Island House

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  What all can I say about Island House? We are world travelers and have done many Atlantis and other gay land tours. Staying at IH is a world above. They cater to your every need .... if you ask for it, you get it, Our last visit I told them we were on Weight Watchers for Men so there was a big bowl of fresh fruit waiting for us at check in. I agree with other posters that the rooms are small but compact is ok if you are not entreating . The small room was fine for us except that the bathroom door did bump the foot of the bed.... close quarters. We did have to change rooms and I was most unhappy with that. We had to move from a ground floor pool room to an upstairs interior room over the Jacuzzi. The room was nice and quiet
  As for the staff, you could never ask for better guys! They are simply amazing at customer service!!!! Breakfast in bed? You got it drinks and snacks by the pool? You got it (though you will have to wave down a waiter a negative point as the waiters should come to you)
  Housekeeping staff are also great. I do the white glove test because of my partner's allergies and the room was spotless and amazingly decorated in cool colors that made you totally relax.
  If I had one negative thing to say.... it is just that the place is too far from all the restaurants and vive of Duval. However there is a GREAT market across the street with staples deli foods
  Any gay couple or singles should stay here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Posted on 04.16.13 Devin G.

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  Was highly disappointed as soon as I walked in and the bitchy queen refused me entrance!!! Being military we do not live at the address the driver license states. Therefor she said our drivers license was not valid! They should be more supportive of the military knowing that we move ALL over the world. He denied me entrance till we proved where we lived...

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  Posted on 04.12.13 Jorge Z.

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  ******SIX STAR REVIEW******
  
  So everyone who gave this place less than three stars either stayed in some parallel dimension or is an insufferable queen who secretly hates themselves (and probably their mommy, too).
  
  This place was absolutely perfect from booking my room (the handsome Gordon assisting me here) to recommending the best florist (See my review for Gilda's and thanks Norman!) to - well everything. Even checkout. Seriously!
  
  I'm posting pictures because truly no description can fully justify how awesome this place is. Frankly, if you were only staying a few days you could never leave this property and still have an incredible time.
  
  Let me see if I remember all the free stuff you get. Free wifi, free water bottles for free distilled water, free gym facilities, free coffee, free sarongs, free booze each day from 5:30-7:30, free cable, free adult movies, free toiletries, and if you stay four nights you get three free. I'm heading back in October for my bday! (yay!)
  
  My room was spectacular, a full one bed room apartment with large flat panel TV, super soft and comfy bed (seriously, the best I've slept in anywhere but my own), and parking for my rental scooters right outside the door. Literally! See my pics! The room was also well soundproofed, cleaned by the staff to perfection every day (they even folded up the blanket I took to the sofa for afternoon naps and left it there so i didn't have to keep retrieving it! Thank you! (Oh, and they will coordinate your scooter rental if you wish, do it, these guys will get you the best price!)
  
  The food. I ate at least one meal a day here. The food was as good as any other place I had eaten at while in Key West including the recommended fu-fu places. Now I agree this is not 5 star Ritz Carlton cuisine, but everything I ate was damn tasty, and worth the price I paid for it. From the kettle chips to the filet Mignon.
  
  As far as Mary who was complaining about older men, if that's a problem, go to summer camp. Trust me - no one is staring at your 86 pound flaunt of manorexia. For those of us who are realists, yes, there is an interesting cross section of men from twenties to (during my stay) eighties. The eighty year old was more fun, had a better time, and told me some tales that I hope to be able to tell myself some day ;)
  
  The staff was incredibly warm and accommodating. the aforementioned Gordon and Norman were our cruise directors through the time we were here, and the bartenders were always smiling, available, and no order was a problem (and trust me - after a few hours of drinking, we were making some funky drinks up!) Thanks Billie, Frank, Ralph, Kaleb, and all the other guys who made the stay awesome.
  
  As far as 'seediness' yes, there was nudity. Yes, they have adult movie channels, and yes, there is a video room. I didn't go to the video room because, frankly, I found all the entertainment I needed on the main floors, but those that I chatted with who did visit it remarked it was clean and fun. Nough said.
  
  On on odd note there are no hairdryers in the rooms. Sporting a recent buzz cut (and subsequent sunburned pate) I hadn't noticed by my partner did. We realized that any real hair queen probably brings her own anyway as anything less than 12000 watts simply won't do ;)
  
  Do I have any concerns on staying again? I regret I could not personally shake the owner's hand for putting together such an incredible product, team of men working for him, and overall experience. I would stay for a month if I could.
  
  In short, if you are looking to go spend a little time in paradise, stay here. It may cost a little more than the Holiday Inn, but can you truly put a price on perfection?

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  Posted on 03.21.13 Michael M.

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  My partner and I recently stayed at Island House.  I've struggled with how to review this place.  It's everything you'd expect an all-male, clothing optional resort that pipes three channels of porn into every room to be. Seedy.  BUT, my concerns about the seediness of the place were assuaged by Island House's own marketing.  On their Website they tell would-be visitors that Island House is like a FOUR SEASONS or RITZ CHARLTON geared toward gay men.  This is where they went wrong.  Expectations were set way too high.  I've stayed at the Four Seasons and Island House is no Four Seasons.
  
  I'll start with the good:
  
  1.  Nice staff.  They really are nice.  The niceness of the bartenders alone made me want to rate the place higher.
  
  2.  Comfortable room.  Good bed with decent linens.  
  
  Now the bad:
  
  1.  The food is terrible.  Breakfast is serviceable (its hard to screw up an omelet), but everything else is really crappy.  Here again expectations were set too high.  Some reviews said that people from all over Key West seek out Island House's restaurant.  This is 100% not true.   Key West has lots of great dining, no one is going to Island House for their wilted Caesar and over-breaded calamari.  Trust me on this.  Tip:  while on Key West, go to Santiagos.
  
  2.  The property needs a major face lift, starting with the pool, deck, bar area.  A Ritz Charlton would have been on this.  But Island House is not the Ritz, so its getting dilapidated.
  
  3.  Other customers.  Creepy, older (in some cases, REALLY older), naked men who smoke is clearly the target demographic.  We were hoping for a more mixed crowd.  We did not get one.  The less-than-forty crowd is clearly not interested in Island House.   It's hard to ding Island House for this.  I'm sure the hot crowd arrived a week after we left.
  
  4.  The smoking!  Everybody smoked!  Sun deck:  perfectly pleasant afternoon under the sun, ruined by smoke.  The outdoor bar.  More smoking.  The poolside lounge chairs. Smoking. Smoking. Smoking.  I've never been to a Ritz that allows so much smoking.  Who smokes these days anyway?  Guests of the Island House, that's who!  Smoking causes erectile dysfunction, people.  Stop smoking.  It makes you stink and limp.  
  
  5.  They scheduled the tree trimmers for first thing Thursday morning, complete with a wood-chipper and chainsaws.  I realize this sort of work must be done.  But, fuck, it doesn't need to start at 8 a.m. at a hotel.  I wanted to sleep in a little.  But no, that fucking wood-chipper was not going to allow it.  Maybe have the wood-chippers come at 11, okay?
  
  In conclusion.  Island House set expectations too high with all this talk of being the #1 gay mens resort in the world AND comparing themselves to the Ritz.  Bad move, Island House.  If you stay here, think Super 8 geared toward naked, out of shape gays, with a complimentary porn maze and your expectations will be spot on.

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  Posted on 02.09.13 Trevor U.

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  These guys are the #1 gay guesthouse in the world. They didn't get there by accident. You simply can not do any better. You can come to Island House and never leave. The staff is great, the food is wonderful, the rooms are clean... my only complaint is I really wish they'd update some of the gym equipment.

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  Posted on 01.04.13 David A.

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  Everyone is so good looking and so friendly. People staying elsewhere come here, so obviously this is the place to stay.
  
  I'm on day two of a week long birthday vacation and I'm already going to book another trip to come back in six months.
  
  The rooms are clean, best bed ever, awesome shower and flatscreens!
  
  I feel comfortable walking around naked because everyone else is and they're not gawking perverts like everywhere else I've stayed. The sun deck's misting system helps you to tan comfortably and the bar's right down stairs so its easy to stay hydrated.
  
  The food is really good, everyone eats here also even if their not staying, so that speaks volumes.
  
  The staff is extremely helpful, fun, friendly, and totally non-judgemental. Definite top-notch. Highly recommend! And coming from someone in the resort industry, that says a lot as well!!!

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  Posted on 12.11.12 Nicholas L.

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  Very nice place. Best of all you can do everything here naked! Swim, sun, drink, dine. Not workout tho. You need shorts and shoes. The restaurant is very good and reasonably priced. Rooms are a little expencive.

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  Posted on 12.02.12 Tom H.

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  Every trip to Key West is spent here. Clean and comfortable, attentive and friendly staff, and a fun crowd if guests. Not to mention very cute bartenders, especially Billie ;)

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  Posted on 04.24.12 Tom K.

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  The accommodations are great, the staff is fantastic. I have stayed in many places across the US and I have to say this is the first where the staff are extremely friendly and go out of there way to meet all your needs. I will stay here each and every time I am in Key West.

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  Posted on 06.11.11 Gradon L.

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  From the minute I made our reservations until the moment we left, we could not have asked for a better experience. The front desk staff was extremely personable, the bar and wait staff were so helpful and accommodating. Frank, Ki-J and Ralph were over the top friendly and their service and smiles left you wanting more. We stayed in 419, the condo adjacent to the Island House and the accommodations were above and beyond our expectations.
  
  We were a group of 4 guys, in our 30's from NY, who were in Key West to enjoy ourselves, and we did just that. It's hard not to at the Island house.  Thank you to everyone at the front desk, please excuse me for not remembering names of the frenchman and the auburn haired gentleman, both amazing. I blame it on the free two-hour happy hour each day. They even gay my partner, who is a Police Office a 20% discount on the reservation. Even the house keeping staff who cleaned our room were extremely friendly, thank you.
  
  We've already looked into flights back this summer. Can't wait and thank you again to everyone at the Island House for making four boys from NY feel so welcomed and providing the most impeccable service.
  
  -The NY Boys (Brad, Gary, Shawn and Danny)

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  Posted on 03.13.11 B-rad W.

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  I love this place!
  
  I checked into the Island house on Friday afternoon and fell immediately in love with my room.  There are actually 3 separate bungalows across the alley from the main compound, and I stayed in one of these rooms.  It was a very well-appointed room with a full kitchen, living room, and a separate bedroom.  Everything about the room and resort was of the highest caliber.  The showers came equipped with a mounted dispenser that contained mint scented shampoo, body wash and conditioner.  My room had two flat screen televisions, and all the rooms come equip ed with full cable as well as 5 channels of gay porn (yay!).  
  
  The main compound contains all the fun, though.  There's a pool area with a full bar -- this is where everybody hangs out.  I spend  a lot of my time hanging at this bar (happy hour everyday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. -- which means free well drinks for guests of the resort).  Locals and out-of-town visitors staying at other resorts/hotels actually come into the bar area (I believe day passes are sold at the front desk); Sunday afternoon's "pre-tea dance" party (noonish to 4-ish) is the big draw of the week.  
  
  Oh -- did I mention?  The entire compound is clothing optional.  Lot's of dick to be seen.  Which is why women ain't allowed (sorry ladies).  Also, there's a "library" (they call it) with, um, well -- check it out for yourself :)
  
  Also, there are two hot tubs, a sauna, a steam room and a gym (the only place where you have to wear clothes is, thankfully, in the gym).  I actually got in a decent workout at the gym, and the strippers from the gay bars down on Duvall street are given free access to the gym, so plenty of eye candy to behold.  
  
  The staff were friendly and accommodating.  These guys are professionally trained and definitely strive to give good customer service.  You won't see ANY bitchiness coming from these guys at all.
  
  I endorse this place and recommend it.  Seriously, if you're gay and want the "gay experience" when you come to Key West, you really need to try to stay here.

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  Posted on 03.01.11 Doug S.

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  I stayed at the island house the last time i was in key west a few years ago. This trip i brought my friends here for drinks and to see the place. The crowd is old naked gay. Nothing real cute to see here but other than the strippers thats all of key west. The bar makes good drinks and the restaurant food is pretty good. Simple fare. The resort is beautiful and the rooms are nice. It can get real dirty at night. There is an indoor and outdoor hot tub, sauna, and pool. There is even a weird porno maze. Its something to see and a nice place to stay.

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  Posted on 07.06.10 Jeremy B.

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  Probably the best gay resort/hotel I have stayed at ever.
  
  CONS -- location is far from Duval Street and in a residental neighborhood ... although this is Key West, you still have to walk about a mile or two from Duval to the hotel at night, and there are some unsavory areas of Key West you need to pass through
  
  PROS -- great staff, great accomodations, great restaurant, great amenities ... the pool was great, sundeck awesome, there is a great hottub area as well that gets really busy after 2am ... there is free porn channels in the rooms, and even a large sauna area and workout room.
  
  I was very afraid as this was my first gay guest-house ... there was a wide range of ages from 20 to 60, with the largest concentration within 5 years of 30 (25-35) and a lot of rather attractive people to look at.
  
  The place is huge, almost a compound at times, and has some interesting rooms tucked away here and there ... it is clothing option however I wore a bathing suit and did not feel out of place nor was I feeling like others were being hyper-critical.  
  
  Overall I want to go back ... and I never thought I would find places like this fun ... it is a great get-away -- again, only drawback is if you are planning on going out a lot downtown on Duval or sightseeing ... if you are, then I suggest getting a day pass here to just use the pool and facilities to try it out, then you can decide if you'd commit to spending an entire trip there.

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  Posted on 06.18.10 Brad S.

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  The Island House Cafe & Bar is located in the Island House Resort. It is Men only. The Cafe has a nice tropical feel to it and the tables overlook the pool. The service was very good and the food was great. The prices were reasonable with the wine being very inexpensive. We went for Dinner and started with Brie and Crackers, Conch Fritters, Salad and Conch Chowder. For Entree's we had Meat Loaf, Yellow tail Snapper and a Pasta Dish. The desserts looked very good, but we passed as we were stuffed. This is a great place to go while the ladies have a girls night out.

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  Posted on 03.31.10 Bill B.

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  I stayed here last summer with my boyfriend after discovering Key West on a cruise stop. The place is really peaceful and quiet, we really liked that it was off the beaten path a little (10 minute walk to Duval st area, a nice one too). The front desk was very helpful. Always smiling and asking how we were. They gave us some names of great restaurants and bars nearby. Our room was clean and had everything we could ask for. Overall, a great experience and we want to go back.

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  Posted on 03.14.10 John T.

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  I have been coming here for a couple of years now. This is such a fun hot spot! The guys are really friendly and we can't wait to come back. The Island House is a really amazing place to be at for breakfast, lunch, dinner and the late night eating which they have started doing for those of you who like a late night out on Duval Street. This is an amazing place to eat if you come home from the we hours on the town.
  
  Amazing food and the prices are so right! I usually get the Cobb Salad and it was the best. There is a variety of food here and you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend it to your group of friends. It great to come here for food because we all stayed at Alexander's then come here to eat anytime.
  
  The staff is very knowledgeable. Ask for Paul. He will take care of you and make your order right with the drinks/food. He's the best!
  
  I highly recommend this place for cheap food and drinks.  We always have an amazing time here and the guys are oh so friendly. Lots of cruising and nudity around which is always a great thing anytime. Especially, in the pool area and around the rooms etc...
  
  Always an enjoyable and fun experience here with the decor, food and friendly staff!

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  Posted on 12.11.09 Oscar H.

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  Our experience with Island House last year was less-than-positive .  We normally stayed at Big Rubys, but decided we'd give Island House a try.
  
  lt started with our initial call to make reservations, and it was downhill from there. The front desk staff was rude and short.  After asking about prices, I asked if they had any specials.  The desk-clerk barked "...no, we don't have any specials and our rooms are filling fast.. would you like a room or not?..."
  
  I assumed he was just having a bad day, so I booked the room (Queen sized with private bath, fridge,microwave...)
  
  Upon arriving, the front desk staff again seemed less-than-friendly.  No smile, no welcome, just a "name please".  After checking in, a clerk led us to our room on the back-side of the complex, overlooking the hot-tub.  He gave us some info about the grounds, and left.  
  
  During our stay, the guests weren't very friendly either.  Not their fault...just saying.
  
  Every day of our stay, we had to call the front desk for towels, even after they had just cleaned our room.  We also noticed that they didn't change the sheets, but simply made up the bed.  Strange. That made me wonder if they ever changed the sheets before we arrived ... ewwhhhh!!!!! ...maybe that's a normal practice for existing guests? But I didn't complain.    
  
  About 6 months after our stay, we received an email containing some special rate but we needed some other details.  Thinking that our previous experience was just negative because we were there on an unusual week (whatever it was), we called to make reservations and give them another try. Again the clerk seemed rude and acted as if answering the phone was interrupting his day.  And just as on the previous call, when we asked about more details regarding the special rate,  he responded "..do you want the room or not, we're filling up fast..."    
  
  We were only on the phone about 3 minutes.. it's not like we were asking this guy a lot of questions.... so we said "hell no" and hung up.
  
  The bottom line for me is this: I know that Island House can't control the friendliness of it's guests but they DO have control over the friendliness of their staff (especially the staff that makes a first and lasting impression) and the availability of towels, etc...  
  
  If you want a nice place to stay, with comparable prices and (in our experience) consistently friendlier staff and guests, I recommend you stay at Big Ruby's.  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bigrubys.com%2F&s=5dcb5f39c5396f746a104a46695e4b0119fcbe939bec07ba59139038e1bbbecd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.bigrubys.com/</a>  
  
  Island House Pros:
  __Good location
  __Nice sized rooms
  __Comfortable beds
  __Very large Sundeck
  __Nice pool area and grounds
  __Gym (very small)
  __Covered outdoor patio, bar and restaurant with good food and bar  
  __"Video" and play room (yep, it can be fun, I admit it...)
  __Hot tub
  __In-room safe
  
  Cons:
  __Rude phone staff on more than one occasion (deal breaker #1)
  __Questionable cleanliness (see sheets comment above, although the rest of the room was very clean.)  
  __Repeated requests for clean towels
  __Less than friendly front-desk staff on more than one occasion  (deal breaker #2)

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  Posted on 07.15.09 C C.

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  Such a fun "gaycation" spot -- really friendly, clean, comfortable, and relaxing -- and I can't wait to come back. The Island House "compound," as they call it, is a self-contained resort with a pool, gym, locker room, bar, restaurant, two Jacuzzis, "play" space, sun deck, and modern guest rooms. It's a few blocks off Duval so the tourist crowds don't wander by, but it's an easy walk to the local scene.
  
  This is definitely a sex-positive space.

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  Posted on 02.25.07 Billy A.

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  So Island House is another one of the popular gay guesthouses in Key West.  And this one is not shy about letting boys be boys if you catch my drift.  In addition to rooms, it has communal showers, a handful of hot tubs, a gym, and-- ahem-- an adult video room.  Perfect for single guys, guys in open relationships, and Key West locals who are antsy in their pants-y.  If you choose not to stay at Island House, you can buy day and week passes to take advantage of their amenities.  As one Island House guest told me, what happens there stays there.  Capiche?  I will tell you that pretty much everything people say about Island House is true.  However it's not as sleazy as you might think.  It's very clean (well, it is in the morning after it's been scrubbed down) and from what I could tell the rooms were well stocked.  I say it's worth checking out if you are single.  Hell, yer on vacation...

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  Posted on 06.21.06 Flip C.

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