A large group of us (ranging from 5 - 55) recently stayed at the Drop Anchor. We had great weather and a wonderful weekend.

It is NOT the Ritz Carlton - so go with a laid back, relaxed attitude.

The pics on the website are still accurate.

A couple of the ladies treated themselves to the in-room massage service for Mother's Day and raved about it.

We will definitely go back.

The Drop Anchor is a wonderful "mom & pop" that has been renovated, but the rooms still have a little of that 50's charm and funk. Truly one of the best "hotel" beds I have encountered which was extremely inviting after a full day of sunning and reading by the pool or hanging out in one of the several comfy hammocks set up around the property tied to palm trees providing a bit of shade.

Lovely pool, not an infinity, but you'd never know it. Standing in the pool and looking east your view stretches out into the Atlantic for as far as you can see. Wonderful thatched huts dot the property and the grounds were immaculate, all chairs neatly lined up each morning, the sand was raked, etc. I mention this because I 've not seen this kind of attention to detail at some of the other lodging options in this section of the Keys.

I might add that my family of five stayed upstairs in units 6 & 7, we had a great galley kitchen that connected the two rooms, plenty of space to move around and hang out if needed. Unit 7 has a wonderful balcony under the palm trees with a spectacular view of the property and ocean.

The owner is a great guy,only problem...he's a Georgia Bulldog Alum ( bless his heart), HA! Terrific restaurants and watering holes in walking distance, groceries and sundries in short driving distance. Oh, did I mention you can bring your boat? There were plenty of guests on the property, but I rarely noticed that anyone else was around and we almost always had the pool to ourselves - so very cool and just the kind of vacation I needed!

positives - location, pool, launching ramp, close to everything

negitives - at low tide only tiny boats less than 15 ' can navigate

launching ramp can not be used off high tide

all furniture was gross - sofa's 15 yrs old lumpy, bathroom 1970 really gross, (beds were new and nice) chairs for kitchen table didn't match and were so low a child couldn't see the food

room 16 was right next to road and dumpster

maid service only comes every OTHER day - what a joke

This hotel is NOT worth the money. It is old and run-down despite cosmetic changes by the new owners. Speaking of the owner, he is extremely unprofessional and has NO people skills. Be forewarned that you have to pay for the entire stay upfront and there are NO refunds. There are no bathtubs and the room we had was multi-leveled - not very safe for small children. We recommend the Islander for only a few dollars more a night. Don't waste your money!!!