsee, fish, and drink, there is nothing else to do. the private slips they show are all roped off cause the seawall is caving in, so, everone must park in a 50' wide marina. we tried to back out of a spot and broke a local captains 22' ($1300.00?) push pole sticking out nearly 1/2 way across the marina. we had to buy it on the spot cause there are no stores open after 6pm and everyone leaves for naples @ dark. i took the broken pole and found that it had been fixed several times and was in sad shape to begin with, this is called "local knowledge." there is no cell phone or wifi reception, and the 7 locals are locals. dueling banjos was played in our dreams all night. even though we paid in advance for another night, we left the next day! when we got home, we took off our clothes outside and washed everything before it went in the house. We still itch. rent a boat, get a captain, or save your money and go someplace a little less remote, and more friendly. this really is "a drinking town with a fishing problem." we are worried about giving them our credit card #s. smallwoods store/museum is nice and the man there...

5 months ago rented a boat, broke down. I had 2 children with me then. I decided to give them another chance this week for my big new years vacation and rented a boat again, this time I took my 3 boys, 12, 10 and 6. Boat kept breaking down the first day, giving me a headache and anxiety with the 3 little ones. Got back to dock, asked for a different boat for my second day.. told there were none available and that my boat would be fine. Next day, get out into the channel near marker 20 and the motor quits.. but this time for good. Have to wait over and hour before they show up, they give us another boat (which had its problems as well) and tell me that we will only be charged for half day because of inconvenience, etc. get back to dock and was told I had to pay full price for both days because they lost money for the boat not being in service... huh??? I never ran aground once nor ventured too far off the channel, so there is no way this was my fault. AVOID THIS PLACE FOR BOAT RENTAL, there are other places there to rent boats from which we have been for five months, which don't have the issues this place has. I found them to be dishonest and disingenuous to say the least. There are many other issues but I will withhold them because I will NEVER RENT THERE AGAIN!!!! You lost a potential monthly client.. good job... oh.. and I will be putting this on forums so the word gets out, this is NOT how you treat customers. (This review is just for the Marina, the cabins were nice and the customer service was wonderful, they are managed by different...