Chesapeake Resort Hotel

When we first saw our room, our first thought was to turn around and run. We found out later that some of the room were updated, our's was not. The dresser had a drawer missing, and was leaning. The chair, we never sat in it for fear it too would collapse. The blankets were so worn you could see thru them. No deadbolts on the door. And when anyone opened the patio door you thought it was a earthquake. But amazing, the room was spotless, and that is hard to do when when everything is so old and worn out. The continental breakfast was a joke, (by 8:00am), no bread left, no muffins just one banana, and one apple, some cereal box's and coffee. We did not even try breakfast for the rest of our stay. But with all that, we stayed. We loved the beach area, little area's set up with 2 chairs, table and a hammock. You felt you had the beach to yourself, the pool was nice. We enjoyed the paddle boats, canoes etc.. The resort and our room were quiet and clean. The resort was very relaxing. I do not think for the money, it was our best value. So like the title says mixed bag.

We have just returned from a week at the resort. Before travelling we had read some mixed reviews and were a little worried. We needn't have been. We were greeted by the general manager who couldn't have been more helpful or welcoming after our long drive down from Orlando. All the staff we met during our stay were friendly and very helpful. Our room looked over the tennis courts and gardens. We were at the end of the row farthest from the road, so noise was not a problem. Bear in mind though that the Keys are narrow, and the majority of the hotels can only be a short distance from the road. Our room had two king size beds, bathroom, ironing board, iron, daily toiletries, coffee machine, fridge, hairdryer and screened private terrace. Some people we met paid forty dollars a day to upgrade to an ocean front room, but this only had one kinsized bed and was a little dated, decoration wise. The view was good, but this time of year the sun sets at 5.30pm, so is it worth paying the extra? They also complained of the noise, as these rooms are in a three storey block, with car parking underneath. The complimentary breakfast is set out from 7am to 10 am at the beach hut. You toast your own bagels and help yourself to muffins/danish etc. There is tea, coffee, juice, yoghurt, fresh fruit ets and a member of staff comes and replenishes the supplies, so don't panic if your first choice of danish isn't available!! She'll be along soon!! A couple of extra toasters would be a good idea for when its busy. Whale Harbour is right next door for walking distance food and drink, with an amazing buffet. Loads of nice places in quick driving distance. We liked the Cheeca Resort where we had Xmas dinner and also the Lorelei. Loads to do in terms of boats water sports etc. If you're not with Virgin, there is an 18 dollar resort fee per room, but this is good value when you look at the hourly cost of some of the water sports etc. The resort fee at the Cheeca resort is 39$ per day! Go to Robbies and feed the Tarpon. Visit both the Dolphin Research centre and the Theatre of the sea as they are so different. Wild bird centre towards Key Largo is also good for a couple of hours. Aim to be there at 3.15 to feed the pelicans. Its free. Take several trips to Key West and see the sunset at Mallory Sq. Loads going on. Good place to eat is Crabby Bills just near Sloppy Joes on Green St. Duval St is very touristy, but Whitehead St, one block over, is more like the old Key West. All in all a great holiday. The only thing the reort is lacking is a bar for the evenings, so that you can meet up with fellow guests. I believe in high season they open the Tiki bar during the day and the evening for drinks.

The Chesapeake Resort is an ideal lovers' getaway. If you have a special someone and want uninterrupted one-on-one time, you'll love the Chesapeake! The suite in which we stayed was admittedly dated, but we liked the tile floor, the jacuzzi tub, the spacious rooms and the wide balcony, ideal for morning coffee or evening drinks. The true joy is the lagoon and the lawn chairs along the beach. If you're a sun lover, you'll be tempted out-of-doors the instant the sun breaks through the clouds, and lie lizard-like along the ocean until the sun vanishes. Room service was called for (who wants to leave their room to hunt down food?) but there were several great restaurants nearby for bodily nourishment. We especially enjoyed the Outback Steakhouse, since there was takeway. The Chesapeake Resort is great for lovers who want to be alone. I don't mind if everyone else stays away!

Beware when booking this hotel on any search engine on the internet. I specifically used Travelocity and upon arrival they tried to charge me again for the room and did not honor the terms of the agreement that they had established with Travelocity. The terms of the agreement when you book state that your price quoted is all charges other than sales tax. They DID not honor this and tacked on resort charges of $18 a day on top of the price already confirmed and paid for. The front desk was less than helpful and more antagonzing than anything. Specifically, the director of guest services Donna, should not be a director of anything much less guest services. The property itself was set in a nice location but if you are looking to get what you agreed to pay for and peace and relaxation without hassles, stay anywhere else in the Keys.

We stayed at the resort for five nights from Oct 21 to 25. 2004. It was a pleasant stay but with a few annoyances such as a non-functioning ice machine, un-swept tennis court and the need for better overall maintenance. On the plus side, it is a nice property with two pools, it's own beach and a great view of the ocean. The unlimited use of water sport equipment, including a Hobie Cat, and a complimentary breakfast were a definite plus.

The tacking on of $ 18 per day after the deal was made and paid up front ... as a gift... Three days: add on 62.00 with tax...for absolutely nothing..... Photography is good, close up reality is less than wonderful. The workout equipment is mostly non-working and in need of repair. The continental breakfast is for shame. Setting is good and peace and quiet are at hand except for the highway noise...from the highway that does not show on the post cards.

Good location - rooms need updating for the price you pay - other resorts in area that are much better with equal or lower rates

This is a third time and the Chesapeake is losing its charm. The daily "resort fee" of $18 seemed steep, since we only used the bicycles once in three days. If you use the Hobie Cat or the pedal boats or the bikes every day, it might be okay. We paid to upgrade to a suite after the room next door was taken by some guys who came down to fish and spent their time at the hotel on the balcony, puffing cigars. The desk waived the two night minimum for the suite, perhaps because it was a repeat visit and we'd been in our regular room for two nights already. Although others compained about the lack of an on-site restaurant, there is a buffet and grill about a 90-second walk from the hotel office. Aside from the continental breakfast, the cafe next to the lagoon never opened for snacks or drinks: a big disappointment since we had come up from Key West from a place that had a snack bar next to the pool. Lastly, there ARE rooms in a "motel" section of the Chesapeake and they are near the highway. Use your head and the website: if you want a view of the ocean and the lagoon, make your reservation for such a room and expect to pay for it. Otherwise, its like renting a basement apartment and complaining you can't see the skyline. The view from the oceanfront rooms is beautiful at the Chesapeake. Still, the resort fee, the non-open cafe and the somewhat tired look of the rooms has pushed us to look elsewhere in Islamorada, which has alot of what we go to the Keys to find (sun, views, dining, relaxation) less than hour south of the Turnpike.

This resort is perfect if you are looking for total relaxation, everything is very quiet in a beautiful surrounding. There are two pools and it is directly on the beach. Our room was very big, with a nice seaview and had a bit of 50s charme. The resort has an own harbour with two charter boats and a jet ski rental nearby. So altogether a very relaxing stay at a relatively high price (USD 199,00 off-season). The only two bad things: There is nothing on the whole ground where you can get a coffee or a snack and the (harbourside) breakfast is without words, no toast, no bread, bad coffee, only some cereals and low-quality muffins. Go elsewhere for breakfast and enjoy the sun and the pool area at the resort.

Just returned from beautiful Chesapeake Bay! I absolutely loved the environment. The ambience was extremely conducive to relaxation and family fun. It was however difficult to find what the hotel offered (i.e. I have 2 children and did not know they had babysitting service until I read this description!) and we had a hard time finding food as the selection at the only cafe' is minimal. Overall, the staff was very helpful and we had a great time!