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El Patio Motel: Traveler Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of El Patio Motel

( 9-13 of 48 )
“BEST KEPT SECRET IN KEY WEST!! REPEAT GUEST!!!”

El Patio Motel

5 of 5 stars
Orlando, FL
May 6, 2008
1/1 found this review helpful

Ok,

I have stayed at El Patio MANY MANY (at least 10) times over the years. The staff can be friendly most times, to completley irritable.

But that is the nature of the business. They get a lot of people who are expecting top of the line PERFECT accomodations.

If you are looking for some fancy pants, perfect hotel...

Let me tell you now... THIS IS NOT IT.

However, it's CLEAN. It's off the beaten path, is about the only downfall. You can rent bikes on property for cheap, but I highly recommend you rent scooters in order to get downtown.

The pool is always a fantastic place to chill out in the afternoon. The roof top deck is great for sunbathing, or just chilling out at night.

What a lot of people don't realize in the keys is that THIS hotel is really about as GOOD as they come.

I don't mean that as a negative to El Patio. It is a fantastic, and inexpensive place to stay.

What I am trying to say is that, I have stayed at other places in the keys. Places that make El Patio look like the Ritz.

El Patio is NOT the Ritz. But for a great priced hotel, you WILL NOT find a better deal.

Since it is off the beaten path, it is very quiet unless you have rowdy guests, which ALL hotels experience from time to time.

I have been that guest before, so I know.

El Patio is far from perfect, but it has served me well for many years when I visit key west.

I never had a problem that they did not take care of right away.

It all depends on your perspective. If you want a place you can chill out at AND / OR just a place to crash. El Patio is PERFECT for you.

If you are expecting TOP OF THE LINE $200+ (off season) type accomodations... then this is NOT the place for you.

I have heard MANY horror stories about some of the even more expensive places on Key West.

Where do you want to take your chances? If you are coming to PARTY downtown 99% of the time, then you could virtually stay anywhere regardless of the "room" you stay in.

El Patio is a winner on ALL level as far as hotels go in KW.

Happy Vacationing!

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Great value on off season!!! Always clean!!!
    • Disliked — Off the beaten path. But scooter rental, or bike rental takes that problem away.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Waldog's Summary
Date of Stay: July 2007
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 25-34
Member since: May 06, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Management Response
Magdalenapie, management team
(Management representative)
May 12, 2008
Thanks for your glowing review of our establishment. I don't know that I could have said it better myself. Our entire staff here, from housekeeping to management appreciates your kind words. It appears that you have captured the spirit of El Patio, and what our place brings to guests. We look forward to seeing you again, hopefully in the near future!
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
“great”

El Patio Motel

5 of 5 stars
worthington ky
Apr 29, 2008
1/1 found this review helpful

This is a wonderful old town key west motel.The location was perfect, close to davull st. and the beaches.The courtyard was full of plants ,lush and tropical. The pool area was the same.it also had a very nice rooftop deck. The perfect old key west charm.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — location
    • Disliked — no wireless
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
johndeb420's Summary
Date of Stay: April 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 50-64
Member since: April 05, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
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, 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, Outdoor / Adventure, Great food / Wine, Shopping
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Management Response
Magdalenapie, management team
(Management representative)
May 12, 2008
Thank you so much for your kind review! We hope that you come back to see us again if you are ever in Key West. I just wanted to let you know that we do have wireless internet access available in specific areas on the property. We do have a security access code that you need to get in the office in order to get online. This is fairly new to the property, so I must admit that I forget to mention it to people at times! Thanks again for your kind words. Happy traveling!
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
“very disappointed”

El Patio Motel

1 of 5 stars
sunny dorset
Mar 27, 2008

We booked this motel through the Key West Chamber of Commerce on entering the area. We booked for two nights but having stayed one night and getting absolutely no sleep due to other motel guests, the air conditioning fan and the roosters, we left. The guy at the Chamber of Commerce, who we guess was on some commission for the booking really hyped the place up, which made us really disappointed on seeing the apartment, which was basic to say the least. Had to ask for hairdryer and iron, which in fairness we were given, but the bed was awful and the shower room the size of a cupboard. We couldn't wait to leave even though the management was very pleasant and immediately gave us our money back for the night we did not stay. We also saw other better available accommodation when we looked around the next day.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — nothing
    • Disliked — shower room
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
leoSunnyDorset's Summary
Date of Stay: March 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Hobbies / interest / culture
Age group: 50-64
Member since: March 28, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Older travelers, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine, Shopping
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Management Response
Magdalenapie, management team
(Management representative)
Apr 7, 2008
We are very sorry to hear that you were dissatisfied with our lodging accommodation. Perhaps the person who referred our establishment did not accurately describe our place to you? (The Chamber of Commerce does not receive commissions for referrals.) We never try to describe our establishment as something that it is not. We would much prefer to have guests know EXACTLY what our establishment is about, so we and our guests both know if El Patio is the right fit for the vacation. We do apologize if this was your experience. We are a modest accommodation, family owned and operated. We understand that everyone also has different tastes and preferences, and although we utterly love our establishment, it is not for everyone, and that is certainly okay! Thank you for the review. We hope that you enjoyed your trip to Key West, none the less!
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
“Budget Motel With Very Basic Accomodations”

El Patio Motel

Mar 19, 2008

We stayed two nights at the El Patio and found it to be an old but quaint property in a quiet part of town. It's not bad if you know what you are getting.

During check-in and check-out, the front desk was very friendly and helpful, and made some very nice recommendations for activities and restaurants.

The sun deck was nice (though it was too cold with too little sun to partake), and the courtyard garden is very small but very nicely kept.

The room was non-descript and relatively large, with a dresser/mirror, which was nice. Found some dust bunnies and a gum wrapper next to the night stand, but otherwise it was clean enough. Likewise, the linens were clean, and the beds were sufficient, though not particularly comfy. The bathroom was very small, with a small standup shower.

It's important to note that our room didn't seem to have actual windowpanes, only wooden shutters. Now, I could be wrong, but I do know that it was freezing in Florida when we were there, and the chill seemed to come right in. I couldn't figure out a way to seal it out. We just had to grab all of the blankets in the room and hope for the best. Also, because there is no seal on the windows, all outside noises (including crowing roosters) sounded like they were right in our room. Fortunately, the neighborhood is very quiet, so there wasn't much beyond the roosters (and the occasional motel guest) to disturb us in the mornings.

Being in a quiet neighborhood was also good for parking. We never had trouble finding a close parking spot, even late at night. That was very nice.

The service was minimal. The only amenity in the bathroom was a bar of soap - fortunately, my wife brought shampoo I could use, as I always just plan on using hotel shampoo. We also woke up late our first day (around 10:30 a.m.), and that apparently caused us to miss housekeeping, as they never cleaned our room or brought fresh towels. Given that the management only provides two bath towels for the room (and small ones at that), this would have been a big problem had we not hung our towels out to dry. Having a couple more bath towels available in the room would have been nice.

I was able to make a wireless internet connection to an adjacent property. It wasn't the best connection, but it worked. Apparently, the motel is also working to install wireless networking, but it wasn't up and running as of my visit.

The motel is definitely a small hike away from most of the action (almost a 1/2-mile from the south end of Duval Street, then another mile down to Mallory Square area), so I'd recommend renting bikes, which you can do right at the motel. We loved riding our bikes around Key West!

Our only real complaint was the price - $180 a night for an older property with spartan accommodations and little to no service was a bit much, even for Key West during high season. Next time we may start trying to find accommodations earlier, as we saw many other properties while we were visiting that were in that price range but that offered a few more creature comforts.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Parking, Quiet Neighborhood, Old-School Charm
    • Disliked — Price, amenities, location
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
djironic's Summary
Date of Stay: March 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 35-49
Member since: June 12, 2003
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
probably not
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Great pool scene
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Management Response
Magdalenapie, management team
(Management representative)
Apr 7, 2008
Thank you for your review. You are right, we are a modest, budget accommodation, so we do not offer a lot of extra amenities. This is one way that we are able to keep our rates reasonably low (for Key West!). The motel was built in the 1950s. Rooms have original cuban tile floors (which are highly sought after down here now...). We also have glass jalousie windows, which were commonplace in architecture in the 50s and are still very popular among many down here today. Many of the exterior doors have wooden jalousies. We work very hard to keep our motel as original as possible, instead of turning it into a generic accommodation that could be located just about anywhere! We offer a simple, unique and interesting place that takes us back to a Key West that many have fallen in love with and continue to fall in love with! Thanks again for your review.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
“Convenient location, not all good but not all bad either”

El Patio Motel

Mar 8, 2008

After a 5 hour drive, walked in to find only the expensive rooms left. We had a two room queen size with TV, fridge, a/c, wifi and on suite.

Fridge didn't work and smelt bad as a result, bathroom was functional, but the mixing on the shower was a bit of an art to get the right temperature.

No hair drier or coffee machine, the former annoying the Mrs, the latter annoying me.

The largest issue we had was that the maids didn't lock the door after cleaning, whilst we had stowed the valuables safely anyway, we would have expected the door to have been at least locked after cleaning as we had left it.


The pool is open the same as the office hours, from 9AM till 9PM.

We didn't try the pool, whilst it is small, I think the surrounds it is in would make it a pleasant place to cool off. The sun terrace is fairly large, but with not much of a view further than about 1 street mostly due to the surrounding palms and buildings.

The center courtyard has a garden feature which was very nice and smelt great.

The positives are the location, it is well situated for access to most areas and the owner was good enough to point out where items of interest could be found and where not to stray on an evening when walking.

The negatives, well that would be the value for money of the room, features as noted above for the price (200/night) it was well below par.

Overall not all bad, but unfortunately not all great.

As noted in one of the other reviews, we were also woken by the cockerels in the morning - but that wasn't a problem for us - I think you will struggle to escape this in the old town section of KW.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — The location and advice from the owner
    • Disliked — The cost relative to the standard of room and the room being left unsecured
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jiberjaber's Summary
Date of Stay: March 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Romantic getaway
Age group: 25-34
Member since: March 02, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Museums / Cultural / Historical sites, Great food / Wine, Shopping
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Management Response
Magdalenapie, manager
(Management representative)
Mar 18, 2008
Thank you for your review...for future reference if you return: we do offer hair dryers and coffee makers upon request. We also have a full-time maintenance person who can assist with any problems that arise if guests bring these issues to our attention. We do not want our guests to be dissatisfied! We are a modest, budget accommodation here in Key West. Our rates are very reasonable in comparison to many different lodging options. Rates do fluctuate with high and low seasons, and with special event and peak periods. Please try us again in the future, and don't hesitate to come to us with any problems. Thanks again for your review.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Reviews of El Patio Motel

( 9-13 of 48 )
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El Patio Motel Address

800 Washington Street, Key West, FL 33040