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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
4.0
#4 of 6 small hotels in Key Largo
Location
4.4
Rooms
3.4
Value
3.9
Cleanliness
3.8
Service
3.9
Sleep Quality
3.7
All 32 of The Pelican's clean and quiet cottage rooms offer different options for relaxing and enjoying all that the Florida Keys has to offer. From experiencing the unique, laid-back bayfront atmosphere, to trying your hand at world-class sportfishing, diving and snorkeling , you are sure to find an activity that suits your tastes. And if that sounds too active, head to our small bayfront beach, where you can enjoy glorious sunsets, gentle breezes, a nap in a hammock or watch manatees and dolphins play.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in Key Largo, The Pelican Key Largo Cottages have won over many travelers with their charming old Florida vibe and serene ambiance. The property's beachfront location is highly praised for its access to restaurants and other conveniences.
Guests enjoy complimentary kayaks and commend the hotel for its cleanliness and friendly service. Despite some views that the rooms and amenities are basic and somewhat dated, the overall value is considered reasonable in the area, especially given the picturesque setting.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Basic
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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If you are looking for clean and cool classic Keys beach cottages then this is the place for you. We booked a simple room only but upgraded for a small fee to the Beach daze beachfront room. It is older but very clean and for someone who has been making Keys trips for over 20 years now, it is a perfect place to chill. If you looking for room serves and no sand on your feet then go elsewhere, but if you looking for a totally relaxing hideaway you can't do much better.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Get the beachfront if you can, worth the price for the sunset and screened in patio
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Dec 19, 2020
Thank you so much for the great review! We're so happy that you had a great stay with us and we hope to welcome you back very soon!
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My family and I visited The Pelican Cottages for 6 nights at the end of July. My children and I stayed in the Rosette Cottage, and my extended family stayed in the other three adjoining cottages. We had the best time, and the views were amazing. The beach, private feel, kayaks, and calm waters are just a few of the amenities that will bring us back again. Our children(ages 20yo to 2yo) enjoyed snorkeling, swimming, and building sand castles in the sand that was raked and cleaned up each morning. The staff was very courteous and went out of their way to make sure that we had a great stay. The cottages were well equipped, clean, and air conditioned with comfortable beds and ample room to move around while visiting with others.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:If staying multiple nights, bring a broom because the beach is right outside of the front door!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Aug 6, 2021
We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay with us! We hope to host you and your wonderful family again very soon!
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This place was an extremely nice surprise just coming from the hustle and bustle of Key West . The location had a beautiful view of Florida Bay. It had a few piers with chairs at the end of them to watch the beautiful sunsets. The bay was calm and the atmosphere was like being on a quiet lake. Everyone was friendly, both guests and staff. You could check out canoes or paddle boards at the front desk for a couple of hours at no charge The rooms were comfortable and had all of the amenities that you needed. You just have to leave a form of id and sign your life away...lol. You must go to Snooks on the Bay, just a few doors down. The best seafood we have ever eaten. The key lime pie martinis are amazing. Mrs. Macs for breakfast is right next door. They have breakfast specials that come with a free mimosa. If we ever go back to the Florida Keys I will definitely be back to the Pelican Cottages.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Best view of Florida Bay
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Sep 11, 2022
Thank you so much for the review. We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time with us. We hope to welcome you back very soon and as always, thank you for choosing The Pelican!
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My family and I traveled here for a mini vacation while I worked in Key Largo. The rooms were absolutely terrible. Looked like nothing had been repaired or taken care of for years. Broken tiles in the bathroom cut my husbands arm. The towel racks were made from pvc pipes. The humidity in the room was so bad that there was water dripping down the walls and the floors stayed slippery and wet. My kids couldn't take their shoes off because the floors were slippery. My medicines in my travel bag actually congealed together from the extreme humidity inside the room. The door didn't fully close and you could hear everything outside- including the drunken neighbors throwing up on the steps...Not worth the price tag. If you want to enjoy the beach find a location that actually has a suitable room. We left early and drove home late at night because we couldn't stand to stay in that room any longer.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Dec 14, 2020
We are very sorry to hear that we missed the mark regarding your stay. We take a great deal of pride in offering clean, quality lodging at some of the best prices anywhere in the Keys. The issues that you have described with the bathroom is certainly below our standard and we will forward that to our team for correction. We did note that the door to your unit remained open for a good portion of your stay. The cold air inside of the unit when mixed with the ward humid air from outside can sometimes cause condensation to form on hard surfaces.
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Guests, beware! Manager was awful, however the other staff members were wonderful. We arrived late due to traffic (we traveled over 4 hours). Our key was left in an envelope at the front office with our name on it. Front office was closed. We had an issue with getting locked out of the room (be careful, the door automatically locks when you close it) but there is an emergency # to call and they sent someone right away to open it. Our stay was short, we left early the next morning. I walked to the front office to check out and drop off our keys. The lady was very sweet and I thanked her. As we were getting into our Uber, she came back out asking us to sign paperwork since we were unable to during check in because the office was closed. No problem there, so I did. Here is where we did have problems: the manager blames us for arriving late, saying we were trying to avoid paying a car and boat fee. We called the day before letting them know we would have a boat & car. It was a measly $25 that we didn’t mind paying. The cost should have been factored into the paperwork since we called the day ahead to make them aware. He also said that we left in a scurry without stopping by the front desk. The woman at the desk is my witness that I stopped by and left both keys and let her know I was checking out. It is not my fault she did not ask me to sign paperwork at that time. He also stated we had an extra vehicle, which we did not and two extra guests. We had our two children with us. We had booked a two bedroom cottage that states it sleeps 4 people and we had 4 guests (2 adults and 2 children) so I do not understand his argument there other than he just wants to argue. I am baffled that he has chosen a career woven around customer service when he lacks so much of it. We will not be staying here again and advise others to seek other options.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded May 22, 2021
The events that you have described are completely false. We know that this is an effort being made by both you and your husband to damage our reputation because we would not be held hostage to your demands of "give us what we want or else." which is completely ridiculous!
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We were traveling by bicycle and got stuck in Fort Myers because the ferry to Key West was shut down for two days due to high winds in the gulf. We missed their 72 hour cancellation window by 6 hours. We asked to move our reservation out two days, which was a weekend so a higher rate, and they had rooms available but insisted on also charging us the full amount for our original reservation due to ‘late’ cancellation. They had other rooms available so it wasn’t like they were fully booked and with almost 3 days advance they had plenty of time to resell the room. Also, if they’d just let us move our reservation out two days we’d be paying a higher rate, which we were willing to do. We even provided them with evidence of the ferry cancellation and the ferry company called them. They still insisted on taking our money. We decided to not ever patronize this motel due to their overly restrictive cancellation policy. We recommend to others that unless you are absolutely sure you won’t have a change in plans, look elsewhere for a place to stay in Key Largo. There are plenty of options and no need to risk your money on a place with zero tolerance for unavoidable changes.
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Date of stay: February 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Feb 6, 2021
You certainly have a lot of nerve casting shade our way as it was YOU that made your reservation through a 3rd party booking site and it was YOU that agreed to the cancellation policies prior to finalizing your booking. We are a 7 day a week, 365 day a year operation. While it is unfortunate that your event was cancelled due to the weather, we have have no control of Mother Nature. Perhaps next time that you plan a trip, check the local weather conditions or make an investment in travel insurance in the event that you need to cancel inside of the penalty phase instead of attempting to bash and discredit a business because you feel that you should be exempt from the very same policies that YOU agreed to when making the reservation. We wish you well and safe travels.
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Let me just say we we more than pleasantly surprised with the beauty of the Pelican. First, the staff were excellent with knowledge of the area, support per our request and friendly just to provide us with great customer service. We ask for several extras (ie. pillows, towels, a safe, more refrigerator space) and were received with smiles and rhetorical "What can we do to help"? John the manager and his employees could not have provided better customer service and support. Our room was clean and cold for the almost 90 degree days in the Keys. The grounds were maintained daily with freshly raked sand and maintenance staff all around. We felt safe and secure the entire trip. We stayed 8 days and wished it could have been more. We are definitely looking to our return. We met several guest from all over the US that felt the same about the Pelican. We had so much peace just sitting on the docks by the water where it was quiet and tranquil. I would highly recommend a stay at this resort. It is off the beaten path and definitely not a Marriot, however what they have cannot be bought with money!!!
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Date of stay: October 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Room 112 was in the heart of the resort.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Nov 2, 2021
Thank you so much for the great review and kind words. We're thrilled that you enjoyed your stay with us and we hope to welcome you back very soon!
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Stayed here twice, once on our way to Key West and once on our way back from Key West. This is an older hotel and although some things did show age, the owners did a great job modernizing the rooms. The bathrooms are small but updated. The beds were super comfortable. The AC was loud but cold. The rooms are in little cottages that you could drive right up to and park outside the room. Unfortunately, both times we got in late and had to leave early so we weren't able to go to the beach. Will stay here again next time we are in Key Largo.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Oct 24, 2020
Thank you so much for the review and for providing us with valuable feedback. We work hard to provide a unique "old Florida" type feel while also trying to be good stewards of our amazing property. We do hope to welcome you back to our slice of paradise very soon and as always, thank you for choosing The Pelican!
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I made a booking for 3 rooms for the family - had two phone interactions with a person at the property - normal type questions, nothing fancy, and this guy acted like it was a huge imposition. My second question was about the appearance of a charge on my credit card bill, 8 weeks before we were due to arrive! He said, "it's in our policy. You need to read the policies". Interestingly, the charge was a strange number, not the full amount, and not a single day's stay. This rudeness, combined with the hotel's unacceptably rude responses to other guests who wrote poor reviews, made us decide to cancel the booking (and challenge the charge on our credit card). We will spend more money and go somewhere else, where we can expect to be treated hospitably.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Nov 17, 2021
We must apologize if you were treated in any way other than respectful, courteous and professional as this is not our standard. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service. We will definitely look further into this matter and take appropriate action.
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Booked a 360 plus tax and fees a nite room and then paid 25 a day to tie boat to dock on property. Drove 500 miles from Ga 1 way. Arrived 12pm,we all know to early for check in. Wanted to launch boat. Dock and ramp were EMPTY. Never tried to check in room earlu just get boat in water check in later in day. Lady at desk was not helpful and told us 130 we could launch.....so drive around with a boat anpther 2 hours in beautiful weather, instead,.... of no problem. We stayed here inthe past. Wont again.will tell others. 23 July 2021. Reservation was cancelleable we'd go elsewhere. Picture is me sitting at an empty ramp I can't use. Customer service is not necessary in the Keys.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from John Godsey, Owner at The Pelican Key Largo Cottages
Responded Jul 7, 2021
In an effort to keep our guests safe, we sanitize the entire property between check out and check in. We do apologize if this were an inconvenience or that you do not agree.
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There are more places to choose from in the Key Largo area.
PRICE RANGE
$116 - $239 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hungry pelican hotel key largo, hungry pelican key largo
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Hungry Pelican Motel
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaFlorida KeysKey Largo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
32
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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