When we go to Key West either just the two of us or with the kids or with friends there is only one place to stay and that is The Reach. The rooms are upscale(for Key West), always spotless, the staff and ambiance is unequaled any where else in Key West. We've stayed at just about every hotel down there and we feel most a home here, in fact no place even comes close.

Lets start with the little things, Free bottles of water everywhere, iced lemon lime water everywhere, free news papers(Times & WSJ) great gym to workout in. Then you get a really great beach to hang out on, great beach staff from Patrick and John handing out cucumbers for your eyes, a eucalypti frozen towel to cool you off in the hot sun, free ice pops for the kids, frozen fruit coladas, Teresa being there everytime you need a cocktail, and then really great food from the Strip Teak House served to you right on the beach. Not sure what else you can ask for!

The only slight negative I can come up with is that the Breakfast Buffet can be improved, the setting is awesome out on the veranda overlooking the beach but the food selection is limited and not the best. BUT its a short walk form the Reach to Blue Heaven for the best breakfast place in Key West so not all is lost regarding breakfast.

Paul the manager is awesome and always makes sure you are satisfied and comfortable. We are just so happy everytime we stay here because of Paul and his great staff. If you've been to the Waldorf in NY don't expect the same here. Remember its Key West! Some people get turned off because they are expecting the Manhattan Waldorf. Take it down a notch and get into the laid back spirit of Key West, let the staff take care of you and you'll have a great time-Guaranteed!

One last thing, it is on the quieter end of the strip, no cruise ship crowds to deal with and you can still walk to any restaurant worth going to. Ask Paul for food recommendations, he turned us onto the Flaming Buoy which we just love. Had to cross one our favorites off our list to make room for this one.

The good:

The Reach has a small private beach

The bad:

i) you will stay in a tiny "3 star" standard room in a 4 star hotel paying 5 star price, but this is key west, not a big deal

ii) the front desk will not tell you that the check out time is 11am, and they will charge you $50/hour for late check out. Don't hang out too late in the night, otherwise you will be ripped off like us.

iii) When we argued that they didn't tell us the check out time when we checked in, the front desk lady was extremely rude. After I showed her that my Expedia reservation email did not have any info about this early check out time and nobody in the front desk informed us when we checked in, she told me that I should complain to Expedia and read their rules on internet myself instead of asking !

The Reach at key west is in the quieter part of town, if you like to be away from the noise and bustle of Duval street. It is very close to the southern most point in the USA The hotel is very nice, worth staying at. The rooms are modern, fresh and large . The pool area is close to the small beach and the pier is nice for just hanging out at . All in all, a very nice place to stay

I was expecting something a bit more posh since they highlight the fact that they are a "Waldorf Astoria resort." It is quite nice and clean; however, there were small issues that surprised me (e.g., loud, rattling refrigerator; cheap hair dryer; sticky iron). Don't anticipate long walks on the beach, as their stretch of beach is small. The layout of the building is annoying, and it takes a while to figure out the shortest distance between two points. It is very peaceful, though, and I would stay there again in a less expensive room. If you aren't so interested in the loud nightlife along Duval Street, then this is an ideal place to stay to avoid the noise.