Did alot of research for a very special trip with my 25 year old daughter. She flew in from Cincinnati (I live in Fort Myers, FL) and we drove down (5 hours on a good day)and arrived at the Banana Bay Motel at approx. 3:30 p.m. When we first pulled in to the parking lot, my heart sank to the floor, because at first glance it looked like a cheap roadside hotel. I had made reservations 2 weeks earlier and requested to be near a handicap spot, needed two queen beds, with the nicest view they could get. When we checked in, the young lady was working alone and was quite busy. She seemed almost robotic and my daughter didn't think she was that friendly. I think she was just busy, because she was alone working. I was really nervous, because I wanted my daughter to be very happy, since I had not seen her in a long time. She gave us a map of the premises and told us to drive all the way in the back by the swimming pool and that is where the surprise took place. It was just lovely in the back of the hotel. We got an excellent handicap spot right in front of the ramp going up to the room. There were two luggage carts available right there too. When we opened the door to the room....just beautiful. Nicely decorated with a Tommy Bahama theme, cute floor lamps with monkeys climbing on it. Very clean. Lovely balcony overlooking the pool and parking lot. Two very nicely made up beds with great pillows. (I usually bring my own pillows). A wet bar, an ice machine readily available. We put our bathing suits on and went down to the pool area. There was a jacuzzi and then a little beach area with very nice lounge chairs, hammocks and a lovely view of a bay. Non swimming beach, but lovely anyway. There was alot of shade trees and everything was immaculate. A giant outdoor chess board in the sand. One warning, this is tops optional and 18 and up only. A couple of gals went topless in the pool, doesn't bother me, but it may others. It was very quiet(off season)and when we got back from dinner that night (10:30) we put our suits back on and went down and sat in the lounge chairs and watched the stars. No one else was down there and I would think if it was just my husband and I, and not my daughter it would have been very romantic. There was no one in the pool, which was lit by soft blue lights and only one guy in the jacuzzi. The front desk clerk got us a taxi in 5 minutes (use the pink taxi company (forgot the name)and ask for Nicole as your driver, she was a hoot!) when we went to Mallory Square for the sunset earlier that evening. The reason why I was so impressed with Banana Bay was that 3 years earlier, my husband and I had stayed and the Comfort Inn in Key west and yes it was cheap then (July-off season $89.00) but it was also very dirty and the room was dark and dingy...almost like a smell of old beer and partying in it. The beds were awful etc. BANANA BAY IS MY NEW ECONOMICAL, CUTE HOTEL TO RECOMMEND IN KEY WEST. The room was a good value for $138. plus tax ($159.00 total) and I had looked at dozens and dozens of hotels, some running into the $500 range for one night (ridiculous). I would highly recommend this hotel also to honeymooners on a budget. It was a very pleasant surprise! Hope to go back soon with my husband. One thing to remember in Key West, it's a rock and I think there might be 2 little beaches for the public, so there are few hotels with the set up that Banana Bay had with the little beach and view of the bay. Hope this review helped you make up your mind where to stay.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Great food / Wine, Shopping