Old Key West - room conditions/cleanliness

[nderh2o]

I have seen a number of supposedly recent reviews of rooms at OKW on Trip Advisor and other non-Disney or non-Disney fan websites that showed some pretty tired furniture, carpet, and linens at the resort (beat up, stained, sagging cushions and mattresses). A bunch of the reviews also commented on the room (especially bathroom) being dirty upon check-in.

Has anyone had this experience recently at the resort? What about other resorts? We are going late summer and I need to change from a 1BR to a 2BR and OKW has availability. I've stayed there before and have brought along friends and family. We had no issues at all. We haven't been in 4 years. Just wondering if things have changed.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We've been staying at OKW for nearly 20 years. We've never had a bad villa and we have stayed in studios, one bedrooms, two bedrooms and grand villas. OKW is due to begin a complete renovation sometime in the near future, but the start date keeps changing. But, be aware that Trip Advisor is usually filled with negative reviews of just about anyplace in the world. I would guess you might find a review of Versailles that stated it was out of date.

 

[Yarbogash]

Last trip we ate at Olivia's and then while the family was messing around at the big sandbox I asked at the front desk to see a room. After a bit of a wait a nice lady gave me a DVC pamphlet and walked me to a room. The room she picked was a 1 br, was clean and huge but man it was old and worn. Compared to our rooms we've had at AKL and SSR it was very tired with dinged up furniture, too soft bed, missing bath tiles, etc. And that's the room she chose to show me. I was pretty surprised. Glad it's getting a reno because with some updating those rooms and the resort could be awesome.

 

[Disneypapa]

I own and have stayed at OKW numerous times. I have never felt the cleanliness of the room or accommodations to be poor or substandard. Because it has been awhile, since any major projects have been done, I could see where someone would think the furniture, etc. needed updating. I have stayed at AKV, BLT, Saratoga, Boardwalk and Beach Club in the past and found all resorts to be about the same experience. Some people just like to complain.

 

[Yarbogash]

I own and have stayed at OKW numerous times. I have never felt the cleanliness of the room or accommodations to be poor or substandard. Because it has been awhile, since any major projects have been done, I could see where someone would think the furniture, etc. needed updating. I have stayed at AKV, BLT, Saratoga, Boardwalk and Beach Club in the past and found all resorts to be about the same experience. Some people just like to complain.

Well I gave an honest response. I don't have a preference for complaining or being overly complimentary. Rather I tend to stick to telling the truth and I think in general we agree.

Kind of bizarre that this issue is even being debated. There are numerous pictures accompanying the reviews on TA that clearly demonstrate what the problems are. Disney itself knows hence the big refurb. It's the oldest DVC property, it has some issues and Disney is tackling those issues. So yay.

 

[Amelia :)]

The best thing to do is go on YouTube and look at some room tours so you can see for yourself. The bathrooms in particular look pretty bad to me imho.

 

[buzznina]

Well I gave an honest response. I don't have a preference for complaining or being overly complimentary. Rather I tend to stick to telling the truth and I think in general we agree.

Kind of bizarre that this issue is even being debated. There are numerous pictures accompanying the reviews on TA that clearly demonstrate what the problems are. Disney itself knows hence the big refurb. It's the oldest DVC property, it has some issues and Disney is tackling those issues. So yay.

You are correct, it is way overdue for a refurb, like you we took a tour there last year and was very underwhelmed by the room. I understand that you cannot always do a full refurb, but this was basic maintenance that should be done. Some people cannot take off their "Disney glasses" when looking at Disney.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We stayed there last year, I don't remember that it was run down but the floor was filthy. I had to wear socks and they would be black. That was starting with our first day when we checked in.

 

[danikoski]

They did soft goods refurbishment and replaced mattresses in 2013...we stayed shortly after that, and although the beds were fine, and we enjoyed the resort, hard goods, especially the bathroom, were due for a refurb. That was four years ago, so I can imagine the wear and tear has just gotten worse. It'll be interesting to see what they do with the refurb... hopefully they don't remove the 2 queen beds from the studios.

 

[Melissa<3Disney]

We stayed in a one bedroom at the end of January. Upon checking into our room we noticed that one of the doors to the T.V. stand was loose and there was what looked to be a nail polish stain on the bathroom floor. We called the front desk, just to let them know. They sent someone to fix those things while we were out. Other than that the room was pretty great. We loved the space, it was very clean, we found the beds to be comfortable (pillows were pretty uncomfortable though), and the balcony was wonderful. It's definitely not what I would call modern by any means. The furniture is a tad dated, but we though it was comfortable after a long day at the parks. For us we wanted a clean room, comfortable furniture, and a large space so we didn't feel cooped up with a two year old. FWIW my husband will tell you I am a hotel snob usually, and while not luxurious, we really enjoyed our stay. It's a wonderful resort to walk around.

 

[Simba's Mom]

When we were there in January, also in a 1 BR, I don't remember anything looking worn.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We were there in march and go every year for two weeks using DVC points. It's our fav resort. I have never thought the room was dirty. We always get a one or two bedroom. Yes it's a little run down, but that's part of the charm. We love the ambiance, the pool, the tennis court and other activities and the boat to Disney springs. We rarely go to parks so the comfort of the overall place is very important. It is like coming home.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

We stayed in a 2-BR villa in November, and I was blown away by it! It was a top floor in one of the elevator buildings, and our balcony overlooked the golf course. The villa was spotless and the furnishings appeared new. The whole place looked freshly painted, so I was astounded to read about the refurb! It was perfect, quiet and peaceful.

 

[Frank_Segers]

We stayed in a 2-BR villa in November, and I was blown away by it! It was a top floor in one of the elevator buildings, and our balcony overlooked the golf course. The villa was spotless and the furnishings appeared new. The whole place looked freshly painted, so I was astounded to read about the refurb! It was perfect, quiet and peaceful.

We have a reservation for a 2-BR villa this August. Can you tell what buildings are the elevator buildings? Is it true that these buildings are the most recent ones?

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have a reservation for a 2-BR villa this August. Can you tell what buildings are the elevator buildings? Is it true that these buildings are the most recent ones?

They were built about 1999 versus 1993 for the rest of the resort.

 

[chupacabras74]

Hi
I just signed up specifically to comment on this thread. I'm just coming to the end of a fortnight stay at OKW. It's my second stay in a studio- last time (4 years ago) I thought it was a bit dated but nonetheless clean and I love the resort in general.
Tonight I happened to look behind my bed as I had a huge mosquito bite yesterday and was feeling a bit paranoid about insects! To my disgust I found old decaying food and hair grips from a previous guest and it's left me feeling really queasy about the fact it's been there this whole time. There are dead insects behind my kids' bed and I dread to think what else- I won't look any more!
Someone is on their way to clean it so I can go to bed... been waiting about half an hour now and I'm not happy!
The first week we had to get them to come in and clean our bathroom properly- there were dead bugs all over the ceiling and gathered dust and dirt in the grouting, over the doorframe etc. We were offered an upgrade/Disney dollars so we felt they dealt with it to our satisfaction. But this is the final straw and my next Disney stay will have to be elsewhere and with a deep clean beforehand!
The management are fantastic at dealing with issues and have partially reimbursed us- but I'd rather have a clean room and a stress free stay amy time.

 

[Kaytie]

And that's the room she chose to show me

In fairness, that could have been the closest unit she had available to show you.

We have a reservation for a 2-BR villa this August. Can you tell what buildings are the elevator buildings? Is it true that these buildings are the most recent ones?

62,63, 64.

 

[beccasmom]

We were there last week. Our two-bedroom unit was fine and ideally located. However, I too am glad a renovation is planned because it is sorely needed. The beds were fine, but the furniture is showing its age (and constant use). Some appliances need replacement as well, though they were working fine. Cleanliness was not a problem.

 

[Yarbogash]

In fairness, that could have been the closest unit she had available to show you.

Coulda been, yeah.

Funny thing is we are now booked for OKW in December. Had booked SSR but my wife wanted to try OKW so we waitlisted and just got it. So I get another look. Maybe we will get a reno room by then.

 

[Yarbogash]

Hi
I just signed up specifically to comment on this thread. I'm just coming to the end of a fortnight stay at OKW. It's my second stay in a studio- last time (4 years ago) I thought it was a bit dated but nonetheless clean and I love the resort in general.
Tonight I happened to look behind my bed as I had a huge mosquito bite yesterday and was feeling a bit paranoid about insects! To my disgust I found old decaying food and hair grips from a previous guest and it's left me feeling really queasy about the fact it's been there this whole time. There are dead insects behind my kids' bed and I dread to think what else- I won't look any more!
Someone is on their way to clean it so I can go to bed... been waiting about half an hour now and I'm not happy!
The first week we had to get them to come in and clean our bathroom properly- there were dead bugs all over the ceiling and gathered dust and dirt in the grouting, over the doorframe etc. We were offered an upgrade/Disney dollars so we felt they dealt with it to our satisfaction. But this is the final straw and my next Disney stay will have to be elsewhere and with a deep clean beforehand!
The management are fantastic at dealing with issues and have partially reimbursed us- but I'd rather have a clean room and a stress free stay amy time.

Oh that sucks. Ty for sharing. Gives us an idea what to possibly look out for. Hope you are having a better day today.