Best features: extensive, well-kept landscaping, clean huge whirlpool seating over 20, convenient, quiet Old Town location (4 blocks from Duval, 3 blocks to Island House, and 1-4 blocks from several excellent restaurants), cordial and helpful front desk, decent continental breakfast and social hour.
Our room was clean with fairly basic, tasteful furnishings and nice cable flat screen TV. If you have problem with stairs, ask for a ground floor room because some 2nd and 3rd floor rooms require climbing extensive stairs (also true next door at Coconut Grove). Also a good idea to book early for holiday weekends - the resort was pretty much booked for Presidents Day weekend.
The two large, friendly elderly cats, one black and one brown, will come into your room and make themselves at home if you let them. (But don't try to pet the little black cat!)
Breakfast typically has orange, grapefruit, and tomato juices, English muffins, bagels, muffins, bananas, apples, yogurt, assortment of cereals, coffee and teas. If you want a hot breakfast with eggs, etc., try Harpoon Harry's diner only two blocks away on Caroline. The evening social hour had red and white wine and usually one or two appetizers that changed each day (e.g. chicken wings, meat balls, pot stickers, etc.).
Minor irritations: Our room needed more storage for clothes. There was one dresser with four drawers and a closet, which can mean living out of your suitcase unless you have lots of hanging clothes, especially if you're staying longer than a weekend (and our room had two beds, which means even more limited storage for four guests). Some shelves added to the closet and perhaps a small bookshelf or 2nd dresser in the sitting area would help.
The first generation, restricted-flow showerheads with the fine spray could be updated to more modern fixtures that have a choice of spray pattern (such as the showers at Island House).
The large pool was too cool for us (guessing <83) so we used the balmy 90+ pool at the Island House. There is a smaller pool that was nicely warm but too small to really swim or walk. Also the lounge chairs by the pool are web cloth stretched on plastic frames, which are comfortable if you're lying on your back. But the adjustable head / upper body section is designed with a permanent tilt, viz. you can't lay flat. So, if you lay on your stomach, you have to switch ends with your legs slightly elevated. This is the only place we've seen this particular design.
The housekeeping was generally fine, although one of them (perhaps new) was inconsistent - leaving two towels one day, three the next, not adding soap bars until I asked, etc.
The "poor" reviews seem exaggerated (an "inch" of dust - really?!). Yes, some of the rooms might benefit from some updating, but they were clean, the AC worked fine, the beds comfortable. The staff was never rude. We arrived in a pouring rain and one of them came out to our car with an umbrella so we would not get soaked.
Room Tip: If you don't like stairs, ask for a ground floor room. The Oasis is more convenient than the si...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.