Pelican Cove Resort, Islamorada FL

No guest services located at this hotel. You have to check in at sister hotel almost 1000ft away. There’s a “shuttle” to take you in between both buildings. Never ONCE saw the shuttle in the 5 days we stayed there. Our room ended up being a problem constantly having key cards that didn’t work and getting locked out. We had to walk that 1000ft one way TOO MANY TIMES to actually get some (sub par) customer service. Had to change rooms because of the lock being broken on our door. New room had sheets that didn’t fit the bed. So basically slept on the mattress. Only thing thing place has going for it is the location and the scenery. If you’re going to book with them, book at the sister hotel the postcard inn where there actually are people working there, just don’t get your hopes up for the service.

Just wanted to say this was my second time staying here. The first time was pleasant, but they did double charge us. But that was taken care of. This time we stayed the room had a worm that crawled out from the shower drain. The room had ants everywhere. We tried contacting the front desk 3 times with no luck. Once we finally got a hold of facilities they sprayed one spot in the room. On our way out, heading to check out we noticed more ants on the tables and in our bags at this point. We mentioned this to the front desk. We checked out and they charged me a second fee because the front desk made a mistake in putting us in the wrong room. They said sorry after I noticed and said that the fee would come off my credit card. The charge is over $500. I checked with my bank and they never took the charge off or gave me a receipt to show they did. I've contacted the hotel since multiple times talked to 3 managers which said they see no charge and was told to talk to accounting. I'm still waiting on a respond from them. I've emailed and called with no luck. This is not how a resort should do business.

Issues with checking in, no coffee maker, couldn't get clean towels for 2 days. No beach towels. Only HOT water in shower, very dangerous for kids. They do not have standard "call front desk" they do everything by text, and you then they don't get issues resolved. Will never stay there again.

Our family has stayed here for years! Yes you have to check in at postcard. Yes the amenities are less than they were a few years ago…but… I haven’t found a nicer place all around anywhere for the $. All of the action and fun is at postcard but you go back to pelican for a quiet nights sleep and a less crowded pool. It is honestly the best of both worlds. And we found that if we had difficulty reaching the front desk we just walked over and got whatever we needed! We have a boat and this hotel is absolutely perfect for putting a small boat at the smaller marina. If your boat is larger there is a marina at the postcard! We absolutely love this hotel and will keep returning multiple times a year!

Let's start by saying this is probably our 5th visit to Pelican Cove in the last 6-7 years. It has changed significantly, and I can't see us coming back. It all boils down to lack of management at the property. The check-in was a royal disaster. Had to go back twice to check in, and there is no communication about your room being ready. The TV was out, they even sent Direct TV to our room to fix it, but it was out for the whole hotel. There is never any clean pool towels available, and the pool area is not cleaned up after each day. The activities people just sit on their phones, they don't actually work. We called for more coffee and it never came. They got rid of the free breakfast. The pool bar closes by 5PM. You can forget about it being 5 o'clock somewhere, you can't even get a drink at 5 PM. You hardly see anyone working there, and why would they? There is absolutely no one supervising, and the employees are getting away with being lazy.

Sadly, we won't be back. It was a good run!

A week long stay here was wonderful - the location was spot on! Gorgeous ocean views - close enough (5 min) to local grocery stores and shops, and the amenities (kayaks, bikes, snorkeling gear included) were fantastic. The staff were all accommodating and diligent in their duties. We would happily return to this resort!

We always stay at the Postcard Inn and we love it. This was our first time at Pelican Cove and we actually enjoyed the size of the balcony more, plus it was a bit more relaxing and less noisy. We will definitely be coming to Pelican Cove from now on.

We read great reviews about Pelican Cove Resort at the beginning of 2022 when we booked our honeymoon with a local travel agent in NC. Unfortunately looking at recent reviews it seems the ownership has changed. We were extremely disappointed in the service, or should I say lack thereof. First off the Pelican Cove office is closed so you have to check in at the resort next door with unhelpful and unfriendly staff. They give you a number to text if you need anything, but usually don’t respond or respond hours later. There’s no way to actually call the front desk. We stayed 10 nights and our room was never cleaned nor did we receive clean sheets even after practically begging (via text) every day that they supposedly offer cleaning service (only 3 days a week). Our toilet was broken from the first day but we would have to fix it ourselves every day because they never sent anyone to look at it even though we asked multiple times. We had to beg for toilet paper and towels to be brought to our room every few days. We understand that everyone is short staffed right now, but if that’s the case then don’t overbook what your current staff can handle. We booked in February and were so excited about spending our honeymoon here but were left very disappointed. They also charge a daily resort fee and try to charge more than what you sign for at check in. The only good thing about this resort was the location, the view, and the private beach even though it wasn’t kept up very well. We were extremely disappointed to spend our hard earned money at this resort to not receive resort-like service. This was our first trip to the Keys and we would love to come back but rest assured we will never stay here or at any of their sister resorts.

Hotel was fine, everyone was attentive and polite. You can enjoy amenities in the hotel next door (Postcard Inn) since they are the same family of hotels. My biggest issue is that there was no housekeeping at all, not even the garbage was taken out during the 5 days that we stayed. The receptionist at the lobby did in fact tell me they were short on staff and that housekeeping was only being done Mon, Wed and Fri. I was there the whole week, it never happened. The hotel has jet skis for rental, you can also use kayaks and paddle boards, the location is perfect in my opinion since it is very close to several cool places like Teather of the seas, and a Starbucks right next door. They also have a nice notification system where you can request if anything needs to be replenished in your room, like coffee and water, towels, etc.using SMS messages. In general it is a nice hotel, rooms have nice balconies with amazing view. If they could be more on top of the house keeping thing, my rating would be higher.

This section of the resort has the potential of being very nice, however the grounds are not taken care of. Used towels piled up on pool chairs for days, didn't see a single employee go near the pool for days to see if it was clean. Trash scattered about the pool deck and beach, rats around the pool at night. We went to get kayaks and the four working the hut area couldn't be bothered to get any equipment for us we did it all ourselves while they laughed and socialized with themselves. We walked down to postcard inn and the pool area was better but still the employees at the equipment/towel area were playing Cornhole and running in and out of rooms while guests had to go behind the desk and do everything themselves occasionally a guy would stick his head out and give a thumbs up to a kid or whomever grabbing a paddle. The rooms are adequate with nice views. The service/maintenance is severely lacking. I understand having fun and socializing on the job, but completely ignoring guests is different.

Where do I start? This hotel is extremely overpriced for what it delivered! Thankfully, it was only a brief stay so I could go fishing. I imagine that someone from out of town would have been very disappointed. The AC vents had mold, the gym was closed temporarily, we asked for bathroom items and they never came (we had to grab a cleaning lady in the hallway), the window blind was broken and the phone in the room dialed other guest rooms instead of the Symbols listed on the phone keypad. Lastly the front desk was handled by the Post Card Inn, and it was very-very slow. Again, this should have been a $100/night place and not what they charged!

Had an amazing stay! Fredy at the front desk was amazing. He was so helpful in making sure everything was great with our stay

Had to go to the other hotel to check in which they had a line of guests waiting. They dont have there own lobby staffed. No restaurant either. Nice room though and paid extra for a water view and was worth it.

We booked Monday - Friday
Oceanfront Suite (almost 3k -PLUS $37.50 additional “service fee” for zero service plus additional $100 a day to just drop our boat in the marina or stay at the ramp - total $500)

If you are looking for a great resort - prepare to be disappointed- don’t recommend

Pros: Views - Gorgeous! So much waterfront … breathtaking
Also. Location - very close to a ton of great restaurants, they also have a shuttle that will take you pretty far

Biggest Gripe: HORRIBLE SERVICE

Cons.tiny rooms - we had an oceanfront king. Very tiny, the best part was the balcony with really pretty view. The rest of the room is really small

Worst thing - lack of service. We were told at check in that housekeeping comes only Monday, Wed & Friday
When we checked in we had to call the front desk right away because our room was actually really noticeably dirty. Black streaks on the sheets, hair in the shower & a dirty rag in the bathroom. Plus dirty walls. They sent someone to clean it. That was Monday. We asked for fresh towels Tuesday that weren’t received. No one showed up on Wednesday. I had to call the front desk & beg for service. Literally asked to speak to the manager before they sent someone. Left my # never received a phone call.

Also the property is dirty. No towels by small pool (pictured) and nowhere to get them. Also scattered old food and chicken wings around, just trash laying random places in the pool area.

Last Con: Very expensive vs what you get for your money. Which is nothing but a view and a room. Really sad that we wasted our money here: (

Managements sad excuse of “not enough service staff” does not cut it- let that reflect the price then. You pay for a premium resort and receive motel service.

Excellent staff especially Raquel who was friendly, informative and presented a great first impression during check in. We had a stopped up toilet and 2 men were immediately dispatched which was a pleasant surprise and they fixed issue in minutes.
The property is in a great location and rooms are modern and clean. Highly recommend this place.

Good rooms with sea view. Only it is far walk to the Pool and there is Almost no light availible in the room when the sun is down.

Room seemed like an efficiency apartment converted into hotel room. Grounds were clean with the exception of the trash cans being full for the duration of the stay.

If you’re looking for a place to stay with a boat I would recommend other options. Little to No parking for residents arriving with boats off the main highway at the check in office. Waterfront slips are VERY LIMITED to store your boat and the marina connected to Pelican cove charges $100 per day for RESORT GUESTS to use the boat ramp.

So our local to Florida family of 4 has been to Pelican Cove about a half dozen times over the past 4 yrs or so. Pros… Location. Kayaks. Paddle boards. Room balcony/view. Comfy beds. Cons… Staffing disappeared. No more included continental breakfast (not interested in walking to a neighboring resort - That walk is not pleasant or direct). Cost (but its the Keys folks). Rooms are tight. Restaurant was closed. Bar service or options were limited. I came on here to book our next trip and see if things had improved but we are passing on our favorite this time. There was something special here that I hope they can bring back.

During this trip, my stay was horrible. We learned that the cleaning staff was not cleaning the rooms after guests checked out, only making the beds. This explains why the room was so dirty/grungy. The floors were dirty in addition to the walls. Huge inconsistencies with operational services.i. E.the room flyer stated the hours for the shuttle ran until 10/11pm, only to learn that the shuttle stopped as 6pm (according to a shuttle driver). Last year we had comp breakfast, this year no mention that it no longer exists. The nightly rate was about $500.00 for this stay, never again. I referred the property to a friend to plan a wedding with about 100 guests, they stayed one weekend and shared the same sentiments; rooms were very dirty/grungy. We won't be staying at the Pelican Cove again. HIGHLY DISSAPOINTED.

We have stayed at both the postcard and pelican cove for the last 8 years. Always been a great experience. This stay, we were at Pelican Cove from Tuesday through Saturday. Room was clean but extremely small with two queen beds. No place to keep luggage or unpack. We upgraded to large one bedroom king and it was fantastic as far a room, bed and balcony. Had an issue first time using toilet. Called for help with clogged toilet. After calling 3x and 4 hours, I went and bought my own plunger. Nobody ever showed up. Pool area was disgusting with trash, debris and used towels everywhere. Bar opened anywhere from 11-2 each day but closed anywhere from 3-5 each day. Beach area was never cleaned with so much seaweed, it was impossible to get in water. Again, beach towels everywhere. We used Armara Cay one day, pool was clean, property was clean, bar was open. On Friday we went to use Postcard facility. Also clean but at 10 AM, no pool towels. Was told they were out. When I told management there was 100+ sitting at Pelican Cove, they just laughed and said, “it happens “. Finally at 3 PM Friday, we saw our first worker on site, picking up towels and soon followed by workers to clean pool area and beach. So I guess this is just done for weekend guest. I understand that finding employees has become a challenge but this place is ran down and I would avoid it at all cost.