I have to admit I was a little aprehensive about staying at the Reach after reading some of the reviews but the place is gorgeous. It is still a work in progress and once complete will be an excellent retreat in the quiet section of Key West.

Sorry, this is a little long!

We never had an issue when asking for something, the Front Desk was very accomodating. If you want anything at the pool, Ricardo is the best and great fun.

We never heard any construction noise from the Southernmost next door and according to the Front Desk they are trying to keep those rooms open because of construction. Apparently it is very hard to get reliable construction workers in Key West and that may be why the Reach is still a work in progress. We never once heard or saw a construction worker during our stay and they were working on the Sundries Shop and some closed rooms.

Pros:
Great pool and wonderful soft sand beach (Ricardo has beach toys for the kids)
Great Ocean View Room on the 5th Floor
Modern Room - everything is new and fresh
Comfortable Bed, IPOD Radio/Clock, Expresso Machine & Refrigerator in room. Flat Screen TV and wirless internet (yes, they do charge)
Close to Ana's Cuban Cafe - great cuban coffee!
Bike Rentals on the property

Cons:
Work out room has no equipment but who goes on vacation to work out - Duval Street will do that for you
No daquiri machine, apparently they have one on order but we ordered other drinks
Only elevators off the lobby currently work, the other elevator is out of service (according to the staff they are waiting on the Inspector to come from Miami for the permit)
Ice Machines installed but not totally hooked up to produce ice

We did visit the Casa Marina for one day and both pools and the beach were crowded and loud. The beach at very shelly and rocky (you needed to go out on the pier to get into the water. Way too many people for us and is farther from Duval Street.

Although it is a walk from the Reach to Mallory Square, we will come back to the Reach for the peace, quiet, sun and sand.

You are in Key West, sit back and relax and don't sweat the small stuff.

We've stayed at The Reach several times over the last seven years. The property has almost finished a much needed renovation. The lobby has been moved, rooms redone, but unfortunately much of the lush, beautiful landscaping has been taken out. Our biggest complaint was the strange half-door on the large shower. No way the floor wasn't getting wet.

The very best part of our stay was finding that Ricardo is still in charge of the pool. The view is spectacular and we love relaxing poolside. The property needs to finish their overhaul with a workout room, gift shop, and better umbrellas by the pool, but you cannot beat the location and staff of The Reach.

We stayed at the Reach Resort 3/31/08-4/4/08. It is a beautiful hotel, good location, our room was clean and nicely decorated, and we were allowed to check in early. However, we were not at all impressed for the $$$$$ money we spent to stay here. The hotel is not finished and should not be representing itself as such. We have had better service experiences at a Holiday Inn Express. The staff was not helpful and not welcoming. They offered no information on any available ammenities when we checked in, likely because there were none available. The fitness center is not open, nor was there anything else that seemed to be available aside from the pool. The last morning we were there, we noticed there was some sort of breakfast buffet, which would have been nice to have known about before. The location of our room was not affected by the construction noise and we were gone everyday sight seeing. But, it was noisy during the night as our room was near the elevator and open lobby. I hardly slept any of the nights due to the noise. We could hear, throughout the night, doors slamming, people in the lobby, etc. One night we realized the noise appeared to be coming from the staff dragging things through the lobby (from about 8 pm - 11 pm). The next day they were having the grand opening of the restaurant, but only for a "private party". Other guests who had just checked in that afternoon tried to go to the bar to get a drink and were told they could not be there. Just a very disappointing experience overall. Our money would have been much better spent elsewhere and we would NOT stay here again.

The Reach resort will be a very nice location once their renovation is complete. We stayed three nights at the hotel from March 25 to 28. Honestly, this hotel should not be open to the public at this time. We were put in a room that had no working electrical outlets, no mini fridge, no clock, no wi-fi, the phone did not work, bathroom door did not close, no trash can. Additionally, the room was accross from a diesel generator or pump that kicked in every couple of hours throughout the night. It was evident that this room was not ready to be rented. The clerks were extremely nice and helpful but could not move us until the next day. We moved to a much better room, but then faced contruction of a new hotel across the street. Very loud from 7:30 AM until about 5 PM. The Reach needs another couple of months before it should be open to the public. Every staff member we mentioned this to agreed, but I'm sure they were happy to be working. We were disapointed by the game the hotel manager was playing. Every time we asked to speak with her, we were told she was next door at the sister hotel, Casa Marina. We left a phone mumber for her to call but did not receive a call back. We went to the Casa Marina, to be told she was at our hotel at the time. (Figured out her game quicky, can't blame her, she knew the hotel was not ready) Still waiting for a call...... A clerk gave us a $100 good will credit, but the damage was done.

My advice is as follows; if you have reservations at the Reach, ask to be moved to the Casa Marina. It's renovation is complete and also has a beach and two pools. If you must stay at the Reach, and don't mind sharing your vacation with lots of construction workers, ask for a room that faces the pool, it will be much quieter and only about $50 a night more. If I knew of the renovation, I would have gladly paid the extra money for some peace. All in all, a very nice place with a terrific staff, (sans manager) but not ready for prime time!

Ask many quesitons before you book or stay!!