A Beautiful Place To Stay

Guest: sansei1 (Minneapolis/St Paul area)
Date of Stay: 01/01/12 Review Submitted: 02/03/12

My wife, little dog Louis and I just completed our month stay in this unit. Last year we stayed in the smaller Sago Palms unit. Here are just a few advantages of Petronia Palms: - As other guests have mentioned, this is a really beautiful, cozy, secluded group of 4 small cottages. -Everyone of the units is very light and bright. This unit has both front and patio doors which really makes the cottage feel airy and open. -This unit and the other two large units have central air. This is a big deal in Key West where many cottages and small homes have window/wall units which add quite a bit more noise. -This unit has it’s own washer and dryer. If you’re staying for a month or more, this is huge. -The pool is always heated and warm. It costs a ton of money to heat a pool and Ted always keeps this one comfortable. -Kristina the complex manager is always extremely prompt and very pleasant responding to email or calls as is Ted the owner. -The prices are competitive which is to say expensive. Key West is an expensive place to stay but the price of these units is very competitive with other locations in the area. -Location. This has been mentioned before but you could not have a better Key West location. It’s walking distance to almost anywhere on the island or a quick bike to the more distant locations. -Bikes are provided for free. So if two people stay and rented bicycles, it would cost you another $400 a month for two bikes. Nothing is perfect and if you stay long enough in Key West the various quirky characters and events will become part of your life. Sometimes driving you a little crazy. But I’m rating this place, not the people and highly recommend Petronia Palms as a place to stay here in Key West.

Owner response:Thank you very much. I do agree with you about some of the crazy things that happen in Key West and glad we were able to get an issue or two resolved.Sometime issues do come up, that are totally out of my control. I hope to see you back. I may be 3,000 miles away, but I literally spend hours each day, on the phone, texting, emailing all the staff in Key West, to make sure whatever needs to be done, gets done, no matter what it costs. I hope you enjoyed the Party that Christina and I put together. I heard it was fun.Wished I could have been there. Thanks!

Recommended for:Pet owners, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway.

The Perfect Key West Hideaway!

Guest: Island girl (massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 11/08/11 Review Submitted: 11/14/11

I just got back from a too short stay at the Royal Palm Cottage at Petronia Palms in Key West. It was WONDERFUL! Great location, walk to everywhere! The cottage is exactly as pictured. Very spacious and incredibly clean and comfortable! The pool in the courtyard is lovely! It was great just to be able to sit next the pool and watch the palm trees sway in the breeze! I hope to be able to come back soon!

Owner response:Thank You for the kind words. I really appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed your stay!

Recommended for:Sightseeing, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

A Great Place!

Guest: D&J (Milwaukee)
Date of Stay: 10/13/11 Review Submitted: 10/18/11

Despite 5 days of non-stop rain, we truly enjoyed our stay here. The pool area was an amazing hideaway and our personal balcony's were truly a slice of heaven. Everything about our stay was excellent and no-complaints here. Kristina was extremely helpful and friendly and we can honestly say that our entire experience here was fabulous. Even though it rained each day, we had a great place to take our mind off it. Thanks!!!

Owner response:Sorry about the rain. I am glad you enjoyed your stay. Thanks for the nice review.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Worst Vacation Ever

Guest: GA Girl (Georgia)
Date of Stay: 09/14/11 Review Submitted: 09/23/11

My husband and I have traveled extensively throughout the United States and don't consider ourselves hard to please. I coordinated a five night stay at the Petronia Palms compound with 3 other couples in Sept. 2011. One of the couples did not to go, so the owner stayed in the 4th cottage 4 of the 5 nights we were there. When we arrived, the owner's vehicle was parked on one of the two parking places for the compound, & he did not offer to move it for any of his guests. We had to find parking on the street, where one of the couples had their vehicle damaged by a pedestrian. The AC in the smallest cottage didn't work. That couple could not get in their cottage until after 11:00 p.m. the first night until the window AC could be replaced. Meanwhile, the owner lounged by the pool with us, apparently unconcerned about the inconvenience to his paying guests. The shower in the 2nd cottage did not work and had to be replaced the first evening...as the owner continued to lounge. The thermostat in the cottage we rented was defective. It was replaced the 2nd day after we notified the handy lady, Christina. On the surface, this appears to be a very nice place. However, it seems the owner has cosmetically upgraded the property to look like a $200 per night rental. But, when you take a look at it closely, you see holes in walls, cracks in ceilings, fallen/broken window blinds, crawling ants, broken furniture, broken/loose floor tiles, water leak damage in the cabinet under the kitchen sink, and a real fire hazard with no vent hood over the gas stove and the cabinet height not adjusted for the stove area. I have pictures of all of these issues to proove they exist. Christina, the handy lady, tried very hard to make our visit enjoyable, but the continual maintenance work that was performed while we were there left us very little privacy. I've stayed in much nicer places than this for this price. Think before renting this property!

Owner response:First, I only have 2500 characters available. They were the rudest people I was forced to meet. First they checked in early, not with our permission. She was an compulsive person. Let's address all her lies. I was in one of the parking spots, as no one was in my compound the night before. Only one couple had a vehicle, a Truck. I told her, she could park in the second place. She said no. That was her choice. Next, one couple checked in late and came out of their small cottage saying the A/C made a noise. This was past 7 pm, so immediately, I sent my property manager and my handyman to Home Depot to buy a Brand New A/C unit. It did take until 11pm, but they were all out drinking and smoking around my pool, for which I don't allow smoking. We replaced the A/C , but they still were not happy and the compulsive person, kept insisting ( about 10 times) , that I go buy them all Pizza. She nagged constantly. She did so much that her Husband was literally drunk the entire week. Earlier she complained that her shower faucet wasn't working properly. We had just installed brand New fixtures, we still had to tighten them. But, they went in the cottage, before we could finish. We have certain check in times, so we can do cleaning and any needed repairs, etc. Next, a thermostat did go on the fritz the next day. Not hers. It was replaced within an hour. And, yes, I have all the receipts, dated and time stamped to show all these issues were dealt with, immediately. Next, they decided to have all their friends , that were not staying at my place use my pool on a daily basis. They all smoked, threw all their cigarette butts in my planters. And I had to clean up after them , as if they were Children. And, I don't smoke. They kept un-locking my secured locking device to the main entrance. Making it, so the compound was now not secured. I guess they were not able to remember a 4 digit code to get in. No matter what we did. They were determined to have a lousy time. They made sure to make my time lousy too. Look at the real reviews, and you will see I bend-Over backwards to make people happy!

Recommended for:

Great hideaway

Guest: Sandy (Coral Springs Florida)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

Great vacation place off the beaten path but walking distance to Duval . Private,lush and tropical. Well maintained.Property manager only a phone call away. And on top of it all pet friendly. Our dogs loved it too! Would return in a flash! Thanks Ted for a terrific vacation place.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

GREAT KEY WEST LOCATION

Guest: r&a (NYC to Hilton Head)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

Cozy, secure & comfortable cottages in a GREAT KEY WEST location. These cottages definitely capture the essence of what KEY WEST living is all about.

Owner response:Thanks for the nice words. I worked real hard to try and maintain that Key West feel, throughout the compound. Thanks Again!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, romantic getaway.

Highly recommended - well-appointed, comfortable and great central location

Guest: Caroline (Toronto, Canada)
Date of Stay: 01/21/11 Review Submitted: 03/13/11

"We love it here. This is our first visit, but it won't be our last. The cottages are spacious, clean, comfortable and well furnished, with many extras that you don't normally find in rental properties. The kitchens are fully equipped with everything you could want,. The cottages are situated around a decent-sized pool that you can actually swim in, sparkling clean and warm. The gardens are securely fenced in, and full of lush tropical plants.There's plenty of room to lounge poolside in the sun, or in the evenings, you can just enjoy the sound of the fountains and gaze at the illuminated water. The cottages are ideally situated - you don't need to bother with a car at all In two minutes you can walk to Duval Street, in ten minutes you're at Mallory Dock for the Sunset celebration, or twelve minutes' walk in the other direction gets you to the legendary Louie's Backyard on the Atlantic coast. If you have any concerns, Christina, the property manager, will look after you promptly and cheerfully. She is a fount of local knowledge, too, and can advise on the best crab cakes, restaurants and deals."

Owner response:Thanks for the Kind words. I am glad you had a great time during the Winter at my Compound. Thanks for re-booking for next year too. I always appreciate your nice words. Thanks Again!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, pet owners, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, people with disabilities, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Location, safety, neat as a pen!!

Guest: Lynn & Nancy (Texas)
Date of Stay: 10/25/10 Review Submitted: 12/22/10

Wife and I stayed at Petronia Palms for 2 weeks at the end of Oct. & Nov. 2010. The place in everything it is advertised as plus more! The location was quiet ( rare for Fantasy Fest ) due to being in a more residendial area. A security code was used to enter the compound with another code for the key to each of the 4 units. Very safe! You are only 1 and a half blocks from Duvall St. where most restaurants and bars are located. Easy walking distance but bikes are available also. The house was very clean and decorated in a Key West way. Pool was very nice after a long walk of site seeing. We have stayed many times in KW and this is the best combination of location, safety and overall value!!

Owner response:Thanks Lynn and Nancy: Thanks for the nice review. I am glad you decided to book a month for next year, during Fantasty Fest. Thanks again! From The Owner Ted !

Recommended for:Sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

The perfect Key West location

Guest: Dave (Atlanta)
Date of Stay: 11/19/10 Review Submitted: 12/04/10

My wife and I have visited Key West several times and have never been as pleased with accommodations as we were with Petronia Palms. We stayed in the Royal Palm cottage for 12 nights and we couldn't have been more comfortable. The location is perfect....just a short walk or bike ride to some great restaurants and bars, Mallory Square, the beach, places of interest, etc. Christina was very helpful and even produced two brand new bikes for us. There was only one couple in a cottage when we arrived and they left after two days so we had the entire place to ourselves until the next weekend. However, even when others are in the other three cottages, it is still a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Once we tired of bar hopping or sight seeing, it was great to come back and sit aroudn the pool with a book and just relax. We used the gas grill to fix dinner a couple of times and the kitchen was perfect for making breakfast, etc. Everything was included but the food. I can't imagine anyone not having a wonderful experience at Petronia Palms. Ted has done a masterful job of creating a lovely vacation home...actually I could live there year around!

Owner response:Thanks David: I appreciate the nice comments. I did just purchase those new bikes and the new pool heater.Glad you got to enjoy them. Unfortunately for me? The on going costs to keep and make my compound real nice, is a costly one. I do it all, so that everyone will hopefully have a great time during their stays. Thanks again! Hope to have yah back soon! Ted The Owner!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

THE place to stay when you visit Key West

Guest: Will (NJ)
Date of Stay: 08/27/10 Review Submitted: 09/01/10

Whenever I read one of these reviews I always wonder, do they know the person they are writing about? Are they friends or family with them? How honest are these reviews? Well let me tell you that I don't know Ted(the owner) at all and I can't be anymore honest than I am about to be. My wife and I stayed here for 5 days at the end of August. We were in town for a wedding. After searching for over 2 months for the perfect place (Price, Location, Privacy), I found the Royal Palm. After emailing Ted a few times, we agreed on everything and I booked his place. He told us we would love it and he was right. From the size of the cottage, to the pool, to the bikes, everything was perfect. There were a few other people staying in a couple of the other cottages but you would have never known it. It was so private and quiet. In fact, we were the only ones in the pool the entire time. The location is to die for...a block and a half from Duvall (Although we really liked Simonton St) and about a 1/4 of a mile from the beach. The cottages had 2 bikes that we used everyday. We would spend our days either on the bike exploring the island or in the pool at the cottage. There was no reason for us to do anything else. The cottage was really nice, you actually felt like you were living in a home. Tastefully decorated and so Key West. Spacious and well laid out, you almost wanted to stay inside at times. So a big thank you to Ted and his crew (Christina, Miley, and Co.) You made our first trip to Key West a truly memorable one. Not only would we stay here again on our next visit but we would recommend Petronia Palms to anyone that is coming to Key West.

Owner response:Thank You Thank You very much. I am glad that all our hard efforts made your stay a pleasant one. It is always nice to have such a nice review. Thanks again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway.