It could’ve been a better day. Starting 123 miles from Key West is fine, turning left out of the hotel and being told by the satnav, “Stay on this road for 123 miles” is fine. The bridges over the ocean failing to fulfil my hopes and dreams is fine – they did meet my expectations, which were more pragmatic.
Finding out my hotel (with Key West in its name) is a 20 minute drive from Key West is not fine. Finding out I can’t check in until 4pm isn’t fine. Taking 50 minutes to check in isn’t fine. Being told I have to pay $20 for parking isn’t fine.
I didn’t pay. My car is parked on the street instead of in the hotel carpark. Ironically it’s closer to my room than most of the hotel’s parking.
When booking hotels I’d chosen the cheap nasty one for three nights because it was cheap and in a good location for my planned activities. Tonight’s was a treat, an expensive hotel to enjoy some luxury. Having $82 of fees and taxes added to its price after clicking ‘book’ had already lost Expedia my future business, and left me annoyed at the cost of this place. I could’ve stayed at the Hilton in Key West itself for less.
The hotel trying to add another $20 was just obnoxious. “All the hotels here charge for carparking” apparently, and “The $20 pays for a security guard to watch your car.”
Lady, I just stayed three nights in the highest crime rate city in Florida, I’m not feeling terribly vulnerable in a town poor people can’t afford to live rough in.
I did go into Key West, walked around a while. It’s not very exciting; all the attractions require a boat ride somewhere. The houses are kind of nice though.
Lunch was in a Cuban restaurant. I arrived at noon, got one of only two free tables, ordered the Cuban beef.
It was excellent, and well priced too. When I left 40 minutes later there was a queue to get in, enough people to fill the restaurant again.
Back at the hotel I had coffee, nearly $7; glad I ate in town, this hotel doesn’t do anything affordably.
It’s a shame, it’s a lovely hotel in many ways.
The room is nice, they have lovely lizards and it’s nice and quiet.
One of the fees is a mandatory ‘resort fee’ that includes paddleboard, kayak and bicycle hire, but only from 9-5, so worthless if you’re not checked in until 4.50pm and need to leave by 9 or lose a whole day off your holiday. Apparently it also includes such luxuries as heated swimming pools, a fitness centre, wifi and dressing gowns, or in other words the things the fucking hotel charge should already be covering.
Worse was the manager responding to my comment about them being a 20 minute drive from Key West with “The resort fee includes a complimentary shuttle bus into Key West.” Great, you’re so far from the place you’ve misnamed yourself after that you have to put a bus on to get guests there, then you claim that them having to pay for it is a perk?
9pm update:
I feel sorry for whoever designed, built and runs this hotel. They’ve got a gorgeous hotel that’s just lovely, ruined by whichever idiot decided to lie to customers and gouge them for cash. As an example the aircon comes on only rarely, and when it does adds a mere 3dB to ambient. With the aircon on the noise in the room is 37dB, which puts the cruise ship in context.
Someone’s put a lot of effort into making this a great place to stay, and it’s been wasted. Such a shame.
Just under 8km walked today. Almost certainly more than I’ll manage tomorrow, but I’ll see if I can get 40 minutes in a kayak before checking out. I’ve decided to skip the aquarium, on the grounds $48 is too much for a bunch of dolphins and a manatee.
Tonight’s hotel is a rip-off.