Island House

Hmm — What can I say bad about the place… I’ll let you know if I remember something. (Don’t hold your breath)
Staff = Excellent
Accommodations = Excellent
Fun Factor = Excellent
Bar = Excellent
There is a reason this is the #1 gay hotel in the world. You feel welcome and they do everything to make your stay an experience. The prices are fair and if you stay it’s an top self open bar!!! (5pm — 6:30)
Clothing optional has never been our cup of tea. We never felt uncomfortable because everyone is respectful.
Great place to hang out or use as a base for your Key West experience.

We’ve been on 9 gay cruises, and have stayed at many gay resorts from P-​Town to Palm Springs, and the FUN quotient at Island House has got to be one of the best values we’ve had. What a blast!
The property is beautifully tropical. The rooms are spotlessly clean, nicely decorated, equipped with comfy beds/​linens, are well air-​conditioned and have modern video. The shower pressure was good and the bath, (while small), had great amenities that were frequently replaced. Even the rooms around the pool were quiet, despite what you might expect, because all rooms have new, sound-​dampening double-​pane doors and windows. Perfect.
The staff, while not particularly engaging, is friendly and attends to every detail. Upon check-​in, you receive a personal tour of the property which, given how travel-​weary we were, seemed a bit irritating at first, but really made us feel welcome and set up our visit perfectly. (Our bags magically appeared in our room by the time the tour was over). There are towels and sarongs available everywhere. Pool chairs were easily to get, (no 6am «reservations.»). Even the ash trays, in the smoking area, were emptied so frequently that I rarely saw a dirty one.
We loved having a 24-​hour café/​bar! The food was surprisingly good, though the menu did seem overly large and service was occasionally chaotic. Room charges were easy, so you didn’t have to worry about carrying cash and, after a while, the staff remembered our room number. The daily happy hour, with free drinks, was a really nice touch and drew a good crowd.
Clientele was pretty diverse. .. twinks, muscle boys, bears, daddies. .. from all over the world, and folks were friendly and playful. Some went nude. Some did not. And, since Island House offers day passes, there were always a nice collection of locals and other visitors to keep things lively. The Wednesday «naked cocktail party» was a blast. The playroom always seemed busy too.
There is no real reason to actually LEAVE Island House, but they did recommend a snorkeling/​sailing trip on the Blue Q catamaran. It was well worth the money, and a perfect day or sun, sea and frolic.
One caution: The staff will tell you that Duvall Street is an «easy walk.» Yeah. Right. Maybe in the winter. In the humid months, it’s a death march. Take a cab. (The scene in town, by the way, was a blast and it’s the only place in the U.S. where we’ve actually seen «clothing optional» bars. You get the idea).
In short, Island House is a fantastic men’s destination resort. We’ll be back.

Second time here
Great pool party and on the house happy hour
Their appetizers r the bomb
The chicken tenders and tuna r to die for
Relish
Great staff
The dark cruise room was
Like an oven omg hot
But overall it was great

Had a really great time here with my husband. The staff was awesome and friendly. The place was very well kept and neat. The rooms were clean all the time… we will definitely come back!

This place has it all for the rainbow that is the gay community. Judgement free zone. Lovely pleasant and helpful staff. The rooms are to die for plush cozy beds and plush covers. The amenities are simply too amazing for words. Two hot tubs one indie one out one smoking accessible. Heated salt water pool and tons of perks to let you truly take advantage of all the resort has to offer. They promote a fun safe and warm environment, they truly hope to make their guests happy. Gives new meaning to eager to please. Happy hour… talk about GAY! Comp free drinks for an hour and a half, go top shelf and get crazy! The one thing that would have made the experience truly amazing is the poolside music selection. To put it bluntly the selection is very «White» so if you wanna here some diverse tunes bring your MP3 and some really good headphones. All in all amazing experience made some truly wonderful people and made some great friends. Will certainly be back in the future.

Very disappointed with Island House. On the plus side, most of the service was top notch. The staff was nice and attentive. The hotel was clean and well maintained and it was nice to stay in a gay establishment. (This is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 star)
On the minus side, the front desk was completely disorganized and incompetent. On a $ 1500 bill, I was overcharged an additional $ 331, as they charged us for another room’s tab. When first noticed it, on a Sunday they denied it. Had to wait clear until FRIDAY when someone else could handle it and find the charge. They finally issued a refund, but because of a bank error, it took another week to get my refund. All the while, all I received was a «sorry» and nothing else. And I mean nothing. I feel I should have been offered something for the amazingly bad customer service I received, from the ignored e-​mails to flat out denials that they over billed me.
Because it took so long to get everything straighten and it being close to the 1^st of the month, Island House turned a dream vacation into a nightmare of epic portions. If you cannot trust a hotel to keep your credit card safe and linked to the proper room, then you can’t stay there period.
If you stay there, look over your bill with a fine tooth comb.
Shame on you Island House

Everything IH does exceeds my expectations, and I’m super picky (and in the hospitality biz myself as an owner). This was visit 3 in 5 years, and I’m so impressed with the obvious reinvestment into the facility. The whole place looks just as painted and sparkly as ever, and they must do tons of continuous staff training, because every interaction with any team member was top-​notch, from Alan at the front desk, to Darian, Billie, Kaleb and Dane at the bar – even the young Eastern Europeans that are running around making up rooms. I honestly can’t imagine anyone leaving a less than 5-​star review for this property – it is a gem, and a solid value for the money. We always meet nice guys to chat with, and there is a wide range of ages and looks, which is refreshing. The rooms are clean and smoke-​free, the pool is always the perfect temperature, and the menu selections are at the best imaginable intersection of price and quality. The Happy Hour is fabulous – ANYTHING you want is FREE during HH – including top shelf items like Belvedere, Ketel and Grey Goose. No gimmicks or exclusions. We made our visit to Key West mostly about relaxing poolside at Island House, but we also took the opportunity most mornings to run the perimeter of the island and sight see… although if we wanted to use the gym, their facility is great and clean and right there if you never want to leave. A word on parking – you don’t need a car on the island, so if you don’t have to rent a car, don’t. We’re local to SFLA, so we drive down and arrive early so as to snag one of the 4 – 5 spots along the property’s back fence… otherwise you’ll be paying for street parking. Can’t wait to take advantage of our 3 free nights during off season. WE LOVE ISLAND HOUSE – THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE STAFF, INCLUDING THOSE WE MAY HAVE MISSED MENTIONING.

My partner and I spent about a week in Key West at the beginning of the year, and Island House was one of two guesthouses we stayed at while there. We had to split the stay due to availability constraints. While the vacation started out great for the first couple of days, things changed over the course of the week. The front desk and café staff spanned the gamut from awesome to mediocre. The masseur staff was consistently top notch. Our room (we had the two bedroom apartment since that was all that was available) was great in every aspect. The infrastructure (TV, Internet) was about par for an Island — spotty at times, but that is to be expected, especially in older neighborhoods. The front desk manager was willing to comp a day pass to us for the days that we could not book, which we thought was quite accommodating. It is very interesting, however, that once you are no longer staying there, the staff basically ignores you, especially the pool café staff, I guess they know to watch for the black wrist bands (which have the room keys on them as opposed to green ones which have the locker keys). You would think that they would treat all guests, day or overnight with the same level of courtesy, but sadly, that just does not seem to be the case.
There is another guesthouse across the street, and I would recommend staying there instead of Island House, It is considerably less expensive and the staff and service are much more hospitable and accommodating.
As another review mentioned, one visit is probably enough.

I thought I had already written a review for Island House, but apparently not.
My husband and I went here for our 13^th anniversary in 2013, and it was, hands down, the best gay themed resort we have ever been to.
We stayed in their smaller apartment, which is actually just across the alley from the entrance, a decent sized one bedroom with a full kitchen. It was extremely clean, the bed was insanely comfortable, as were the couches.
The food at the resort was pretty damn good. So much so, that we ended up eating there half of the trip.
The whole place was extremely clean. They have free sarongs for people to wear, and to use for sitting so there aren’t any bare booties tainting the furniture.
I love that the bar and pool is staffed 24 hours (they don’t serve alcohol from 4 – 7 I think). I’m a night owl, and really enjoyed swimming late night while it wasn’t crowded, and enjoyed just hanging out at the bar while it was quiet.
What really stands out here is the staff, and they were a huge part of what made our stay so great. Gordon and Norman at the front desk were insanely accommodating to anything we needed. The wait and bar staff were also amazing. Thank you Billy, Frank, Kaleb, Ralph, and anyone else I may have forgotten. Yes it was good enough that I still remember their names, and it’s not because I found them attractive (all but one were not my type at all).
Now, to address some of these other «issues» brought up in other reviews:
It’s a clothing optional gay resort, there will be naked dudes, and, since the world doesn’t cater specifically to you, there will be men of all ages, types, and builds. Get over it. As someone who is hairy as hell, and quite portly, I appreciate the safe space to be able to be naked amongst other men in a non sexual manner. Would I love it even more if all the men there were big sexy bears? Of course! But you don’t see me leaving a crappy review because the universe does not cater to my immediate desires.
There is a playroom/​mini bath house. It is tucked away and not in any of the main common areas. If it’s not your thing, don’t go in there (I didn’t). Not once during our week long stay did I see anyone fooling around in the common areas during the day. And even at night, I only ever saw two guys messing around on the upper sun deck, and that was at 2am. That’s it.
Stay here, it’s worth it.

As always, my recent stay at Island House was fantastic. Great service, food, drinks, amenities, friendly crowd… I never left the premises. Coming back next month!

My partner and I spent several days here this week. It is our second visit here this past year and, frankly, one visit is enough. We enjoy Island House because everything — bar, gym, pool, restaurant, and sun deck — is under one roof. Therefore, if you don’t WANT to leave, well, you don’t have to. However, it’s akin to a high-​end bathhouse. So, if that’s NOT your thing, well, Island House isn’t for you.
The staff is very friendly (although I’m surprised that the owners and manager allow them to fraternize with the guests) and accommodating. There is a free happy hour for guests from 530p-​7p daily and the food is above average. The wireless can be a little spotty in your room. My biggest gripe is that they allow people to buy a day pass. I can understand this on, say, Wednesday when they have a pool party and it’s the middle of the week. However, as someone paying $ 300 a night, I’d like a little more room to breathe (heck, I’d like my own lounge chair around the pool!). Speaking of breathing, they STILL allow smoking in the common areas (nothing like the smell of cigarettes and pot with a hint of Febreeze to make you gag!). I discovered mold in my fruit cup one morning, but the manager, Ralph, gave us breakfast for free. I’m only hoping that it converts to penicillin in my gut.
Again, it’s a fun one-​time experience, but I think the «all gay, all the time» thing has run its course.

Went here only for lunch and the food was pretty reasonable and tasted great! The pool was packed almost shoulder to shoulder and we still had great service. Not a lot of people partaking in the «naturalism» that this establishment promotes.

The staff are very friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the area. The property owners truely care that your stay is to their standards and excells your expectations.
I have stayed at several guest houses and hotels in Key West, only to keep returning to the ISLAND HOUSE where I felt completely comfortable and at home. I have been there at various times of the year and have been treated like any of the 5 STAR /​4 DIAMOND business rating establishments.
Always look forward to the next trip.

The staff of the Island House definitely went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure my stay with them was pleasant and unbelievable fun.
Bartenders Kaleb, Michael, Darian, Billie, Bryan and Ray were amazing with their costumer service skills. And Jeff and James were quite possibly the most welcoming resort staff I have ever encountered traveling all over the world.
The resort amenities were great, and the rooms were very comfortable and gave you a sense of home. Great job!

Remember this is a all male clothing optional private resort.
There are fit, out of shape, smooth, hairy, older, mid-​aged, horny (?), mid size to fat gay men in the environment… one needs to accept and look pass any uninvited scenes… expect it here or go somewhere else…
It just feel good to be in a all gay resort and be our yourselves.
Just have an open mind and respect others space and acts and you’ll have a great time…
Rooms was very clean and nice. Bar and restaurant was excellent, pricey and romantic. Compared to the restaurants along Duval St. the price is reasonable tho.
Staff constantly clean the resort clearing all ashtrays, taking used towels left behind, providing fresh washed towels, and cleaning grounds. They are not intrusive and respect a gay mans space and activities
…Our room was ground floor have constant creeps walking outside all nite long (we have a hard time sleeping). walking and creeping floors (request second floor). Resort have faux deck flooring that makes pounding sound when walking hard. The resort is a maze of hallways leading to all rooms, gym pool and hot tubs. Video room is a hit or miss thing. If you «HIT» is really hot !!!
All and all we have a great time in our weekend stay in Island House… and stayed in another resort to be more relax on weekday to complete our vacation.

Friend of mine and I stayed here for two days. Our biggest regret? That we even bothered with the rest of south Florida and didn’t come straight here.
Seriously, the amenities are amazing, the staff is unquestionably the nicest we have ever encountered, and the people there are polite and laid back and friendly. We arrived for a Sunday-​Tuesday stay in the middle of the summer. It was hot, but the boys were out, the party was on, and people were excited that we decided to join in.
If you’re gay and going to stay in Key West (and don’t mind a clothing optional resort), why would you stay anywhere else? Very pricey, but you get what you pay for.
Thanks to the entire staff of the Island House for an amazing stay.
(One caveat: parking is the only set back, but we did end up with one of the hard to come by four on-​site parking spots, so we didn’t have the problems other people reported they did.)

What all can I say about Island House? We are world travelers and have done many Atlantis and other gay land tours. Staying at IH is a world above. They cater to your every need … if you ask for it, you get it, Our last visit I told them we were on Weight Watchers for Men so there was a big bowl of fresh fruit waiting for us at check in. I agree with other posters that the rooms are small but compact is ok if you are not entreating. The small room was fine for us except that the bathroom door did bump the foot of the bed… close quarters. We did have to change rooms and I was most unhappy with that. We had to move from a ground floor pool room to an upstairs interior room over the Jacuzzi. The room was nice and quiet
As for the staff, you could never ask for better guys! They are simply amazing at customer service!!! Breakfast in bed? You got it drinks and snacks by the pool? You got it (though you will have to wave down a waiter a negative point as the waiters should come to you)
Housekeeping staff are also great. I do the white glove test because of my partner’s allergies and the room was spotless and amazingly decorated in cool colors that made you totally relax.
If I had one negative thing to say… it is just that the place is too far from all the restaurants and vive of Duval. However there is a GREAT market across the street with staples deli foods
Any gay couple or singles should stay here!!!

Was highly disappointed as soon as I walked in and the bitchy old queen refused me entrance!!! Being military we do not live at the address the driver license states. Therefor she said our driver licenses were not valid! They should be more supportive of the military knowing that we move ALL over the world. He denied me entrance till we proved where we lived…

******SIX STAR REVIEW******
So everyone who gave this place less than three stars either stayed in some parallel dimension or is an insufferable queen who secretly hates themselves (and probably their mommy, too).
This place was absolutely perfect from booking my room (the handsome Gordon assisting me here) to recommending the best florist (See my review for Gilda’s and thanks Norman!) to — well everything. Even checkout. Seriously!
I’m posting pictures because truly no description can fully justify how awesome this place is. Frankly, if you were only staying a few days you could never leave this property and still have an incredible time.
Let me see if I remember all the free stuff you get. Free wifi, free water bottles for free distilled water, free gym facilities, free coffee, free sarongs, free booze each day from 5:30 — 7:30, free cable, free adult movies, free toiletries, and if you stay four nights you get three free. I’m heading back in October for my bday! (yay!)
My room was spectacular, a full one bed room apartment with large flat panel TV, super soft and comfy bed (seriously, the best I’ve slept in anywhere but my own), and parking for my rental scooters right outside the door. Literally! See my pics! The room was also well soundproofed, cleaned by the staff to perfection every day (they even folded up the blanket I took to the sofa for afternoon naps and left it there so i didn’t have to keep retrieving it! Thank you! (Oh, and they will coordinate your scooter rental if you wish, do it, these guys will get you the best price!)
The food. I ate at least one meal a day here. The food was as good as any other place I had eaten at while in Key West including the recommended fu-​fu places. Now I agree this is not 5 star Ritz Carlton cuisine, but everything I ate was damn tasty, and worth the price I paid for it. From the kettle chips to the filet Mignon.
As far as Mary who was complaining about older men, if that’s a problem, go to summer camp. Trust me — no one is staring at your 86 pound flaunt of manorexia. For those of us who are realists, yes, there is an interesting cross section of men from twenties to (during my stay) eighties. The eighty year old was more fun, had a better time, and told me some tales that I hope to be able to tell myself some day ;)
The staff was incredibly warm and accommodating. the aforementioned Gordon and Norman were our cruise directors through the time we were here, and the bartenders were always smiling, available, and no order was a problem (and trust me — after a few hours of drinking, we were making some funky drinks up!) Thanks Billie, Frank, Ralph, Kaleb, and all the other guys who made the stay awesome.
As far as ‘seediness’ yes, there was nudity. Yes, they have adult movie channels, and yes, there is a video room. I didn’t go to the video room because, frankly, I found all the entertainment I needed on the main floors, but those that I chatted with who did visit it remarked it was clean and fun. Nough said.
On on odd note there are no hairdryers in the rooms. Sporting a recent buzz cut (and subsequent sunburned pâté) I hadn’t noticed by my partner did. We realized that any real hair queen probably brings her own anyway as anything less than 12 000 watts simply won’t do ;)
Do I have any concerns on staying again? I regret I could not personally shake the owner’s hand for putting together such an incredible product, team of men working for him, and overall experience. I would stay for a month if I could.
In short, if you are looking to go spend a little time in paradise, stay here. It may cost a little more than the Holiday Inn, but can you truly put a price on perfection?

I love this place!
I checked into the Island house on Friday afternoon and fell immediately in love with my room. There are actually 3 separate bungalows across the alley from the main compound, and I stayed in one of these rooms. It was a very well-​appointed room with a full kitchen, living room, and a separate bedroom. Everything about the room and resort was of the highest caliber. The showers came equipped with a mounted dispenser that contained mint scented shampoo, body wash and conditioner. My room had two flat screen televisions, and all the rooms come equip ed with full cable as well as 5 channels of gay porn (yay!).
The main compound contains all the fun, though. There’s a pool area with a full bar — this is where everybody hangs out. I spend a lot of my time hanging at this bar (happy hour everyday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. — which means free well drinks for guests of the resort). Locals and out-​of-​town visitors staying at other resorts/​hotels actually come into the bar area (I believe day passes are sold at the front desk); Sunday afternoon’s «pre-​tea dance» party (noonish to 4-​ish) is the big draw of the week.
Oh – did I mention? The entire compound is clothing optional. Lot’s of dick to be seen. Which is why women ain’t allowed (sorry ladies). Also, there’s a «library» (they call it) with, um, well — check it out for yourself :)
Also, there are two hot tubs, a sauna, a steam room and a gym (the only place where you have to wear clothes is, thankfully, in the gym). I actually got in a decent workout at the gym, and the strippers from the gay bars down on Duvall street are given free access to the gym, so plenty of eye candy to behold.
The staff were friendly and accommodating. These guys are professionally trained and definitely strive to give good customer service. You won’t see ANY bitchiness coming from these guys at all.
I endorse this place and recommend it. Seriously, if you’re gay and want the «gay experience» when you come to Key West, you really need to try to stay here.