First, this place is in the perfect location and is well decorated and was well stocked with virtually everything you need. The poolside location is fantastic. The neighborhood is quiet, and close to all the action of Key West but being 10 minutes out of the City was a best of both worlds situation. It’s amazing and I’d highly recommend it!
The only issues we had were of no fault of the owner, so I’m still giving it a full 5 stars.
If you’ve got kids (we have 3 boys ages 6 - 10) plan on some friction from a few residents and one gung-hoHOA security guard.
Technically speaking, this house with its amazing pool and poolside location is absolutely perfect for kids. You can go swim, walk back for lunch, swim again. Etc.
We’re pretty self aware and our boys are boys who do cannon balls, splash, and play in pools - but they’re polite to adults and we kept them away folks relaxing.
About 2 days in to a 6 week stay, I got a call from the HOA office notifying me that residents had called to complain that our kids were too loud. I was poolside at the time, and it was 3:00 in the afternoon. They were definitely being “kids” in the pool and not laying there reading a book... but I was pretty shocked by it because it was nothing atypical of kids in a pool - intermittent laughing, screaming, Marco Polo, etc.
Also, the pool is open until 10:00 and 2 nights we let our kids night swim. Both times we were yelled at from some older people nearby who were on their back porch and really upset that we were making noise. Again, we weren’t out there blaring music, just kind of typical pool noise. The last lady ended up cursing in her rant that she hates renters. That made us feel great :)
That said, all the neighbors we actually met and spoke to were very friendly (mostly senior citizens). Many of them commented how much they enjoyed hearing our kids laugh and play at the pool, which was kind of funny since a couple of people heard the same noises and called to complain.
Again - none of this is a reflection of the owners or the property manager, I’d just say it’s the culture of this community that some people really don’t like when kids are around and given the yelling, complaint calls, etc. it certainly adds an awkward vibe to your stay.
I’d definitely stay again, and if not for those run-ins with the HOA and a couple neighbors, it was absolutely perfect. So maybe if you’ve got young boys, just be prepared for some awkward moments :)