Perfect Place for our Key West Trip.

Guest: Team Tampa (Tampa, Fla.)
Date of Stay: 06/26/11 Review Submitted: 09/06/11

What a great find the Captain's Mansion is. It was the perfect place for our two families during our summer 2011 trip to Key West. We found the owners to be pleasant and very easy to work with before, during, and after our stay. The Captain's Mansion was perfectly located for us. We arrived by boat and were pleased to discover it was only a 3 block walk from the Marina. It is an easy walk to the heart of Key West and just a few blocks from a grocery store and a variety of really good restaurants that were recommended by the home's owners. The pool, outside shower, and inside/outside bar were an ideal place to come home to after a day of roaming the island and snorkeling at Sand Key. Upon arrival we were thrilled to find the house to be as clean, attractive and well maintained as depicted in the photos. The kitchen was top-notch and well equipped. The rest of the home was a nice combination of recent renovation and gorgeous original detail. We would certainly recommend the Captain's Mansion to family and friends, and hope to return in the future.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Secluded and Private

Guest: Chicago Family (Lake Forest, IL)
Date of Stay: 10/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/15/11

Stunning home. Terrific location. This is a big old Key West Captains' residence which has been completely upgraded by the owners. The house was perfect for our family get-together as it has spacious gathering places - lovely kitchen/great room which opens to a beautiful secluded deck overlooking a pool complete with indoor/outdoor bar. Kitchen is professionally equipped with modern high-end appliances and every conceivable gadget. The bedrooms are spacious and offer plenty of privacy. The location is in the heart of the Historic District and is most desirable - on the one hand a short walk to the Historic Seaport or Duval Street but far enough away from the hustle, bustle and noise. Upon arrival, owners had a bottle of wine and flowers awaiting. Nice touch. Very high end and we highly recommend. Look forward to returning

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, families with young children.

Exceptional

Guest: Frank (Connecticut)
Date of Stay: 02/01/11 Review Submitted: 03/25/11

We've rented this house for three years, and have been altogether pleased with virtually everything about it. It is wonderfully located in Key West, and perfectly cared for by attentive and accessible landlords. The house is stylish, furniture and decor attractive and comfortable. Numerous places to sit and relax, indoor or out –– plus all the amenities. We've had many friends stay with us, and to a person they are always so taken by the house and everything it offers. It's the ideal Key West vacation home.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway.

Captain's Mansion Review - March 2010

Guest: Pat (Ohio)
Date of Stay: 03/03/10 Review Submitted: 08/10/10

The house was beautiful, and the pool area nice. Pool area in the month of March is in full sunshine for only a few hours per afternoon. It's a great pool if you don't want full sunshine for the entire day. I was quite surprised when a portion of my security deposit was withheld due to "excessive use of electricity". Our group was there for 7 days, and during those 7 days the evening temperatures were in the 50's - 60's, therefore the A/C was off most of the week. Not sure how they could actually determine which renters that month actually used the most electricity....but I certainly paid for it! Dear Owners...you've lost a good client. I even went to the grocery store before I left to restock all paper towels, kleenex, toilet paper, etc. My group will not return, as this practice is highly unusual for a private home rental in Florida. I did ask that the withheld money be refunded....but was told there would be no refunds.

Owner response:We have been renting for six years and this is our very first complaint so writing a response is a new experience. I will try to respond to the comments of our guest in the order in which they were raised. First, we have learned from past experience that individual guests use electricity at surprisingly different rates. We take an average rate of usage for each month and “comp” that base rate. Generally, the average rate is stable; if the weather is hot, the air conditioning runs more often but the pool heater less if at all. If the weather is cold however, both heat pumps to the house run more as does the electric pool heater. Both taken together can affect the electricity rate as much or more than the air conditioning. In this case the charge for “the excessive use of electricity” was $31.00 during a period of cold weather which required electricity to heat both the house and the pool. The guest also inquired how we determine the electricity charge. We deduct the base rate, explained above; subtract it from the electric bill for the month involved. The balance is divided by the number of days in the month which provides a day rate. The day rate is multiplied by the number of days the guest is in residence. We are transparent and always include a copy of the electric bill and our computations. Second, we supply the house—the kitchen, the bar, the bathrooms and the laundry room—with all the supplies for our guests. Many rentals in Key West, request guests replace supplies used before leaving. We do not. We stock the house with what we believe is sufficient, based on our experience, to meet the needs of our guests. We neither ask nor expect restocking for future guests. We’ll keep working toward making visits to the Captain’s Mansion a time of fun and good memories.

Recommended for:

Stunning Property!!

Guest: The New England Girls (NH)
Date of Stay: 04/01/10 Review Submitted: 04/28/10

We have rented this property for the past two years. It is spectacular! 4 women for 'girls week'.... we don't have 1 negative thing to say. Private pool, outdoor bar, back porch area overlooking pool is incredible. There is every kitchen amenity you could want! Beds are very comfortable! Entire property is immaculate and very well cared for. Highly Recommended!! We plan to rent again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway.