Plantation on Crystal River, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member

This was a good experience. The staff was friendly and the hotel was clean and tidy. Our room was parking lot view but it’s not the reason we came to Crystal River. The room had tv, fridge and a stand up shower. They didn’t provide robes.
The hotel offers golf course, spa, bar and restaurant, adventure center for manatee snorkeling and the pool and tiki bar.
The pool and tiki bar to me was magnificent. I like a shallow pool and I appreciate non rectangular pools too. Round shaped pools have alcoves for different groups of people to gather in and shallow is how I enjoy the pool. There was enough deep water out in the bay. The tiki bar was great. Lori was an easy breezy bartender/​waitress/​and part time pool attendant– so remember that you are on vacation and wait a little! She’s wearing a lot of hats and yet, she still brought our meals to the pool side with a smile.
The spa was excellent too but if you can, shower immediately afterwards– my partner and I developed a mild to moderate folliculitis after our couples massage.
The bar was also excellent. They do moderately water down their drinks but the beer is still a good choice.

This is a really pretty hotel that has a lot to offer. When you look at the pictures online you think it’s going to be this gorgeous resort, don’t get me wrong it is very pretty, but it’s a little bit older looking than the pictures online. It is situated right on the river and has a dive shop right on location. The guys were very helpful there and they offer kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, boat rentals, and do tours including fishing, manatee, and scalloping when in season. The hotel has a spa, pool, hot tub, 3 bars, & a restaurant. The hot tub is the best after a cold day in the springs. In the morning I walked down and had my coffee and sat on the edge of the canal and just watched the manatees swimming about right there! The rooms were very nice, updated, and clean. They have coffee makers, a mini fridge, & a huge closet. The staff was also very helpful. We will definitely stay here again when we come back to visit and play Crystal River.

We had a spur of the moment trip to Crystal River and needed a place to stay… the choices seemed to range from overpriced typical big names interstate hotels, cheap scary roadside motels then this majestic expensive Plantation. It was the obvious choice except for the high price tag… we ended up scoring a great rate via Priceline and thought we’d hit the lottery… staying here for less than the big name interstate hotels. Well the grounds and atmosphere were indeed beautiful… the room at first glance seemed really nice as well. After further inspection, the beds were doubles, not queen (was this in the description?) on well. After looking a little deeper it was just another room on a nice building… still worth 4 stars anyway. Then the noise… noise like people were in the room with us, we could hear our neighbors and everyone who walked down the hall. Not to mention our upstairs neighbors… All things said, it wasn’t a bad place for what we paid… however if I had paid listed online price is have been a very unhappy camper. Next time in town if I can get a similar deal I’d stay again for the onsite activities but if not then I’ll hit up one of the roadside shacks… at least I’ll likely get what I pay for.

checked in to stay only 1 night with mixed feelings. walked to the bathroom saw hairs, so I called room service. Most staff are nice & friendly, some umm, don’t know how to smile, but the room didn’t meet my expectations. Mold on refrigerator’s door is unacceptable.

Beautiful hotel. Very clean, and stately. Our room had a view of the canal, which was loaded with wildlife. Very serene and we really enjoyed ourselves, as we relaxed. The pool was lovely and pristine. Breakfast was divine. The staff was helpful, and super welcoming. I definitely recommend!

nice place to stay. enjoyed the sunrise and manatees.

As I drove up to this lovely resort, I had an eerie feeling I had been there before. Sure enough, about 40 years ago, I came with the family.
I had come off a tiring but fun 3 day mermaid camp at Weeki Wachee and decided this might be a nice slow down. And it was. The staff was lovely, I loved my room. I especially loved the spa! I got a nice hot stone massage and facial. Totally worth it.
One drawback, the pool looks enormous in the photos and sadly, it is not. And only about 4 feet deep. As a swimmer of big depths, this was a bit of disappointment.
Love that they have a croquet lawn! A little late in the summer to find anyone to play with but good to know.
I found the food in the bar to be excellent. Make sure to get the plantain chips with the garlic aioli dipping sauce. I gobbled them up. Their hamburger is pretty decent as well.
And surprise, surprise, their local brewery, Copp Brewery, makes a mighty fine lager!
I am definitely coming back here if I’m ever in central Florida again.
Thanks for a lovely stay.

I have mixed feelings about my recent stay. It was a gift, so the fact that we weren’t paying anything was nice (however someone else did pay for it). I read many of the reviews prior to our trip, and I agree that while the hotel grounds are very pretty, the guest rooms are somewhat… rustic.
We requested a non-​pet room (all rooms are non-​smoking) due to my allergies and extremely strong sense of smell. At check in, Franki was extremely warm, friendly, and accommodating (everyone we encountered who worked there was extremely friendly and accommodating).
The room did not have any unpleasant odors (although I did notice a slightly unpleasant pet-​type odor in the indoor stairwell leading to our room) but it definitely had a slight damp feeling to it (mind you I live in Florida an hour south, so I’m used to the humidity). This may have been due to the faulty A/​C, which we were told was a new system by a maintenance man who brought us a box fan (which helped a little on the second night), but the system hovered around an unusually warm and sticky 77, and never fell below 74. The room was clean for the most part, although we did notice a few daddy long legs in the corner on the ceiling above the table. It’s Florida, we have bugs… I’m used to it.
There are quite a bit of activities right onsite (Golf, Pool, Swimming, Boat Tours of the river, Dining, Tiki Bar, Upscale Restaurant, Snorkeling), and we took a quick early afternoon cruise on a pontoon boat through parts of the river by a guide who was very friendly and full of wonderful information about everything from local dining, to the springs, to the locals we passed, to manatees.
We visited the pool and poolside bar, and I was glad to have read another review recommending we bring our own pool towels, which we did (the pool towels are very small and very thin). The pool and jacuzzi was picturesque, with views of the grounds, private homes across the canal, and the waterway leading to the river beyond that. The pool itself is decent… but was littered with broken hula hoops and other toys that appeared to have been supplied by the hotel.
We ordered dinner and drinks at the bar, which was bustling with patrons due to some tournament. The tacos (both the fish and the shrimp ones) were very good. So was the hummus and the salad. I had the she-​crab soup, which wasn’t the best I’ve ever had and it didn’t have much crab in it, but it had good enough flavor that I ordered twice during my stay. I wouldn’t recommend the piña colada.
Overall, if I had the opportunity to go back I would… for the right price. There isn’t much to see in the town aside from the springs (and the after activities offered in most of the coastal areas of Florida), but the springs were amazingly beautiful, and I am looking forward to visiting again.

We stayed here for Memorial Day weekend 2015. This place had lots of different activities to do right here onsite (Golf, Pool, Swimming, Boat Tours of the river, Dining, Tiki Bar, Upscale Restaurant, Snorkeling). It is a great place to stay. The staff was very friendly. There is a grocery store directly across the street.
The only complaint I have is the ice machine was directly across from our room and people started filling up their coolers at 6:00 am. It was very loud and they were talking and laughing right outside our door. Woke us up and was very annoying. This is the only complaint I had but it was a big one.
I would stay again for sure but I’ll request a room away from the ICE Machine.

I booked our reservation with an outside company… I added on an extra night allowing us to arrive on our vaca earlier than planned. Our first room that was located on the wing just off the lobby was not very nice. Very small… Very very loud, smelly, and the bathroom was small with just a pedestal sink and no storage whatsoever! We were planning on staying for an entire week and I was going to be miserable… Luckily, they moved us the next night to the farthest wing-​I crossed my fingers as we entered the room– thank god it was an updated room!!! Huge bathroom granite countertops, bigger room with desk big closet and dresser!!! This was much more doable for the week! The funny thing is we actually paid more for the crappy room?! Because it was the one we added on at last minute. Watch out for weddings– they are very very loud in all hours! We complained twice about noise and they said they would send security– that was only on the weekend. The week was quiet. They also had someone to head up kids activities at the pool and even a movie night that allowed me and the hubby to enjoy a drink at the bar across the hall! We always returned to a clean room with our beds made and new towels and more importantly– coffee!!! I would definitely return to this hotel! Great pool, nice staff, nice grounds

Moldy, dusty, dirty, loud — those are just a few adjectives that come to mind. We walked into our room and were overwhelmed by the smell of mold. Couple that with dogs from the room next door and across the hall and you have two very upset guests. We promptly walked back to the front desk and were explained that the owners of lovely barking dogs were already informed of a problem (ok! And?). After clicking for good 15 minutes on the computer and our refusal to go back, we were finally relocated. Our new room was a villa, that smelled less, but was just as dusty and dirty. The entire property desperately needs to be remodeled. Where is «Hotel Impossible» when you need it?

Rooms nice, clean and people are friendly. Place is much bigger than I expected based on looking at the website. But very impressed so far.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG!
This ‘resort’ is a beautiful property on a very nice waterfront location. Lots to do with golf, fishing, boating, manatee watching, and a spa among other things.
I found the staff to be extremely friendly and welcoming.
My room was quite large. Decently appointed but not real current. The beds could/​should be better. I felt that a resort should invest in some nice super comfortable bedding, but to me, the beds felt more like what I’d imagine in a lesser motel chain.
My biggest complaint was the NOISE! Yes, I’m YELLING! At 6 a.m. my next door neighbor started talking in his deep and loud ‘outside’ voice. Then, SLAM! Out the door and down the hall, loud-​talking the entire way! Another SLAM! Out the corridor door to the outside.
Then other room doors began their renditions of drum solos… bang, slam, bang. The construction of the hotel allows each room door to close quite firmly and loudly then reverberate throughout the inner sanctum of the guest quarters.
Fortunate, (I guess), for me I was planning on being up by 7 a.m. so I wasn’t overly upset about being bounced out of bed by the chaotic cacophony! But, I felt for my fellow guests who may have liked to sleep in a bit.
If you don’t mind the noise and you’re not expecting a high end up scale setting, then for the price, this place is definitely doable.

Let me tell you a little story about how ‘Plantation on Crystal River’ saved Christmas. I travel each holiday season to my Dad’s place in Crystal River. Poor guy lives in a tiny bungalow, yet he tries so hard to accommodate house guests. I often find myself jealous of sardines — envious of all their elbow room compared to the cramped conditions of my Dad’s living room. This year, I told him — enough is enough. I need to book a hotel. Plantation on Crystal River is right down the road from him tucked away just off of Route 19 on Fort Island Trail Road. Weary from playing bumper cars with the rest of the holiday travelers, we turn into the entrance and are greeted with one of the prettiest light displays I’ve seen in a long time. The roadway is lined with palm trees covered with lights from top to bottom. At the end of the road is the grand entrance dripping with more lights, including a Santa, a sleigh and some reindeer. Clearly no Grinch’s or Scrooge’s here; we walked through the doors and were greeted by a very friendly woman at the front desk who seemed to be happy about working on Christmas Eve. The West 82 Bar was hopping and I knew we’d venture inside soon for some food and holiday cheer. We checked into our room which was spacious, clean and comfortable. Be careful of leaving the curtains open if your room is on the ground floor — very easy for a peeping Tom to peer inside (unless you enjoy that sort of thing). The room was very simple — a flat screen TV, king size comfy bed, small mini fridge, chair and desk in the corner. We dropped our bags, quickly freshened up and headed over to West 82 Bar & Grill. The ambiance was awesome — crackling fireplace in the main dining room, holiday movies playing on big screen TVs, families and friends scattered about eating, drinking and laughing. Not being overly hungry, we opted for a few small appetizers — the she-​crab soup, calamari, crab cake and peel-​n-​eat shrimp. All stellar, but the local she-​crap soup was especially creamy and delicious. Unfortunately, I cannot speak to the rest of the facility, but they offer tons of other on-​site amenities, including a swimming pool, golf and tourist attraction assistance. Whenever I visit my Dad for the holidays, I will most definitely book a room again at Plantation.

Hotel was very nice and the price was definitely right. We went on a overnight trip with a few friends and rented 3 rooms. The only reason I do not rate this hotel 5 stars was because one of the rooms we rented smelled like wet dog and we ended up asking to be switched. Other then that, enjoyed our stay very much. This is the best hotel in Crystal River.

Une station balnéaire est bien cachée par des arbustes, des panneaux, des voitures, des routes… Il faudrait bien chercher, une fois retrouvée, c’est le paradis !! Location bateau pour visiter des sources, des lamantins, poissons. Possibilité de faire des canoë kayak entre des rivières intérieurs, l’eau est très claire. C’est un autre monde !!

Food was delicious but they did not honor Early Bird Special.
The Plantation Restaurant is always a dependable delicious place to dine when in Crystal River. We saw on the web site that there was an early bird special, 3 courses for the price of one so we went early. We were informed that they had changed menu and it was not available. The shrimp salad was delicious. Filet and grouper were very tasty also. Service was great. The wine pours were only average. We will eat there again, great food.

This was a weekend getaway to canoe on King’s Bay and canals. We liked the property. It was regular hotel rooms but clean and we took our dog and a canoe. And it is in a gorgeous setting. The pool was great and the pool bar was active.
We went out a few tmes on the water. One morning before the crowds, we had lots of encounters with mantees close up.
We launched at the dive shop and they were very helpful. The coffee machines in the room are strange and the takeout coffee at the restuarant was $ 2.50. But all in all, it was a great deal.

I expected to be a bit more impressed; the entry area is certainly southern style and has a nice look, as do the grounds, but the room was musty and unimpressive. We paid extra for a crappy view of the water from a tiny window, the bathroom was unpleasantly tiny, and over all I wasn’t impressed by the cleanliness or quality of the place – pretty worn over all. The bed was comfortable, but even after a few hours with the window open, the musty smell dominated.

Nice hotel, good location. The fitness center is a bit spare. The pool was pleasant, and nicely heated even in December. There are a few animal preserves nearby with great walks, and the manatees are amazing, but not too much more to do in the area. If you do the manatees, I’d recommend the early morning tour, and Captain Mike’s tours are really outstanding (but bring a towel and maybe a thermos of hot drinks…)

Beautiful environment and well kept. Plenty of parking. Hidden away with a wonderful river and pool.
The rooms are beautiful and simple but clean. I came here to stay for a wedding and the location was convenient and not far from the town centre.
The bar is also a nice relaxing place to unwind at the end of the night.