Old Key West Facilities Still "like new"

[MDZKS]

What shape is the Old Key West resort in? We are looking to rent a villa and wonder if we should go here or Beach Club.

 

[Donald is #1]

I stayed at OKW for the first time last weekend (2 Br) and I was impressed. We didn't notice any problems with our room (1820). If you want to see some pictures, check out post #22 in my trip report (3 Sisters take on F&WF). There is a link in my signature.

 

[OKW Lover]

We stay at both OKW and BCV very regularly. We've found that Disney standards for up-keep are well maintained at both places.

 

[La2kw]

It's not being as well taken care of as it used to be. We had some serious housekeeping issues on our July trip. If we have similar experiences in the future we will most likely be selling our OKW points and buying GCV points instead. We love OKW and have lots of fond memories from the resort. It's very upsetting to see how it's deteriorating. That's why the point extension is so comical to us.

 

[Chic]

Hi La2kw- We stayed at Old Key West last week and loved it. I thought the room, grounds, and facilities were immaculate. I'm just curious, what were your serious housekeeping issues? We would not hesitate to book another trip at this resort but I do value input from others whether their experiences are positive or negative.

 

[Disney Doll]

We've owned OKW since 1997 and I don't recall having any major issues with the rooms, ever. We are usually there at least once a year, and more often than not twice a year.

Any minor issues we have had (ie-toilet not functioning, window blind broken) have been rectified quickly and to our satisfaction.

 

[tidefan]

I stayed at OKW for the first time last weekend (2 Br) and I was impressed. We didn't notice any problems with our room (1820). If you want to see some pictures, check out post #22 in my trip report (3 Sisters take on F&WF). There is a link in my signature.

Donald is #1,

Hope that we left the room in good shape for you. We were in Room 1820 on our trip from 09/25 to 09/27. It was huge. Our only issue was that they had to replace the tank on the Master toilet because it ran all of the time when we first got there. They fixed it while we were gone and never really knew they were there. Had a great time at OKW and would stay there again in a heartbeat...

 

[Coach81]

Glad to hear all these positive posts about upkeep at OKW. We will be there for our first trip "home" this coming February.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFan]

We just stayed at OKW in a studio a few days ago and I thought it seemed "slightly worn." The bathroom was looking a bit used as well. But even then the room was clean and quiet! I do love the low "Key" nature of this property but it is one of the older properties and unless you gut the units, they will never shine like the newest resorts. So that may work okay for some and not for others! Only you can decide!

 

[Donald is #1]

Donald is #1,

Hope that we left the room in good shape for you. We were in Room 1820 on our trip from 09/25 to 09/27. It was huge. Our only issue was that they had to replace the tank on the Master toilet because it ran all of the time when we first got there. They fixed it while we were gone and never really knew they were there. Had a great time at OKW and would stay there again in a heartbeat...

Thank you for having it fixed for us! My sisters and I loved the room. It was just so large and so nice. We found the room and the grounds so relaxing. This was their first time at a DVC resort and they were very impressed! I definitely won't hesitate to stay at OKW again.

 

[deide71]

Well, OKW may look slightly worn, but we found everything in our 2br villa to be clean and in good repair. The furnishings were sturdy, and appeared to be good quality, and you can't beat the size of the rooms!

We have stayed at VWL, SSR and OKW so far, and plan on returning to OKW next fall. I can't wait!

 

[DVC Mike]

Well, OKW may look slightly worn, but we found everything in our 2br villa to be clean and in good repair. The furnishings were sturdy, and appeared to be good quality, and you can't beat the size of the rooms!

I agree. You can tell that everything is a bit older, but everything was still in working order and the room was clean.

 

[Cee]

DH and I stayed at OKW for the first time last January when we decided at the
last minute to take a few days at WDW. I never had any real desire to stay
there but it was available and we went. Well, suffice it to say that we are
going back to OKW in Dec. and staying for a week. What a beauty!

 

[jakenjess]

We stayed at OKW a couple weeks ago, and our room was fine. My mother's a clean freak, and she had no issues at all! The only thing I noticed was the front doors could really use a coat of paint; they were kind of banged up, but everything in the villa was in good working order.

The first room we checked into had a strong smell of cigarette smoke, so we were moved. I did notice before we left that room that the door between the living room and studio wouldn't stay open, but my DH informed them of that so hopefully it was fixed. I can't believe housekeeping didn't notice the cigarette smoke, but maybe they just hoped whoever checked in wouldn't care? After we changed rooms we were thrilled with the rest of our stay and would stay there again anytime!

 

[staceyj2]

What shape is the Old Key West resort in? We are looking to rent a villa and wonder if we should go here or Beach Club.

We were just there from 10/12-10/19 (studio room 4116). This was our first trip "home" and we couldn't have been happier. We had no issues with the room or the grounds. We thought they were maintained very nicely for their age. We will definitely be staying there again.

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

We stayed at OKW for the first time in August and our 1 huge BR was in perfect condition that is except for the fact that the remote for one of the TV's didn't work. I called and a new remote was brought over for us. If that's the worst issue that I ever run into at any resort, I will be very happy.

 

[Anal Annie]

Sorry - I am not such a big fan...

We just stayed there in a studio for a week in August. I have to say that we were quite un-impressed and if we'd been paying "real" money for the room I'd have been really disappointed. We did not like our room location within the resort (way too far from the main pool / too much walking), the bus service was terrible and we thought the unit definitely showed its age. Our son loved the pool / slide, the grounds were very pretty & well kept and the size of the unit was OK however, the carpet seemed thin / worn or something, the bedspreads had some holes in them, the little door on the freezer kept falling off and the grout on tile in the bathroom was dusty (on the top edge of the bullnose pieces).

I don't foresee us staying there again unless we're trying to stay on a really tight point budget like we did this year... I know a lot of people really love OKW but IMO it could use some refurbishment / modernization. Not saying we wouldn't ever, ever stay there again, but definitely learned what buildings we DON'T want to stay in!

 

[La2kw]

Hi La2kw- We stayed at Old Key West last week and loved it. I thought the room, grounds, and facilities were immaculate. I'm just curious, what were your serious housekeeping issues? We would not hesitate to book another trip at this resort but I do value input from others whether their experiences are positive or negative.

First of all, we have been DVC members since 1994, when OKW was the only DVC resort. We have always loved the resort and have many happy memories at the resort. I know what OKW has always been like because we have spent at least 2 weeks there every summer for the past 13 years. I know what DVC is capable of and how the place has always been maintained. It pains me to even write a post about OKW like this.

We checked in three different times last summer for three separate stays in three different units (in three different buildings) and all of them had issues with cleanliness and/or maintenance. The first room was the worst. Food left in the cupboards, cheese hanging down from the oven rack, rusty pots and pans, hair in the bathroom. Other rooms had food packages left on top of the fridge, crackers in the sofa, etc. We had a huge carpet stain in one unit which had obviously been there a while. We had broken light fixtures in one unit and missing light bulbs in another. None of the three units had a working remote control, we had to get new remotes every time. The first unit was so bad, we called the housekeeping manager and showed him all the problems. He agreed that the unit was not properly cleaned. He's the one who told us to check the oven because that's often overlooked by the housekeepers. He had the place recleaned for us, and it looked great after that. The other two units weren't as major, so we just cleaned up the dirt ourselves and had maintenance repair the damaged items. We noticed landscaping is not being cared for either. There are damaged trees, damaged shrubbery, damaged lighting fixtures, etc. There are bug carcasses, fallen leaves piled up, and cobwebs in many of the buildings. This is not what we have come to expect, or what we have experienced at OKW in the many years we have been staying there. They have obviously cut back on maintenance and housekeeping, and I let the manager know that. My concern is that if this continues, our dues will have to increase to repair all the damage occuring due to lack of upkeep.

Hopefully, this was just bad luck, and our next trip (which will be at OKW) will go much better. If not, it's so long OKW.

 

[Chic]

Hi La2kw-During our recent visit, we stayed in building 35 in the Turtle Pond area. It was very appealing inside and out. Which building/area were you in that had all of these problems?

 

[DVC Mike]

Hi La2kw-During our recent visit, we stayed in building 35 in the Turtle Pond area. It was very appealing inside and out. Which building/area were you in that had all of these problems?

We were also near the Turtle Pond area two weeks ago (building 40), and the room was very clean and had no maintenance issues.