Heron House - Adult Only

Loved this hotel. Great location. Lovely place, great/clean room with great amenities. The folks here went above and beyond to make this a wonderful place to stay.

Avoid at All Costs – One of the Worst Stays of My Life Rating: 0/5 I’m not a luxury traveler — I’ve stayed in plenty of basic accommodations, but this one crossed the line from “budget-friendly” to “completely unacceptable.” This small house/hotel in Key West was difficult to find, with no signage or check-in area. I received a handwritten note with my name on it taped to the door. No host, no welcome, no explanation. i called to ask where to park, a man pick up the phone drunk telling me this is not an emergency, it was for me! therefore i parked right on the front of the house. at 9am the owner came and tow my car! whem i asked him why, he said you should have ask, wich i did but the employee was drunk so..... The room was tiny, damp, and barely furnished. The bed was unstable, squeaky, and literally held up with an old book. The walls were moldy, the AC unit was ancient and smelled bad, and the only window didn’t open. The bathroom was awful: the shower sprayed everywhere but down, the faucet leaked, and the water temperature fluctuated wildly. I found a used bar of soap with hair on it and half a roll of toilet paper. Unacceptable. Bugs were everywhere — ants, roaches, and something scratching in the ceiling all night long. I didn’t sleep for three nights. When I tried to contact the owner, I got no response. This is not an “authentic” local experience — it’s a neglected, unclean, and frankly unsafe place that should be reported. I left early and booked a chain hotel just to feel normal again. Do not stay here, no matter how cheap or “quirky” it seems online.

The hotel is lovely, quaint. The window AC in my room, however, was insufficient and the ceiling fan only operates on low. Housekeeping consists only of trash and towel service. I made my bed myself. On check in the person at the front desk simply drew a circle on the map to show where I could park. He was very vague. I had to call the office for the wifi PW. Twice he said it was in the black book in the room. I explained there was no book. I went to the office to get one and he simply said, "it's just full of stuff around here". I had to specifically ask for one. The book has breakfast hours, pool hours, etc. I had to ask another guest where breakfast was the first morning as it's in a closed room. The front desk person had vaguely pointed in the direction where breakfast is available, he seemed in a hurry. The ice machine is insufficient. I reported to the same desk person that the machine wasn't working and that the temp showed over 80°. His response was that someone must have used it all. Lastly, very tiny ants. I had purchased a box of fudge earlier in the day and laid it on top of the dresser. When I went to open the box it was swarming with these ants. An ant trap or two in each room would likely make a difference.

Just a couple of minutes walk off Duval Street I was allowed to check in early - about two and a half hours. Front desk guy that checked me in was awesome in every way, up to and including, walking me to my room while explaining the layout of the property. Included breakfast consisted of pancakes, waffles, muffins and coffee. The lady that was setting up the breakfast and views also exceptional! The pool was sparkling clean. I will stay here again if available when I come back!

Heron House is very conveniently located one street from Duval. So it was within walking distance of most attractions but also quiet. The atmosphere was great and relaxing. The breakfast was about what I would expect for a casual BnB. It was adequate/fine but nothing special. What I didn't like: There was a small stain on the bedsheet. It was obviously a clean sheet, but I didn't want to see that. The soap dispenser in the shower was empty. All that being said, if I were to return to Key West, I would not be upset staying there again.