Paul Mills

Hi,

My wife and I are thinking about going to Key West in early May, and we are considering the Wyndham Casa Marina Resort. The private beach sounds pretty attractive, but I am not sure if that makes it worth it.

Would anyone be able to offer their opinion of the place? If it's not worth it, alternate suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks for your time.

Paul Mills

Karen

Hi -

I have stayed at the Casa Marina -- I really loved it. The room was very clean and beautiful. The grounds are also very nice. The pool area is usually crawling with loud kids -- that is the only drawback to me.

The private beach area may be a disappoint to you if you are expecting wide, sandy, sugary beaches. It is surrounded by rocks, slippery rock. There is a pier constructed to walk out past the rocks, with steps that lead into the water.

Enjoy your stay!!

susan

Paul - I'll just add a small negative to Karen's review of the Casa Marina. I'm not sure how much you and your wife like to walk, or if you'd be comfortable riding bikes and/or mopeds, but my personal opinion is that the Casa Marina is a little too far away from the center of Key West activities. If you stay closer to the Gulf, you'll be near the sunset celebrations, and lots of tourist activities and restaurants. There's also a shuttle that serves the Casa Marina. I've stayed at the Hyatt, the Ocean Key Resort, and the Galleon. They'll all on Front Street directly on the Gulf, and I've enjoyed them all. For a really good idea of exactly where everything (including hotels) is in Key West, look at www.boneislandshuttle.com/map.htm

Paul

Hi Karen and Susan,

Thanks for the quick replies!

I really appreciated the tip about the beach -- I wasn't thinking that the beach wouldn't be what I am used to. It sounds like it would not be worth it to pay the premium for a private beach such as that.

May I ask if either of you took advantage of the public beaches or other water activities while you were in Key West? Would any hotel/resort offer an advantage if you wanted to do those types of things?

I had read about the distance that the resort is from the center of activities, Susan, but I figured a moped would be fun, even if I have not ridden one in close to 20 years.

Thanks!
Paul

Karen

Hi again -

Susan, I always forget to mention the walking thing!! We love to walk even long distances in Key West, so it always seems to slip my mind to mention the location in relation to Duval, sunset festivities, etc. Thanks for the reminder for next time.

As for other public beaches - I have been to Smathers Beach on South Roosevelt Boulevard a number of times. Personally, I don't think it is anything to write home about. We usually drive up to Bahia Honda State Park (about 37 miles) and beach it there. We do jet ski, but that's about it for water sports.

We also fish, but it depends on the weather since I tend to get seasick -- never happened before I hit 30 - go figure!!!

Hope this helps......

susan

Paul - I assume you realize by now that Karen and I know each other well...even though it's only in cyberspace! In a nutshell, the beaches in Key West aren't great. They're all man-made with imported sand, and they're certainly not reason enough alone to make the trip to Key West.

Having said that, I absolutely love Key West! For snorkeling, we have used Floridays; they dock at the Hyatt. They limit the number of participants to very few...maybe less than 20, so they're great for novices and for giving extra attention to snorkelers who want help.

As for the distance to the "action", my husband and I are in our late 50s...we like being a few steps away from restaurants, etc. If you're young and energetic, I'm sure there are lots of places that would be great for you!

Marta

We are from Miami, and stayed in Casa
Marina a couple of years ago.. and
enjoy it very much...
The beach is not Miami Beach... but
the Hotel is very nice, and the
ambiance is very Tropical and quaint.
Don't miss the Chandlers Restaurant...
The BEST FILET MIGNON we have had!!!

x

ttt for lynn