湖島小屋飯店(Key Largo Cottages)

Let me start with saying that we are used to backpacking, staying in campgrounds, overnighting on boats, and lodging in youth hostels, so we are not easily put out by a place that’s a little rough around the edges. My criticism of KLSC has less to do with the condition of the lodging and more to do with its deceptive marketing regarding its boating amenities. If you are a sailor looking forward to the use of your own dedicated sailboat for the duration of your stay, you will be very disappointed. And your wallet will be quite a bit thinner. I wish we had read all the TripAdvisor reviews dating back to 2010. They are still pertinent and revealing. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: decent location; individual cabins of varying sizes; nice waterfront with boat ramps, docks, and easy water access; friendly and helpful staff; lots of water toys including a Hobie Cat (which functioned well), a Sunfish, a canoe, a rowboat, several SUPs, kayaks, and snorkeling gear; walkable (to the extent that Key Largo is a pedestrian environment) to some stores and restaurants. Cons: entrance to the facility is through an actual junk yard (as opposed to a typical Keys junky area); the grounds and rooms are pretty crude, with building materials and contents likely sourced from said junk yard; the kitchen in our unit was not suitable for cooking in, but was primarily a source for water, some bowls, utensils, and a dorm room fridge; the water toys are not all in good condition, e.g., the canoe lacked paddles so we made it work with SUP paddles; the docks are severely weathered; you have to have the boats back by 5:30, even if sunset is much later; you have to take a test and pay $35 to sail in the water just past the ICW since it’s inside the Everglades National Park; the sail boats are functional, but very worn out and barely maintained. Their bottoms have significant marine growth which greatly diminished their speed and handling, making them almost painful to sail. That was the biggest disappointment, as the use of a sailboat is what makes KLSC unique. Unfortunately, it’s also what makes it a bit of a scam. The nightly rate, plus cleaning fee and taxes, is not as expensive as many places in Key Largo. But given the below average condition of the rooms and the amenities, it’s no bargain. Buyer Beware.

The decor is "college dorm room". The entrance is sketchy-looking. The staff is amazing and the setting is true paradise. Cottages were immaculately clean and comfortable with kitchenettes. Rent a private cottage and it comes with the use of a 22-foot sailboat, all the water toys (kayaks, snorkeling gear, bikes, etc.) and it's all yours for the entire stay. The cost per night is very reasonable and although there's no room service, there are several excellent restaurants within walking distance and a liquor store and grocery store nearby as well. We truly enjoyed our week here

Key Lime Sailing club is very laid back and friendly. If you are looking for fancy it’s not for you. The staff is what makes it great! It’s older but clean and secluded. It was a great find!

If you read the reviews you will know what to expect, so you just need to figure out if this is your kind of place or not. For the most part, we really liked it. We were in the Sailfish cottage…if there are just two of you, that is definitely the place to stay! It is right on the water, you have your own tiki hut and a wonderful outdoor shower! The cottage was clean, and the bed was very comfy. It is small, but we spent most of our time outside anyway (bring mosquito repellant.) The tiki hut has a table and chairs and a great hammock. We enjoyed beautiful sunsets!! The front of the cabin is all glass so you wake up to an ocean view. Really lovely. The kitchen area is very small, but adequate. We generally had breakfast and lunch at the cottage and then went out to dinner. There are lots of places to eat within walking distance, which was nice. I’d particularly give the “little” Mrs. Macs and C & C Woodfire shout-outs for good food and great service. Snooks and Bayside were kind of meh…mostly what they have to offer is waterfront dining, the food was just OK. There are kayaks, paddle boards, and snorkeling equipment to use at will. I went kayaking almost every morning and it was a wonderful way to start the day. The sailboats were the reason we went down to Key Lime Cottages, but they proved to be the negative part of the week for us. The fleet of Catalina 22s is old and not particularly well maintained. The first boat they tried to put us on had a cracked tiller and an outboard that didn’t work, so we lost half a day until they finally let us take out the sailing school boat. The next day we were given a different boat with a few issues and the third day yet another boat with different issues…no winch for the main sheet, rusty crank for the swing keel, a missing lifeline stanchion, and missing battens. All this eroded our confidence in the boats, and we wondered when the last time the standing rigging and chain plates were checked. After the third boat, we gave up and did day trips to Key West and the Everglades instead of the sailing we had planned to do. So be warned, if you are a sailor who likes things to be ship-shape the boats will cause you some agita. But overall, we had a nice week and I have great memories of beautiful sunsets and waking up to a lovely ocean view.

Over all we had a great time!! I love that we could be social or stay hidden. I am sure we will be back. So many activities, no little time. Paddle board, kayak, swim, snorkel, sail. We also took a day trip down to Key West and didn't have to pay the Key West prices.

The views and access to the water at this facility are lovely but don't make up for the condition of the property and the room we stayed in. We were very disappointed and don't believe there was value for our dollar here. Here are some of the reasons why: The entry to the club looks like a dump - a jumble of vehicles that appear to be abandoned, broken signs, neglected boats, roadside trash, a narrow, dark dirt road that's hard to find among all the debris... hardly welcoming. All of the "cottages" are in some state of disrepair, with clutter, dirt and disarray throughout the property. When you include several RVs parked against the fence, and the out-of-service boat hulls stacked behind the parking area, and the appearance is unprofessional and unwelcoming. The deck in front of the Owner's Cottage contains mismatched boards and an ugly stained 'sun shade' stretched over the patio table. The fascia board on the front of the house is CLEARLY ROTTING and in need of paint. Many of the fence boards adjacent to the front deck are also in need of replacement. The entry lock on the Owner's Cottage (our first impression) provides no security. Anyone with a screwdriver could easily defeat it. And there's mildew on the frame of the sliding glass door that forms the entry. We could hear the guests next door through the double doors that separate the 'living room' (where the TV is located) from the adjacent unit. There's a jumble of unexplained wiring surrounding the TV, and the selection of channels available is very limited. The couches in the living room look like they came out of someone's basement playroom in the 1970s. They are uncomfortable, unsanitary and unpleasant to look at. The roof in the Owner's Cottage leaked. We had to put pots from the kitchen on the floor to catch the brown water filtering through the ceiling. The Owner's Cottage is advertised as having a "cool kitchen" that "is well equipped." "If you want to cook, this is your choice," according to the website. I disagree. The pots and pans that are in the kitchen are filthy, the nonstick coating in several pots flakes off into your food while cooking, and there aren't enough matching dishes, glasses or cutlery to set a table. What we did find was a continuous stream of some sort of powdery debris falling onto the counter, which I assumed was created by bugs eating their way through some of the woodwork in the kitchen and dropping it. I never did find where they were eating, though, after cleaning it up morning and night on each day of our stay. In the second bedroom, there's some sort of string net hanging over the ladder up to the queen loft. It's not apparent what function it is intended to serve, but it does get in the way when an adult tries to climb up or down. The bathroom is awful. The sink (which is not adequately attached to the wall) drains too slowly to keep up with the flow of the water from the faucet. The caulking around the sink, and the grout around the cerami

We used to think there were only 2 reasons to visit the Florida Keys, the weather and the water. We now know that there are 3, the weather, the water, and now, Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages. After taking their ASA sailing classes we were surprised to learn that we had a Catalina 22 assigned to our cottage. Just for us. No need to schedule or share. What a unique concept! After a day of sailing, kayaking or paddle boarding, it was so relaxing to sit at their beach/dock area to watch the sunsets that the Keys are famous for. The reason for the 5 stars? The staff! We truly felt like we were a valued part of their community. Our very "Keysy" Dolphin House was spotless and so comfortable. During our stay, we got to know the house, dock, and teaching staff, we realized that we were not just customers, but a part of their family. It was a very personalized approach that made us feel so welcomed and not wanting to leave. If your looking for glitz, glamour, and that "just another number" feeling, there's one of those places close by. However, if you truly want to experience the real Florida Keys in its natural setting, Key Lime Sailing Club is for you.

The place would of been a little challenging to find but, they have great instructions to follow and Jenn, was outstanding in explaining the area, along with what they all had to offer. Very relaxing. They had several different activities to chose from. We will be definitely back!!

The stay was great and the property manager Jenn was amazing. Would stay again