Bluewater Key RV Resort — Local services in Stock Island

This was a hard place to review, primarily because the price of the sites are so much higher than any other resort we’ve ever been to. TLDR - From a value perspective, I don’t feel they have a compelling value proposition. Some of this, I recognize, is out of their control. The first thing is these lots are leased by the individual owners of each site which will drive up the prices. We were in spot 11 which was nice. It was on the canal side and the thatched patio/hut was nice and expansive (more so than most). It had a dock upon which to launch kayaks which was nice. Our spot had nice pavers but some are gravel which is a little crazy to me at this type of resort. Also our hookups were well behind our rig adjacent to the hut which made it a bit of a pain to stretch our macerator pump hose to reach. For those who use standard holding tank drainage hoses, this probably won’t be an issue. Ours also had an outdoor shower WITHOUT hot water. And it’s important to note you cannot open cook under the tikis which, while understandable, is also a little disappointing. Their website has a few pictures of each of the individual sites which I appreciate and would STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to look at closely because not all sites are created equal in this place. I appreciate the staff was very friendly and they picked up garbage set out in front of the sites on a daily basis. The common areas were a bit of a hike to get to from our spot. The pool (heated) was as nice as they get following a recent renovation. They made great choices on the materials. Similarly, the clubhouse was nice, but was unpredictably opened or closed even during what I would consider normal operating hours. The shower/bathroom house was above average, but not amazing for the price (there were 2 toilets/showers for men and 2 for women). There were multiple days in which the bathrooms were not appropriately stocked with TP (and they didn’t smell particularly fresh at any point during our 2 week stay). The laundry room also appeared dated. The grounds were very well maintained and manicured and, again, the staff was great. Although the address is Key West, the resort is 15-25 minutes away from the city center - and for those who haven’t been to the Keys, traffic can be very hit or miss. Many of the roads are single lane and it doesn’t take much for traffic to be backed up even when there isn’t an accident. Also, if you’re traveling into town, try to get out in non-peak hours because it can sometimes be a challenge to even get across traffic making the left turn into a single lane heading into town. I feel like I’m being a little nit-picky because my perception would probably be a little different if this place was $200/night as opposed to $350/night - but the biggest wildcards which need to be strongly considered (and for us, they just weren’t the most important factors I suppose) are the sites are HUGE in comparison to most spots at most resorts, they are often ON THE WATER, and the sites have an outdoor space you just can’t get at 99% of RV resorts anywhere. While we’re glad we came to get the experience, this is most certainly not a place we would return to due to what I would consider a relatively weak overall value - from our perspective and I realize others may prioritize...

This place is amazing so giving 5 stars, but there are a few things that could be better. First off, the good… the sites are amazing. We stayed in site 61 on the bay. It has a dock and an enclosed tiki with a kitchen. We loved sitting in the loungers by the water at night enjoying the breeze from the bay. This site is great although it is designed for a Class A rig and we were in a travel trailer so the concrete was actually under our rig and then we just had gravel on the live side. Thankfully we had large outdoor rugs that we just put down to help with walking on the gravel to get from RV to tiki if you didn’t have shoes on. But keep this in mind if you stay on this site in a travel trailer. The sites are pretty private as they are landscaped beautifully down each side. There is a dog park here, but it is not fenced in so your dog must be leashed while there and there are several areas that they cannot go into like flower beds, etc. which is ok. They do supply bags which is nice. One negative, however, is that the dog park is up front and there is no trail or walk to get there so you have to walk your dogs on the hot asphalt to get there. A trail or something other than walking down the road could be a great addition in my opinion. We just tried to take our dogs early morning and late afternoon before the road got too hot and once it had cooled down a bit. Lastly, my husband backs trailers as part of his job so he is very good at it and never has an issue backing our camper… EVER. We got here and one of the escorts took us to our site and said he was going to help my husband back into our site so I stayed in the truck. Normally I get out and help him back in. My husband trusted him and tried following his direction and it was not correct. I had to get out and direct him into the site correctly. It could be that we have a system that works with our camper or I’m not sure what, but go with what works for you. I was also told by someone else I talked to here that several other people were given bad instructions when they being backed into their sites as well. All campers/RVs are different so it might be best to just have the escorts assist but if the RV owners know what they are doing, let them do their thing. :-) All in all, we enjoyed our stay here. It’s a beautiful resort and we went to Key West several times and many other Keys within minutes. Rented a jet ski from Florida Keys Jet Ski Rentals and they delivered right to our dock and we were able to take off right from there to go exploring. I highly recommend them as well. Nicole and Scott are awesome! We also paddle boarded around the bay several times. It’s a lovely...

IF YOU DON’T TOW DON’T GO!!!

We packed up our new Pleasureway Plateau XL and headed Down to Key West from Canada. The end of our Southern journey was to be in a luxury RV park. Bluewater Key After spending $150,000 on this rig what else would do!! Dam the cost 6 nights $1,200.

In the emails the park stressed that new arrivals must be escorted to the site and therefore must arrive during check in 1-5pm. A section of the confirmation email marked in bold says “AFTER HOURS CHECK-IN IS NOT PERMITTED AND WE DO NOT PARK ANY RV AFTER Dark “

This is key!!!!! I assumed this related to the rules regarding checking in. After checking in I will be parking my RV not “We do not park any RV” The “We” thus being when they escorted me to the site at check in? Right? WRONG!! They are referring to the policy that

“Once you have checked in, the use of your RV as transportation in and out of the resort is not allowed, regardless of how small it might be.

This is not an issue for the Motor Homes that tow a vehicle. The rules that are listed on web site NOW show such. To the mangers credit he did says he would review the website and clarify rules if needed. They can be found by clicking on “Rentals” “Rates” then “Policies”

Once we brought up the issue that we were not happy about being restricted as to when we had to be back at night, The tape measure came out and my $150,000 rig measured 22.75 ft from bumper to bumper. (25 ft bumper to back of the stowaway box.) We were told we were to small to stay as they had a 24 feet minimum size policy. Other reviews also commented on the tape measure.

So to big to park after dark, even though some four door pickups are bigger than my rig, and to small to park in a luxury RV park.

HOWEVER, This whole experience was a blessing !!

To anyone that drives their own motor home without a tow Please read on!!!

Go to the Doubletree or find a hotel in the Keys. Parking is not a big issue, that is why people are buying the smaller RV’s We did the sunset schooner cruise, we did the dinner cruise, we did the great dinners and didn’t have a 20 mins drive from and to the RV park or a $80 taxi ride to get into town. Parking big Motorhomes in tight RV parks in the dark is dangerous. That is the reason for Bluewaters policy.

Parking small RV’s be 23 ft or 25ft at Bluewater keys is crazy, pass it by, drive on, enjoy Key West!

Even if they let me stay there for half the price. I wouldn’t do...