ISLAND HOUSE

Always worth the trip, best hotel experience for the playful gays!

Spent 5 days at Island House, and had such a great time, We’ll be back soon!

All the staff was wonderful, but also, you totally wanna go get some drinks at the bar!! The bartenders David, Angel, Tristan and Rafa made my stay so much better, thank you guys! Keep it up!!

Island house is great for the day or to stay. Beautiful rooms, great service ( food and drink) fun parties

My partner and I stayed at Island House for the first time in January 2024. We were there for 7 nights. I’ve been going to resorts like this for about 20 years, but decided to try Key West for a change of pace. On the surface there’s plenty of commonality between them all - lots of palm trees throughout the resort, a welcoming staff and friendly and (and mostly naked) guests from all around the world in the pools, jacuzzis, and sun deck, etc. From there, Island House sprints ahead of the pack.

CHECK IN: Quick and easy. The first thing we noticed upon entering the room was a note, hand-signed by the management, thanking us for our extended stay. The note was on top of two high quality personalized luggage tags with each of our names and branded with Island House. There were also two wooden keychains, each with our names etched on one side and the Island House logo on the other. They also gifted us a lovely sarong.

THE ROOM: The room was standard for these types of resorts. The bathroom was pretty basic, except it was equipped with a bidet, which turned out to be so awesome, we searched for it on Amazon and bought one for our house. The bed was VERY comfortable.

THE BAR & CAFE: The food in the cafe was surprisingly good for poolside food. Over the course of our 7 days, we had an opportunity to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From delicious burgers and chicken sandwiches with perfect fries and onion rings to more complex dinner dishes, it was all better than what you’d find in a typical restaurant. I know that’s a bold statement, but the meatloaf was among the best I’ve had (I’m a huge meatloaf lover) and my partner thoroughly enjoyed the chicken cordon bleu entree. For breakfast, the omelets were hearty, the avocado toast heavenly, and the chicken & waffles gets an honorary mention. They serve complimentary coffee, which was kind of weak but serviceable. I did say complimentary right? They have better coffee beverages for purchase.

HAPPY HOUR: Every guest gets 4 free drinks each day during happy hour, which is 5pm to 6:30pm. These are STRONG drinks and nearly all alcoholic beverages are included. Outside of happy hour, you’ll find bartenders taking orders from the pool deck chairs and even while in the pool.

HOSPITALITY: Everyone - and I mean everyone was fantastic and took great care of us. I have to give a special shout out to Zeke and David who constantly went above and beyond for us and everyone else we noticed them interacting with.

RESORT AMENITIES: Heated pool was wonderful. They also had an abundance of lounge chairs around the pool and several more on the sundeck upstairs. Also plenty of pool towels to go around. There’s an outdoor jacuzzi and another one that’s indoors, adjacent to the steam room and the sauna. The gym was fully equipped and NOT clothing optional which was really nice to actually be able to work out and not have it be a cruising area. If you’re looking for action, the play room delivers for those looking to partake.

RESORT FEES: None to be had, which was very refreshing. I found the pricing very transparent up front and no gotcha’s upon check out.

TDLR: Island House claims to be “The Best Gay Resort In the World.” Turns out that is a factual statement. Definitely recommend.

I have seen all the promos on how the Island House has undergone major renovations. On my recent trip last week, it looked like the same place its been for 20 years. That is fine. However, the way it was promoted, I expected it to look different. The day pass rate has gone up to $50 a day. That is ridiculous. I asked if multiple days could be cheaper and told NO in a brusque manner. I also saw a pool party advertised on Sunday. I found out from the same unpleasant person at the desk that if I stepped into the pool I would have to pay the $50 fee. Who is going to do that?
Staying at the resort has always been a rare treat for me due to the high rates. With their current rates, its now out of the question.