The Reach Resort, The Waldorf Astoria Collection

Drove down Friday night, checked in and had dinner on the terrace. I had ‘airline’ chicken and my fiancé had a filet. For her to give that up??? While the chicken WAS good, it was salty, but when my fiancé passed me her filet, I knew she didn’t like it. She said it was tasty but dry. I did fall madly in love with their wedge salad.
I liked the view of the courtyard from the room, but this hotel could pay closer attention to details: from our entry door we could view the very messy laundry facilities and workman’s buckets behind the elevator. The WA sticker on the slider seemed cheap for a Waldorf property.
The room was clean and quiet for an open cat walk property. The bed was soft and comfortable. The shower with a quarter curtain was a little weird as was having to get into the shower to turn it on. But the bathroom was CLEAN.
you can’t beat the location.
And the beach! We loved getting chairs and being right on the beach. The blonde guy was super attentive, but the brunette guy lacked customer service. Jack was interesting with his cooling spray for the feet and glasses cleaning.
We ordered room service one night, the flour less chocolate cake was Devine as was the key lime pie.
We had a late check out but experienced problems with the room keys, others have written about this.

We recently spent 2 days at The Reach Resort. Overall our stay and experience was a good one.
THE GOOD:
Staff — Very friendly and helpful during arrival, stay and check out. Concierge was friendly and quite knowledgeable. Special mention of the guys at the beach who provide towels, lounge chairs and umbrellas, they were exceptional. Very friendly, eager to help and great attitude in setting up your chairs and umbrellas.
Lobby — Very clean and nice. well lit. Plenty of space. Free water available. There is also a small gift ship with a good assortment of everything you may need for the beach.
Room — Decent size. Reasonably modern and clean. We had a room with King Bed. Bed was very comfortable. Bathroom was clean. Good storage, good TV and a room safe. Maid service was good and the rooms were cleaned nicely. There was a great Nespresso coffee machine in the room which was complimentary and that coffee was great. You also got a few complimentary waters per day.
Resort Grounds — The Reach is shaped like a U with the open U facing the beach towards the South, thus it appears to me that almost all rooms have some water view. Obviously some have better than others. Our room was situated on the Eastern side of the U, about half way to the water and we had a decent view. The middle of the U has a very nicely manicured courtyard with a beautiful garden and contains a very nice swimming pool, a restaurant /​bar and several activity areas such as bacci ball and life sized chess board, meaning the pieces are about 2 feet tall and the board is comprised of one foot black and white tiles. The space is very relaxing and most rooms look down onto this space.
Private Beach — By far the best thing about this resort. Most hotels in Key West do not have direct access to the beach and this is the reason we chose The Reach as we wanted direct beach access. The staff are out early in the morning cleaning and raking the beach and it was very nice and clean. Plenty of lounge chairs and umbrellas available at no extra cost (unlike some other resorts which nickle and dime you for everything) and the beach attendant staff were exceptional in greeting guests and setting up your chairs and umbrellas and providing towels. The water was nice and clean and very nice temperature when we were there and swimming was great. Very soft sandy bottom and very comfortable to walk on. There is a beach shower station just between the beach and the swimming pool. Bar tenders from the restaurant /​bar came by frequently to get drink orders. There is a Pier structure with a covered Gazebo at the end that allows you to walk out over the water and has several benches but we found that the beach itself was a better place to enjoy the view. The Gazebo was a great place to visit at night though.
Activities — Although we did not engage in any of the activities, we noted that the Jet Ski tours which depart right from the beach next to the Pier /​Gazebo were very popular as was the catamaran sailing option for a morning and evening sail.
Bonus — As a guest of this resort you also have access to the grounds and activities available next door at the Casa Marina Resort. We did not go there. I have had some friends who stayed there and they enjoyed it.
Pets — Although I did not notice any pets at The Reach, it appeared that the sister location Casa Marina nextdoor had a couple of folks with their pets who seemed to be enjoying and swimming as much as the humans. The dogs were fun to watch enjoying the beach. And they did not intrude into the private area of The Reach.
Location — Very nice location on the beach. The Beach looks towards the South and is a great view. The beach is nestled in between the Gazebo pier and an elevated patio structure of the Southermost Beach Resort on the West and the elevated terrain of the other resort (Casa Marina) to the East so as to make it look like there is nothing else beyond, thus making it quite private looking. The Reach is located a block away from the Southern end of Duvall Street and 2 blocks from the Southern Most Point in the US marker which is next to the Southernmost House. There is a public beach at the Southern end of Duvall Street and a visit to this beach will certainly make you appreciate the Private Beach of The Reach. The public beach was really crowded, no amenities such as lounge chairs or umbrellas and it was filled with dead seaweed and sea grass. There are many restaurants within walking distance, but all of Duvall Street all the way to its Northern end is only a 15 min walk so lots of places to visit and eat at. There is a nice convenience store a block away where you can buy most anything.
THE NOT SO GOOD:
Room walls a little thin, you could hear folks nextdoor and outside at times.
The Rear walkways to the rooms (Which is how you access your room) were quite dirty and dingy and gave a bad first impression. Luckily once you’re in your room, its modern and nice and clean.

Absolutely wonderful! We planned an anniversary trip to this resort and we were not disappointed at all, in any way. The front desk staff were incredible, the Resturaunt staff were incredible, the pool staff were incredible and the view from the room we received was out of this world. Overlooking the pool and then the ocean behind it flanked with palm trees!!! It was incredible picturesque. The beach was immaculate the first two days, someone raked up the sea grass and it was a perfect beach, in comparison we went next door to casa marina for the jet ski tour and no one had raked the sea grass In a couple days and it was a rancid odor, but our beach was immaculate. It was an amazing visit and everything went as wonderful as anyone could ever ask for. We will definitely return to the reach in the future!

The staff is amazing, the service level has been stellar from every single person here at The Reach. We had the best room, the best view, the best everything.
The hotel even had a bottle of champagne and chocolates waiting for my birthday.
If I ever come back to the keys, this is where we will stay. Kudos to the whole team here.

This was a great vacation for me. I enjoyed being right on the private beach and it was easy to walk out the front door of the hotel and either hop in a waiting cab or walk one block over to Duvall St. The balcony had a good view although not a full ocean view it was still really nice. I like the espresso maker in the room too. The spa at the sister property Casa Marina was ok and I’d probably book at a different spa next time. The drive from Miami was ok for a one time experience but I wouldn’t care to do it again. The Reach resort itself was relaxing and perfect for me. If I fly directly to Key West, I would definitely go back to the Reach

Talk about a huge disappointment. Room we requested was not available when we checked in (2 double beds) So they said they upgraded our room. Their idea of an upgrade was to put us is in a room at over $ 300 a night on a pull out sofa and king size bed. There were 2 of us so that meant one of us had to sleep on it Room rate didn’t change but how can you tell me a pull out sofa is an upgrade It was late so we decided to make the best of it Opened the sofa to find dirty disgusting sheets. Called for them to come change the sheets. An hour later and a trip to the front desk someone finally showed up handed me sheets and left. So we had to do housekeeping on our vacation. Woke up the next morning to no hot water or hot water for the entire 4 day trip. Went to the lobby to to take to the manager. She was no where to be found and was unavailable the entire time we were there-​4 days. Front desk personnel did nothing to help make it any better. Complained about the room and how this was not an upgraded and were treated rudely by the front desk crew not once or twice but 4 separate times. Basically they told me it was an upgrade and to get over it. Again at over $ 300 a night a pull out sofa is not an upgrade Asked them to explain why it was an upgrade and really couldn’t get an answer
We went out and explored Key West and decided we would come back and enjoy the resort Went to the beach were we were told sorry beach and the pier are closed due to weddings but you can go and enjoy or sister property next door. Settled on the pool cause well there wasn’t really a choice Great service at the pool-​only real service we got the entire stay They pulled our waiter to work one of the 2 weddings going on so we had to then go to the bar. Went to place an order and guess what that was closed to for a private function But we were told «you can go to our sister property next door »
So if you’d like to go on vacation do housework sleep on a very uncomfortable pull out sofa walk to the sister property of this hotel take cold showers and just down right be ignored then this is the place to stay just be prepared to shell out some big bucks for a whole lot of nothing. Property is beautiful but unless you having a wedding or corporate event planned you just don’t get to enjoy well any of it. Very disappointed and will tell everyone I can what a horrible property this is and to stay as far away as possible I would like to thank the Waldorf Astoria for ruining what should have been a nice relaxing 4 day visit Never never never will I stay at this crappy hotel again

The Reach (in your pocket)
My boyfriend and I were very disappointed in this hotel for several reasons.
The service was poor overall. Couldn’t get waited on at the beach. There was a waiter but he mostly hung out by the bar talking to the bartender. Called for a cab and we were told that they don’t get involved with the taxis because any guest walking out of hotel could grab a cab we called for… called for a magnifying mirror and waited forever…
The condition of the rooms, hallways and balconies, elevator were dirty and rundown… hair in bathroom… dirty elevator walls… rodent nesting in hallway… room service trays sitting in hallways all day…
The layout of the hotel is poor. Don’t waste your money paying for an ocean front room. It’s configured so you just see a sliver.
One good thing was the bed was comfortable!

Only 2 Stars for the old Wallydorf! ha. Sure there are some good points. nice beach and close to Duval St, BUT, my ocean view room was like looking at a real estate ad that says «waterview» and then you get there and you have to get
on the roof to see the water ! And yes, I booked a «Ocean View King studio suite «Service? nah! called for a make up mirror for my girlfriend and never received it to the room. Also called Guest services for a taxi. answer was «no». ! ha what service ??? Balcony walkways are filthy and ice machines on each floor do not work and I would suspect they are dirty as ever! Here is another good point. The bed is comfortable ! yay!
Fitz out!

Great location on the quiet end of Duval and their own beach. Very attentive staff and great service. Being a HH member was upgraded to a suite which I appreciated. Loved their keyless entry system using my iPhone — no keys to keep track of. And unlike other hotels that have tried keyless entry, it worked seamlessly every time. I will be back

One of the dirtiest, most run-​down hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Paying over $ 1400 for a suite for 2 nights and I am beyond appalled. They have no justification to charge this much for such a dump. This is by no means a Waldorf Astoria luxury resort. It is a well-​located place to crash with a good restaurant and that’s it. The shower was dirty when we checked in, the furniture is falling apart, the «suite» is nothing more than an extra room with a rickety pull out love seat and a wet bar (not even a microwave) shoved in the corner. If we were paying $ 150/​night I could understand, but nearly $ 700/​night with taxes and fees (and that’s the group rate) is a rip-​off. Shame on you Waldorf. Take your name off this dump.

I heard this is one of the best places to stay in Keys. It was good, very welcoming and valet only. The location is more quiet, which I appreciated. They have a private beach and cabanas for rent. The staff were excellent and service 5 star. The hotel is a little shabby for waldorf but compared to other places on key west this is a 5 star place :)
you get a small bottle of bubbly and key lime cookies. Love the nespresso in room. Would stay here again.

Lovely facilities and some good staff but our stay is ruined because they are power washing buildings whole time. Deafening machines. Forget enjoying sitting on balcony or by the pool. I came to listen to the ocean not this. Plus work makes business center unavailable and worst a fall on the floor made wet by the work. NO warning or apology from hotel at all! They could have made us feel
Less ripped off and besieged. Desk stated that we shouldn’t be upset because they only work during the day which is when folks want to enjoy the place without dirt and deafening noise and wet floors. Was going to bring whole family back here but not now.

I’m really torn on how to review our stay at this hotel. While the amenities, room and staff were all nice and friendly, they completely dropped the ball on requests I made prior to coming. I called two times the week before our stay and let them know we would be celebrating an engagement on the Friday night and a 30^th birthday on the Saturday night. I was assured by two different employees that something special would be done in our rooms to mark the events. Both night came and went with nothing done. You would think spending over $ 550 a night would afford you some quality service but apparently not. Again, while the hotel was nice, and the location is great, my takeaways are centered on the empty promises. Its a shame, we will never have those nights back again.

I can’t say enough about this beautiful resort. My boyfriend and I stayed here in Sept 2015, and we can’t wait to go back! The staff were welcoming and accommodating, the beach was gorgeous, and we had our pick of lounge chairs on the beach bc the resort wasn’t overly crowded. The restaurant had some delicious seafood options, and the poolside and beachside services were incredible. I would also recommend the little turkey sandwiches in the gift shop for a quick lunch– they were so good!
Our room was gorgeous, and housekeeping did an amazing job of keeping our room beautiful during our stay. Room service was great, too. We really don’t have a single complaint at all. I’ve recommended the Reach to so many people, and we will definitely be back!

Beautiful property, pool, nice staff, peaceful part of town. Loved that there was drink & food service on the beach. Beds are wonderful! It was a bit rainy during our stay and wished they had a hot tub. Overall a great experience. If you don’t want to valet, there seemed to be OK street parking not too far away.

Great location right at the beautiful beach with water turquoise color, straight high palm trees — all like in the postcards. This place is true heaven. But after the heavy rain or storm it gets a little bit brown, because of the sand and seaweed. Walking distance to the center of all life and attractions in Key West and to the Southern most point.
The hotel was only ¼ full, but they gave us the room somewhere really far from everything as for the central elevators so as from the beach and pool elevator, that one didn’t work by the way. And almost no ocean view. I’m sure they could have given us room with much better location and the view.
But the room itself was very comfortable with balcony, Nespresso machine, wet bar and mini fridge. Glasses for wine, cocktails and even champaign– that is pleasant that you don’t have to ask. Spacious bathroom featuring Salvatore Ferragamo shower amenities. Bathrobes in the closet.
Sun beds at the beach are comfortable, beach towels are included in the resort fee. They offer fresh fruit plate there in the morning and eucalyptus wet towels in the afternoon. Jet ski available for organizad tours.
Fitness center is very good equipped, a lot of cardios, even a cycling bike, weights, fit balls and bosu.
To their restaurant «Spencer’s by the sea» we went for lunch because of the view and location mostly. But the lunch food was not outstanding though: calamari were too much breaded and the local fish sandwich with snapper was a lot of everything, like fries, dry onions and a big bun like in a burger, and a snapper itself breaded again and not too much of it there, was hidden somewhere inside. The service was good. They give you access to their sister property Casa Marina which is next door, you can use their facilities, like gym, SPA, pool, restaurant.
Iguanas walking at the beach, wild life:)
Room service orders until 10 o’clock.
Gift shop.
Kind personnel.
Late check out is possible for 50 $ an hour.
Valet parking 30 $, or self parking 20 $.

I wanted to like this hotel, but too many things went wrong to give a good review.
First, we found a drop of blood on the white pillowcase. I doubt they properly clean and bleach their linens between guests. The pillows themselves were very uncomfortable and made restful sleep nearly impossible.
The staff who cleaned our room did a terribly incomplete job. They simply made the bed and removed the detritus from the garbage can. We had to seek out clean towels and more tiny shampoo bottles for the second day of our trip.
Finally, we visited the concierge to book a couple’s massage on the beach. He took our name and number and we never heard from him or the spa. For an overpriced massage ($ 300 for 50 minutes, including required gratuity), this lack of communication was unacceptable.

If there was a sixth star this hotel resort should get it.
Everything is perfect from the room to the pool, passing by the bar the beach the pool.
I’m overwhelmed.
They also made us the big surprise of the champagne and chocolate welcome gift for honeymooners.
Piuuffff.
And to end, it is perfectly located at the center of all bars and restaurants.

We have stayed at the Reach twice — on our honeymoon and recently returned for a 4 night stay to celebrate our anniversary. We made a note we were celebrating our anniversary during our reservation and they had a bottle of chocolates and Chandon in our room. Nice touch. We also had a welcome package for being HHonors members.
We love the location and the fact that it has a private beach. It is close to Duval Street but on the quiet side so it is nice and relaxing while you can walk to just about everything. The lobby and common areas are not as high end was some other Waldorf properties, but I think it fits in with the Key West location. It is not the most updated resort but is still a nice property and the location really seals the deal for me.
The room was nicely appointed. We liked having a fridge in the room and the espresso machine was a nice touch. The bed was very comfortable and the pillows were nice. It is a small thing but free bottled water in the room is nice. We loved the balcony and had a nice partial ocean view through the palm trees in the courtyard. Our room was clean when we arrived. Our room was cleaned well most days we were there. However, there was one day where housekeeping slacked a bit– it wasn’t bad but was not at the same level as the other days.
We spent a little bit of time at Casa Marina, which is larger than the Reach. Casa Marina seemed a bit more pretentious and we preferred the more laid back atmosphere at the Reach. We got a bloody mary at Casa Marina– they were good but not $ 12 good. There also seemed to be a lot more kids at Casa Marina and it was quieter at the Reach. (Casa Marina appears to be pricier than the Reach which I don’t understand).
The first day we were there our keys did not work. Every time we needed in our room we had to get someone to let us in. It was a frustrating way to start our stay. I understand that things don’t always run smoothly, but the real test is how the staff and hotel handle it. They handled it with the service that you would expect. Jenn at the front desk was friendly, helpful and kept us updated on what they were doing to fix it. They also appropriately compensated us for the inconvenience and provided a late check out. We were also able to still enjoy the resort our last day and spent it at the restaurant at the Reach on their patio. (Restaurant reviewed separately).
The staff was very friendly and helpful during our entire stay. Concierge helped us book a sunset sail that took off from the Casa Marina (their sister resort). The sunset sail was awesome — George and Cassidy were great guides and the sunset was beautiful as you would expect. Included is also wine/​beer and some appetizers. I’d highly recommend it.

Well my expectations were pretty high and this hotel deserves a decent review. Its located about couple of blocks from Duval but at the very end of the strip… the quiet side. The pool was right on the beach and also had nice restaurant called Strip House which has an outdoor dining and pool table. It was very relaxing to have a Margarita and Rum Runner while watching the waves :) The other plus side was Ambrosia is right next door… one of my favorite dining spots in Key West.
As I walked in, the receptionist and bell person immediately greeted me and had my room already prepped. They gave me room 419 facing the courtyard overlooking the oversize chess. Wish I had a little a view of the ocean but the palm trees were blocking the scenery. I suggest to ask for a room at the very top floor for somewhat an unobstructed view of the beach. The room however was comfortable and what I expected from a reputable hotel:
1) Modern simple furnishings
2) Modern bathroom with high end bath fixtures
3) Toiletries were Ferragamo branded
4) Desk, Lounge Chair, LCD, Fridge inside dresser
5) Robes, Iron /​Board in closet
6) Best part was the bed. So comfy, fresh, cloud like pillows :)
The only downside was the size of the room. Definitely not as big compare to several Bed & Breakfast hotels I’ve stayed at but substantial enough cause I was only there for one night. Another weird thing I noticed was the elevator wall. It was so full of greasy hand prints from the day I arrive and same, on the day I checked out. I guess the cleanliness was overlooked by housekeeping but by Waldorf standards, public areas including elevators should be spotless.daily.
Overall, I’m not too crazy about staying here again. I’ve stayed at other historical hotels and prefer the Key West design /​vibe during my stay. Check out my pics.

Das Hotel bietet insgesamt einen guten Standard. Die Zimmer sind o. k. und entsprechend dem Preis, bieten jedoch keinen außergewöhnlichen Luxus. Das Hotel liegt am einzigen Sandstrand auf Key West, der Service dort ist sehr gut, der Pool ist allerdings für die Größe des Hotels lächerlich klein. Die Preise für eine geführte Jet Ski Tour von 27 Meilen rund um Key West Liegen bei 150 $ gebucht bei der Concierge, dieselbe Tour gibt es sonst überall im Ort für circa 99 $. Offenbar empfiehlt die Concierge dort mehr im Sinne ihres Arbeitgebers, als im Sinne der Gäste. Das Restaurant/​Frühstück haben wir dort nicht getestet, sondern sondern sind immer im Ort essen gegangen.