My wife and I stayed at the Casa Marina September 4- 12, 2005 and LOVED it! We had been worried reading some of the mixed reviews here, but were pleasantly surprised at how nice the staff was, how our room had a view to-die-for (see pics), towel changes 2x/day (it's HOT down there!) and the proximity away from the crowds.
When we arrived at our room, they had two cold Amstel Lites and some Brie and crackers waiting for us. That's nice touch they do for their "Premier" customers. It's worth it to sign up. They let you choose what to have waiting for you. Also, turndown service is nice, though we received chocolates only one night.
We had a room on the 4th floor with the usual tropic colored bedspread and curtains. The balcony was small, but not too small ;o). There were 2 chairs and a small table out there with ample room and PRIVACY! It was nice sitting out there at night finishing my Rumrunner or having a glass of wine while snuggling with my sweetie! The view was awesome! We would also look out at the ocean in the morning and keep tabs on a pelican and his annoying "friend" seagull looking for a handout while he dived for breakfast. Many peaceful mornings spent there will be missed.
I do have a complaint about the room- the drawer space was inadequate for two people. Only 4 small drawers in the entertainment center and we needed to call down for more hangers because we had to hang what wouldn't fit into drawers. Hey-girls need their clothes; you never know what you're going to wear! Good thing, too, it was so hot you needed to change clothes halfway through the day.
The bed was King-size and surprisingly comfortable. I've been to many hotels that had stiff mattresses that left my back screaming. The sink was outside the bathroom that had a full tub/shower hook-up. That was nice so the mirror doesn't fog and the sink is accessible when someone's in the potty.
As I noted above, we had our towels changed 2x/day & I wonder if we would have gotten extra towel changes if we didn't have turndown service? Didn't matter to us, we hung them after use not expecting them changed at all. We had noticed a sign advising you to hang them if you wanted to save water by not having them washed. So much for the sign (and the environment) but were grateful after realizing how darn hot it is down there, whether you sit poolside or walk about town. We took at least two showers day not worrying about the water bill.
Did I say it was HOT down there?
We expected the mini-bar to be expensive, so we piled up the cans on top of the fridge so we could put our stuff in there- no one seemed to mind. There were a few grocery stores close by for sandwiches and cheaper drinks as well as creamer for your coffee or milk for cereal.
The beach was adequate for the time we went down- after Labor Day (that's why we travel this time each year- few kids/crowds). There was some debris (but not nearly as much as on the streets) from Katrina and we were unable to use the hammocks, because they were left out in the hurricane. We were so looking forward to lying in the hammocks with our island drinks! However, we were able to access umbrellas and have the great staff set us up with towels, chairs and umbrellas. So I did get to sit on the beach and have our island drinks. I miss that. They even passed out the fruit, ice pops and frozen washcloths. Miss that too.
The water was somewhat cloudy after Katrina and with the next one barreling off Fort Lauderdale. We were able to go into the water from the beach, but the water was clearer farther out and less rocky, so the pier was helpful there. We saw people snorkeling one day out by a ramp farther out in the ocean and tried it the next day. We knew we weren't going to see the great coral reef, but did see some fish hanging out near the dock and farther out by the ramp. I’m glad I didn’t spend a lot of money on a boat trip because I was short of breath while snorkeling and had to keep taking the snorkel off to breath. I’ve heard other people had this problem that was due to claustrophobia. It was nice having your own beach to do that on. The pool was nice; we stayed by the quieter smaller one and were very happy.
All in all, I’d go back to the Casa Marina in a heartbeat. It was the best we saw, and it was paradise!

We went to the Casa Marina in January 2005, only due to the fact that we'd booked for the Maldives which got cancelled and had to look around for another destination at the last minute.

Although the Hotel is described as a beach holiday resort, and yes, although the hotel is next to a beach, we couldn't go swimming, snorkelling or any of the other things promised because the weather had been bad and the sea was murky and rough. The beach/sea also gets a lot of seaweed in it, and has dead coral near the edge making it awkward to get in.

The Hotel itself was nice in general. We were lucky to get a corner suite on the first floor with a balcony. The decor is beautiful, with a four poster bed (with curtains!). The staff were mostly pleasant, but some on reception were a bit snooty and unhelpful, which i found strange for the USA.

The Hotel Restaurant food was gorgeous, although a little on the pricey side but well presented so i guess you got what you paid for.

Key West itself was unique and quaint, and the hotel was within walking distance from the Main Street and shops, restaurants etc. IT was so nice to be able to walk out in the evening, and soak up the atmosphere of the place. There really is nowhere like it.

Having said that, having two weeks there is probably too much. Being right at the end of the Keys, it takes you about two hours or more to get off again, so was a little isolated once you had done the trolley tours and boat trips etc.

One excellent trip was the glass bottomed boat. The fish and underwater scenes were magnificent, and it was the first glass bottomed boat i had been on where you could actually see out through the glass! We saw a Marlin, Swordfish, Turtles and much more.

One word of warning on this destination, particularly if you are travelling with Thomson's - the flight takes you to Orlando. Because we were in a rush getting the booking sorted, we assumed the flight went into the nearest airport to Key West. We subsequently found out that that would have been either Key west airport or at least Miami. Going to Orlando meant an 8 hour drive to key west. Needless to say we had to spend extra and stay over in Kissimee the first and last nights just so we could manage the journey.

Overall, an upmarket hotel in a nice location but right on the southernmost tip of the USA so limited access to elsewhere.

We had a great 14 days at this resort. It provides a good base to enjoy Key West.
The kids loved the pool area whilst Mum and Dad enjoyed the beach. It is also great that you can find a quiet spot for time out.
We stayed in the newer block overlooking the parking lot, not the greatest view but it meant we had no disturbances and we slept well.
We ate out all the time as we like to try as many different places as possible, sometimes we had food delivered to the beach from takeouts in the town.
It is a nice 20 mins walk into town or parking in town is only 1 dollar an hour.

My family had a great summer vacation stay at the Wyndham. I had chosen the hotel based on price and location (moderate & within biking distance to Key West pier), but we were very pleasantly surprised. This hotel has its own sandy beach, plus it is located next door to another huge public beach, which is also nice. We spent literally hours in the water snorkeling around our docks with a variety of nurse sharks. The snorkeling just a short swim away at Higgs Beach's old pier is also teriffic. Where the pier has disolved, it's like an underwater wall with lots of marine life. Back at the hotel, we enjoyed one of the best breakfast buffets I have ever experienced--cooked to order omlettes(chef Laz is a treat!), make-your-own Belgin waffles and a spectacular patio setting overlooking the ocean. This historic hotel has a beautiful lobby and grounds, and an attentive but not butt-kissing staff, who make you feel comfortable. Our standard room was a bit humid (what ISN'T in south Florida in June?), but acceptable. We also saw two weddings on the lawn during our stay--absolutely perfect setting! Wish I could do mine again here. Pool was lovely with fresh fruit served daily, but we really didn't take advantage of it--the beach was too great! We will stay here again, for sure.