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The room we had did overlook the bay, but that was its only plus. The entire boat listed badly, and there was even another structural lean mid floor. We needed a second bed. It was a foldup in the closet. Doors on closet wouldn't open all the way because one hit the floor and the other the fridge. If you put the bed lengthwise the bathroom door wouldn't fully open, the other way blocked your walkway so you had to crawl over the bed to go to the bathroom. Soap, but no shampoo. Towels, but no floor mat or wash cloth. Small window air conditioning that barely kept up. Walkways and stairs were steep and narrow. Showerhead held in place with strips of duct tape. I could go on but I'll stop now. Price was ridiculous for what we got. Like I said in title, just don't.
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Date of stay: May 2017Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Staying there was beautiful. The scenery doesn't get any better than this. Sunrise! It's awesome. Watching the sun come up over the ocean is exasperating. To stay on the house boat you get a gentle rocking to help you sleep. I've heard rumors that the boats aren't beautiful. What do you want? your in the Keys and the view is everything. The beach and the kayaks are fun. The fishing isn't bad either. You are just seconds away from John Pennikamp State park. Staying here is where you want to be. I gave it four stars because it's not a five hundred dollar a night resort. It's homey and the staff are great.
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Date of stay: February 2017
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:ask for George or Maureen
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If your looking for an amazing experience on the water with great views, relaxing place, walking distance to restaurants and fun places to chill and hang with friends and family, pet friendly, and nice staff then this is the place for you! Water sports and equipment available for cheap as well. Been here for a few months now and I'm still not ready to leave (=
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Date of stay: December 2016
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My expectations were low, due to the reviews, but I thought we would take a chance at an interesting experience. I reserved a house boat with a late arrival, which was confirmed. When checking in, we were directed to a barge with rooms, and when I asked about my confirmed reservation, I was told "this is all I have, this is all I have." When you GIVE AWAY someone's reservation, a phone call would be good. The barge was really awful. I can understand the odor, since it's on the water, but the property is literally falling apart. Loose flooring and extremely un-level, the furniture actually moved when walking by it. The television did not work as it appeared their cable was never hooked up. All bedding materials and window treatments appeared so old and dirty. I didn't see any pride in ownership in the inside of this place. On my way out, I looked into the laundry room area and noticed all the keys to the houseboats on the wall. It appeared that the houseboat that I originally reserved was available. HMMM.... I couldn't get out of there fast enough. There was NO offer of even a partial refund for not holding my reservation. Very poor management in my opinion. …
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Date of stay: March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
i received excellent friendly service with a great rate to boot. Maureen the manager was very eager to please and most accommodating. the view from my room was priceless. a very down to earth place. every one was very nice. the beach was great. if you are looking for an authentic keys experience then this is the place. I stayed at an expensive place down the road and yes it was alright but it felt like i was any place but the keys. at this place i felt like i was truly on an island adventure.
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Date of stay: March 2017
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:room 6 has the best views
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Me and my wife spent Christmas week here and enjoyed the peace and quiet and the charm of staying on a houseboat, Place has nice a nice staff, beautiful water views and a real peace about it. Great beach to relax and read and a great breakfast and lunch place seconds away for the boats.
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Date of stay: December 2016
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Room # 6 deck with awesome water views
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Other people's reviews really tell the story. My pictures tell part of the story. The fact is that we reserved 3 nights in March 2017 and decided to leave after the first night. We arrived to a very stinky room 4. It smelled like mildew and mold. They moved us to room 5 which is not that much better, this one at least smells like sewage and not mold. There were hairs all over the room, dust, sewage smell. It has it all. And the worse thing is that they charge you like a 5 star hotel in cash. We had no toilette paper and had to call a number and wait for them to bring us a roll.
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Date of stay: March 2017
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you are looking for a luxury houseboat experience, look elsewhere. If you are looking for an authentic Florida Keys experience, look no further than the Boatel. I took a private room on the barge, as no private boats were available. The room was clean and the amenities were all perfectly adequate. There's even a kitchenette!Because it's on a barge, the whole room tilted a bit, and yes, there is a faint musty smell, but for the price I paid... I'm perfectly happy. Maureen, the hostess, was gracious and friendly. If you meet other guests, you'll find people who stay here long-term, although I only stayed one night.
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great time. First time here in the Keys. Kids loved seeing the Manatee come up to our boat. Hubby liked the private beach. I liked being rocked to sleep on the houseboat.!!! Under new management we were told: Thanks for a great vacation and great accommodation. Will be back.
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Date of stay: August 2016Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I thought this place would be an amazing experience for my family -- it was a surprise trip & for my Mother's birthday. When we arrived an officer was on the location & warned us to stay away from a guy who clearly was drunk & on something. The drunk was vulgar, obnoxious & was told to stay away but persisted to stay on the property after the officer left. Management did nothing about it, they continued to allow him to stay on the property even though he was not staying there & causing harm to others. We dealt with his screaming through out our stay which thankfully was one night. When Mauren (Mangement) gave us a "tour" if you could call it that we instantly smelled & saw all the mold. While she was getting paper work I was franticly calling every place I could but EVERYWHERE was booked. I was even considering staying at a campground & sleeping in the car but couldn't find it in me to make my Grandmother sleep in a crammed car with 3 other people in the Florida weather. I had no choice but to stay. My Grandmother can not do a lot of activities so getting the houseboat seemed like the perfect idea -- she can relax & feel apart of our activities while she is on the boat. We were going to take full advantage of their rentals conviently on the property but nothing looked safe or secure. Not even an hour later, I went to confront Maureen about the mold, the lack of cleanliness, the drunk & just wait.. it gets better - white stains all over of the "clean" blankets & sheets, she was out. Spoke to someone who may or may not work there & she was kind enough to get us a new set. We decided to go out to dinner bc the kitchen was not safe or clean enough to cook on. When we were getting changed my boyfriend noticed & addressed a man peering into our windows. The employee was apologetic & did not know anyone was staying there. We survived the night, woke up sick, & decided we were heading home early. Maureen did not seem to care one bit when I confronted her, refused to give me, George's (the owner) number but gives me a number that redirects to her. Please, if you value your time with your family, if you care about your health or safety, do not stay here.…
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Date of stay: July 2016Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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