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DO NOT STAY HERE! Property is not as pictured. The beach is non-existant and does not look anything like what they have pictured. There is an old rusty fence running into the water at the supposed beach with a keep out/danger sign on it. The pool is the size of two kiddie pools put together and the owner's home sits right on top of it so there is no privacy. The cottages are a good walk from the supposed "beach." The property is dirty and unsafe. When we stayed there is no outside lighting whatsoever, there were propane tanks and gasoline tanks stored side by side, there was no air conditioning and the owner refused to do anything to fix it. When we complained we were basically told tough luck and nothing was done. We decided to leave after just one night out of a six night booking. When we went to talk to the owner about possibly refunding some of our rental monies we were told that they would not and the male owner actually got right up in mine and my sister's face and physically threatened us. We are two small females and he is a large male. Needless to say we have not received any indication that these scam artist will refund any of our money depsite having falsely advertised their property. DO NOT BOOK HERE. The owner will say that we didn't understand what Key West was like because that is what he kept trying to tell us but that is not true. When we left here we went to the Doubletree in Key West, which is amazing and highly affordable and finally had a great trip - with air conditioning. These people are running a scam and if you book here you will have a miserable vacation or be stuck staying there and wasting your money on a vacation that you could have had in your own state sitting around a pool at a trailer park. This is an absolute waste of money!
What is funny "Mr. Bob Hamilton" is that you sure do sound an aweful lot like Micheal Anton. In fact you have in several instances almost quoted things that Mr. Anton has said to us to try to perpertuate his fraudulent behavior verbatim. It is also funny how you have revised this response from your first posting to take out a large number of statemetns that only Mr. Anton would have known or someone he is very close to and may have enlisted to help him try to cover up his shockingly unethical and poor behavior such as that we received a very good rate - I wonder how would you know what we were charged to stay at this property?
I will state again that anyone considering this property be forewarned that you are most likely going to get scammed out of your money and will not be staying at the type of property you are being lead to believe you will be staying at. Interestingly enough Mr. Anton changed the pictures, etc., on his website right after we initated our dispute. Now I ask anyone why would he have felt the need to do that if he had not been doing anything wrong? It is also interesting that prior to us falling for Mr. Anton's scheme the only reviews of his property were from 2004 now there are more current reviews but from such senders as xxx@yahoo.com - gee wonder if that's real.
I would also like to update my post to give anyone else who may be almost ready to fall victim to paying money to stay the most current decietful behavior that Mr. Anton has engaged in. Now Mr. Anton is refusing to even return our "refundable" security deposit. We were at his property less then 12-14 hours and all of those hours were at night after being on a plane all day. Mr. Anton is stating that my 20 lb. 9 year old pug who has lived in an apartment his entire life and been potty trained and nuetered for over 8 years mysteriously was able to leap up onto two raised beds (despite the fact that he has never been able to jump up onto a bed before given that pugs are small dogs with very small legs and thus not able to leap great distances) and then in the span of 12-14 destroyed not one but two comforters on two seperate beds. This despite the fact that my dog was on a 12 hour sedative from being transported in the cabin of a plane and was hardly able to stand let alone walk around, leap up onto two prevously unreachable bedes and destroy not one but two comforters WHILE WE WERE THERE! Mr. Anton also claims that my pug peed in the kitchen and this necessitated that he have to fumugate the whole cabin. My pug is potty trained and has been for 8 years. Not to mention that morning we were leaving this cabin my sister and I made multiple trips across the kitchen to bag up groceries we had bought the night before when still hoping the air conditioner would work and would have stepped in the pee. However, even if my dog had done this, which he did not, the floor in the kitchen was tile and my dog is a 20 lb pug. Anyone who has ever owned a small dog and tile floors knows that all you have to do is take a napkin and some cleaning product and wipe up the pee - you do not have to fumugate the whole house. We advised Mr. Anton that we had taken pictures of the cabin and could prove that we had left it in perfect shape/exactly how they instruct their guest to leave the cabins. He still refused to return any of our "refundable deposit." It then occurred to me that I had paid a $120.00 pet deposit. I asked Mr. Anton if he was claiming that all the damages were from my dog why he didn't take them out of my pet deposit to which he had yet another excuse, i.e., that the pet deposit is a fee and it doesn't cover damages - per Mr. Anton they give it to the housekeeper. I would like to add that we stayed as I have stated at the Doubletree for 5 nights after leaving this property in a one room suite with two beds very close by. Interestingly enough my dog didn't cause any damage at all to anything in that room although he was there for five nights as opposed to one and left alone in that room as opposed to not alone at Mr. Anton's! The manager at the Doubletree has even been kind enough to write us a statement verifying that and stating that we were ideal guest not the "party people" that Mr. Anton and "Mr. Hamilton" both (coincidentially enough) both keep trying to assert we are. My sister is 27 years old and has worked in finance for years, I am 31 and in work in a professional field as well we have outgrown our party phases years ago. What we are is consumers who expect our air conditioners to work, to have adequate lighting when we stay at a property, to not have gas and propane tanks stored together outside our cabins, to not be physical threatened and verbally attached by a so called "business man" and to not be ripped off by a business by having that business make up lies to try to retain security deposits that they claim are "refundable." I will state again that this place is not the place you want to stay on vacation. Why would you take a risk staying here when you can stay at hotels and other businesses who have established reputations and who you know will treat you right if you have a dispute? I wish I had never been naive enough to trust the Antons with my money and my vacation. Unfortunately their behavior has insured that I will never stay at another rental that is not owned by a well known hotel or resort, which is a shame because people like them ruin it for other small business owners who are legitimately trying to run consumer friendly, great businesses. I can only hope that these post will prevent other people who are as trusting as my sister and I were from getting scammed out of their hard earned vacation money and nearly having their one vacation a year ruined by these people as we did!
Anyone wanting to know the truth about Michael and Soo Anton simply enter their names and Trip Adviser. What you will see is Trip Advisor getting involved with a complaint that a consumer posted there and siding with the consumer that the Anton's property is disgusting and they are ripping off their guests (as is evident from photographs that the guest posted) what you will also see is Mr. Michael Anton trying to attack and discredit the guest as he has done here as well. Photographs don't lie and the fact that Trip Advisor sided (STRONGLY) with the guest who reported the Anton's fraudulent and disgusting behavior speaks for itself. Oh and there was not "business manager" when we stayed at Mr. Anton's property - the man who physically threatened my sister and I introduced himself to us the day we arrived as Michael Anton - this was before he proceeded to swim around in tiny little pool in his pink speedos in front of us (then two twenty something year old girls) and/or creep around our rental at night. Don't stay here, its not worth the risk, check Trip Advisor, read the reviews, look at the photographs posted on Trip Advisor. Note that most of the favorable post on this website are from the same people over and over (and often engage in such blatant advertising and/or promoting of the property) that its obvious its the Anton's trying to trick people into staying at their property despite all the bad reviews. Don't make the same mistake - have a good vacation and stay somewhere reputable.
Google the following: Cudjoe Key Anton's Rental Cruickshank Lane - to see pictures and Trip Advisor SEVERELY reprimanding Michael Anton for the disgusting nature of his property.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
You are so incorrect and wrong to post this complaint on these great people. My wife and I and friends have stayed here on several occassions and always found it to be a wonderful vacation. The Antons go out of these way to make sure their guest are totally happy. The first time I called to schedule my vacation Soo informed me "if you are looking for Beaches there are very few in the Keys". If you had done your homework you would found this is acturate! Mr. Anton is the most pleasant person you will ever meet. He does magic shows for children's birthday parties, takes people out on his private boat (at no additonal charge) The Antons answer any questions and go out of their way to help to direct you to Restaurants, entertainment, fishing and whatever you need to have or know. You obviously were looking for a place to party and this is not a partying place. So, now you want to blame your mistakes on good people. I challenge you to call me and other people I have referred to this great rental. I go to Florida several times a year to enjoy a good vacation. If these cottages were closer this is the only place I would go. YOU OWE THESE GOOD PEOPLE AN APPOLOGY! Bob Hamilton [protected]
We LOVED the property, but I understand that someone expecting "white sandy beaches" or something might be disappointed in the Keys in general. The point is, those white sandy beaches don't exist in the Keys at all (except in a few state parks, like beautiful Bahia Honda--our favorite place directly a few minutes drive from Michael and Soo's property) unless you stay in a huge resort where they import their white sand from Caribbean islands. This is because the coral is harmed by that fine white sand, not native to the area.
The coolest thing about Michael and Soo's is the local flavor and the possibility to stay inexpensively nearby all the great diving and boating areas in a beautiful spot on what we think is the best island, Cudjoe. The view from their property is to die for--little uninhabited islands nearby are viewable from their shore and you can kayak out to them with Michael and Soo's on-site kayaks. Normally you need to pay separately to rent them in other places, but theirs are included for free use.
We also know Michael and Soo personally after staying there and I can vouch for the fact that they are great people. Michael, by the way, would never threaten any one! Frankly, I think the property is amazing. I think they offer the best deals on rentals we've ever found and if you stay in cabin one, you can see the ocean from the porch and from a side living room window.
Yes, the house blocks the cabins a bit (the cabins are on the side facing direction, but only a stroll's distance from the water), but that was not a big deal for us, since everyone can use the swimming pool and their ocean front view is just amazing.
The cabins are equipped with essentials, but you need to bring/buy supplies such as toilet paper (they provide one roll, then the rest is up to you), food, coffee, etc to utilize while there (think European bungalow style)...
Their oceanfront is sandy near the swimming pool, but cement by the water for the boat dock. Boating is a big thing for the tourists apparently, so they cater to that. But the water in front is so shallow that you can practically walk/wade all the way out to the uninhabited islands, so for me that was incredible...
We just love the location and the great affordable prices.
From my perspective, it's a great option and you would probably think the same (from my judgment), but bear in mind that I am not the type that would enjoy staying directly in Key West-- too touristy and not relaxing for me :) I guess it depends on what you are looking for. It is not a resort-style place, but that's why we liked it.
We don't like crowds.
This is not a "luxury" home by any standard. No cable for first 3 days and it took a day for the property manager to get around to fix the internet that went out. Inadequate bedding, pillows (eewww...) bath towels that should be used as cleaning rags, walls that are badly scuffed and need fresh paint, jacuzzi won't drain, half of the bulbs burnt out, run down old furniture, TV's and stereo (that's a joke), leaky faucets, junk furniture etc. stacked behind the units, patio furniture cushions ripped with foam spilling out everywhere, mold all over the chaise lounges, 1 inch of mold covering the inside of the grill, propane and gasoline stored side by side, inadequate kitchen supplies, everything had something wrong with it or needed work. They should fire their housekeeping and property manager. I wish I would have seen the previous poor review before booking, my bad. That's what you get for being a trusting person, live and learn. I would recommend staying at a well known hotel in Key West or Islamorada. Much better. We wasted HARD earned money and now have memories I wish I could erase. During our stay 3 guests in the conch cottages were unhappy too, I imagine most guests ARE and most don't complain in fear of not getting their deposit back. Bob Hamilton, take off your rose colored glasses. Michael and Soo, quit ripping people off and take pride in your property.
Beautiful property! On a scale of 1-10 this spot a 15 fifteen! .. Mike and Soo are superb host...the facilities are fabulous, clean and modern with all the amenities one could hope for... Satellite TV internet and lots of quiet time allowed me to keep in touch with my business and still enjoy the relaxation of the tropics. Our cottage easily slept the six of us. The pool deck was our favorite spot where we watched the early morning sun rise over the ocean while enjoying a fresh cup of coffee with the wildlife. Our stay was the first week of April 2010 and the daily average temperature was an unbelievable 75 degrees. We brought along our 18.5 foot fishing boat, which we easily launched at the resort. Having the boat allowed us to explore the over 800 islands (keys) and find a perfect Gilligan's island to spend the day. The waters are quite calm and we had no trouble with our small boat and the seas. The beach at Marvin Key (only available by boat) it was one of our favorites spots it's secluded beach was a perfect relaxation spot to recharge our attitudes. If you like sea food we found the restaurants to be unbelievable, we particularly liked the "Keys Fisheries Marina" in Marathon Key (a local's favorite). The she crab chowder was to die for... we had it three times during the 7 days we were there. It is only available after the fishing boats arrive in the evening... then fresh crab chowder is available after 5:00pm the same day. Key West is only 20 minutes away with even more restaurants and night spots than one could hope for. My wife and I can not give a higher review for this vacation resort, or for Soo and Mike's superb hospitality. This Place is the Best!. It's like having your own private estate in the Florida Keys. We are already planning this same trip and resort for next year. Thanks again for a great trip!
Great Place, Greate Location, Wonderful Host! Checked in December 22, 2010 and had a great time immediately. Owners are very nice and a wealth of knowledge for the entire area. Gave recommendations on where to eat and have fun. Cottages are clean with heating and cooling. The views from the property are awesome. The pool is very nice to relax in for the times you want to do nothing but enjoy the views of the bay. Located in the perfect place in my opinion between Key west and Bahia Honda state park which was an amazing place to visit for the day. The property also had room for boat parking and if you want to kayak from the property you could explore the bay without a problem. You can fish from the pier and catch all sorts of fish, I did and caught six different types of fish including a barracuda and a gar. The property is quiet with a great tropical feel and atmosphere. Easy to get anywhere you want in a short period of time. We stayed for a week and my daughters aged 9 and 14 had a blast. If you have never visited the keys and always wanted to in my opinion this is the place to rent. The whole family had fun, it is centrally located in the lower keys so it is not far from anything and it is right off US route 1. Last but not least it was nice to be able to cook your own food in the fully furnished kitchens in the cottages, it seemed to make the vacation slow down and be more enjoyable than having to go out to eat all the time. If I get the chance I will go back and visit THE TROPICAL BREEZE CONCH COTTAGE on Cudjoe key. Thank you Micheal and Soo for an unforgettable Christmas vacation.
I cannot understand how the previous writers could come to the conclusion that the Tropical Breeze property were of a quality standard. In my view, they must be people who don't travel much outside of a trailer park environment with low expectations. Of course, if you are friends with the owner and get a good rate, how could you in fairness give an honest review?
We also checked this address on a real estate listing and it appears to be for sale. The pictures posted don't even look close to what the place looked like when we were there. Someone had told us that there had been a hurricane a few years ago; the place had been flooded out; that the owners had never recovered from that event. May explain why the pictures on the website didn't match the first hand experience.
We stayed at Cottage #1 for the month of February 2010. The place was extremely dirty, with gritty floors; the floor in the bathroom was rotting and "bowed" when you walked in there. Appliances were "well" worn and in need of replacement. The kitchen sink leaked and it took the Antons a week to get someone to repair it. Bedding was of low quality and we had to wash bedspreads which were threadbare and dirty. The throw pillows on the shamble pull out bed in the living room were disgusting. I've written about this in a previous review last year and will post pictures soon. Check Trip Advisor for details on our experience at this property.
Most important, there were disgarded washing machines and dryers in the backyard; the available washer and dryer didn't work properly and the doors to the room were falling off their hinges. Barbeques were unuseable...we asked the Property Manager about these items and we were told that they would be replaced; we wrote to Soo Anton about the problem, no response whatsoever. She avoided responding to anything that wasn't of an emergent nature. When I say responded, it was by email or telephone. The Antons were not in Florida, but at their home in New Jersey. There were unsafe stair railings on the porch which we had to demand repairs for safety sake. The pool was not heated; and we monitored for 3 days the disgarded towels/rags in the pool...which we complained about but were not taken out by the Property Manager. Another guest who was disgusted and wanted to use the ice cold pool removed the towels from the water. The lawn chairs were old, dirty and one of the tables had no glass. The "beach toys", an old kayak that had a leak.
On a scale of 1-10, this place was " 1" at the most. We were very disappointed and will never return and do not recommend this facility whatsoever.
ATTACHED ARE PHOTOS OF PROPERTY AND COTTAGE
We are the owners of this property and we know that we cannot be all things to all people. Some people love the Keys, and others are happier elsewhere. Some people love our property and others are looking for something very different. We listen to our guests, and for every Jodi Loden and Brad Shean complaining about our property we have dozens who stay with us who have a wonderful time, and many return year after year. Some of these guests become lifelong friends and we certainly love to offer returning guests discounts when we can.
Since 2003, when we started offering vacations in the Florida Keys, thousands of people have stayed at our cottages and told us what is important to them. Our guests don’t want to stay in a “picture perfect” pre-fab house thrown up last week and made of cardboard that will blow down in the next storm. They also don’t want to live in a trailer. Our cottages, built almost a century ago, have character and beauty which is now very rare in the Keys. Devastating storms over the last century have destroyed most of the old buildings. After almost one hundred years, while our cottages never suffered any significant damage from the storms, keeping these historic cottages in top shape is a labor of love. Most of our guests appreciate this effort and find the cottages comfortable to live in with high ceilings and full-size appliances, not dormitory size appliances you will find in the trailers and hotel rooms, if you have them at all.
It is clear that Jodi Loden and Brad Shean wanted something different than what we offer. But thousands of guests have stayed with us over the years and they keep telling us we are doing something right!
Our property caters to the thousands of families, couples, and single people who seek an affordable vacation and don't want the parties and the noise of Key West. Key West is nice to visit, but our guests love the peace and quiet and sometimes even solitude of our property. Our guests come to our property for the activities the Lower Keys have to offer: fishing, snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, sailing, boating, exploring, windsurfing, para-sailing, kayaking, bicycling, and sight-seeing to name a few. We try to identify the "party people" early in our conversations with potential guests and discourage them from staying at our property. We direct these people to stay at the Key West hotels which better suit the "action" they are looking for, and keep our highways safe from drunk driving. Our greatest joy is hearing from the many people who have stayed with us, that everything was better than expected, and that they had the dream vacation of their lives! Many come back year-after-year! These are the people we live for!
A recent guest wrote:
"Just being at the cottage and walking through the nicely landscaped grounds was one of my favorite times of being in the Keys."
J. W., Copper Hill, Virginia
We offer people an alternative to traditional hotels where they “can make themselves at home” and enjoy a vacation for less than half it would cost in a hotel.
The hotel that the Lodens booked in Key West was a single bedroom that cost more than twice as much as our two-bedroom cottage and had less than half the space and no kitchen! This is fine if all you need is a place to sleep off your hangover before you start the next party. But that is not what we offer. All of the photographs, descriptions, and testimonials we present for our property are real and accurate. All of the people who write nice things about us are real people, including Mr. Hamilton who we met for the first time when he rented a cottage from us several years ago! We are constantly seeking to improve our property and frequently hear guests say that everything is better than they expected. If not, our guests talk to us and we make things right!
We have made some changes to our property since Jodi Loden and Brad Shean stayed a year or more ago. Although our landscaping was destroyed in the hurricanes of 2005, we have invested over a quarter of a million dollars in replanting and restoring the landscape to be better than it ever was! We also added a gate to the compound for the privacy and security of our guests. We terminated the property manager we had working when Brad Shean and Jodi Loden stayed, and we are personally monitoring the upgrades and restorations to the cottages that are being performed this year to keep our property in premier shape. We will continue these renovations through the rest of this year at a pace that will allow us to keep our rental rates low and affordable.
Either I or a family member personally meet at least 80% of our guests, and we ensure that everything is satisfactory. We have five couples staying with us this week. Today some are out boating and fishing, some were sunning by the pool (heated to 85 degrees!), some were reading or fishing from the dock, one took our kayak out to explore the bay (no it doesn’t leak!), and others enjoyed dinner at one of the great nearby restaurants. NOBODY HAS ANY COMPLAINTS! IT REALLY WAS A PERFECT DAY FOR EVERYONE!
We are glad that the Lodens were able to find accommodations in Key West that suited their needs, and that they had a great vacation. However there are many other people who have outgrown the constant parties and actually enjoy cooking up their own dinner, which they can enjoy with their families and friends down by the edge of the ocean. These are people who keep coming back to our property year after year, and have a wonderful time!
These are the people we live for!
If you are considering a vacation in the Florida Keys, please feel free to call me and discuss whether our accommodations will meet your needs. I guarantee you will not find another place in the Keys that offers you all we do, at such an affordable cost!
And we’re getting better every day!
Michael
phone: [protected]
email: michael@123FloridaKeys.com
ATTACHED ARE PHOTOS OF PROPERTY AND COTTAGE DURING LODEN VISIT
I have stayed at this property twice and found it comfortable and CLEAN! I do not know them personally but have met Mr Anton. He was quite friendly and very helpful. I would have stayed there this year, but I wanted the house- I thought is was also for rent- perhaps I am wrong. Never heard back from Soo, so I am assuming that I am wrong. I did not know they lived there on the property. If I were to have any criticism it would be that the rates are a little high. I have found better value at Venture Out-mm23. Also, getting out the Gulf is easier. We enjoyed the times we stayed there. They are one of the few properties that allow pets.
@ jsinfla Thanks for the kind words about our cottages! And we certainly hope you'll come back to stay with us again! We had a very busy year, both on and off the phone. Please try again if we don't get back to you right away!
Our landscaping and grounds are growing beautifully! And we had a great lobster season! A 33 foot Grady White set a new record for boats at our dock. (See attached photo.) The captain was very experienced and didn't have any trouble navigating Cudjoe Bay, but we normally recommend smaller boats, 23 feet or less. For larger boats we recommend keeping them at Cudjoe Gardens Marina.
We have a new property manager who has been taking as much pride in our cottages as we do, and we have spent the summer sprucing things up for the winter season. For couples and families that want to escape the resorts and hotels and just enjoy the quiet side of the Keys - fishing, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, boating, site-seeing - there's no place better! That's what our guests keep telling us!
Here's the Grady White at our dock!
Hello all...I am a Floridian heading to this property next week! Until this website, I have not seen any other with the complaints. I think some people may expect more when it comes to Florida vacation spots. However, the complaints you saw above seem to me to be absurd considering other comments on other sites that I have seen have only been positive. (which is why I booked here). I am disheartened that days before our visit I stumbled upon some very disturbing opinions. I will tell you that my husband and I have been all over Florida and to the keys many times and can't wait to get there! I am anticipating a wonderful time here with my husband and it can't get here fast enough! I am a very honest person and I will give everyone a update after we return. I don't anticipate anything bad coming from my visit, I can just say I have never stayed here before and it will be an honest, well traveled Florida vacationers opinion (:
We stayed here April 22-May 1st...First off, our vacation was absolutely wonderful. We stayed here for 9 days! Walking into the cottage we were welcomed by Mike and and he gave us a few pointers and area reviews of restaurants, beaches, etc. We are originally from NY and have been traveling to Florida areas since 2005 and we thought this place was very peaceful. The cottages reminded us of cottages on lakes in NY so it was a breath of fresh air to be away from the typical Floridian decor. The cottage was clean and there was enough towels, etc for the 9 days. We even had a few guests come for the weekend which was no problem for Mike and our guests loved the place as well. It is correct, there is no beach on the property, however I don't think I ever seen where it advertised one, however my husband and I went to Bahai Honda State park 2 days and find that it is the most beautiful beach we have seen in Florida. We also enjoyed the pool area every evening and the view of the ocean. I have a panoramic picture I took from this view that is breath taking! ( One of my favorite things every day was watching the MANY Iguanas, they were beautiful and interesting). My husband and I also traveled to Key West for a day and did an all day trip which was very nice. We snorkeled off the Looke Reef... The MOST AMAZING snorkeling we have done this far and only a few miles up the road from the cottages.We ate 3 times at Mama Mangroves which we would definitely recommend. Also, as soon as you come over the bridge to Cudjoe key on the left there is a tiki bar, we would definitely suggest this place for breakfast. Both my husbands and my breakfast were 5 dollars each and just delicious! On our down time we sat out on our front porch and played cards. The only thing I could say about this place that could be better is that the water in front of cottage could be bluer, and its not real close to any stores and its for people who like to relax. The price was GREAT and the cottage was perfectly stocked and the hospitality from Mike was over the top (Including my rum filled coconut he offered me in the evenings). Our family does a girls vacation every year with 20 or more of us and I already told Mike I was going to recommend this for next years event as it was just a very nice and definitely reasonable place to stay. If you want a resort then try a Hilton, if you want genuine hospitality, character and a secluded relaxed atmosphere, at a great price then you are in the right place! I would like to make one comment about the reviews above however, as I mentioned, my husband and I have been all over the keys and Florida and we have stayed in prestige places for the price along with cottages, condos, hotels, motels, bed and breakfast, etc, and for the money this place is right where it should be at. Our stay was just last week and I would suggest not paying any attention to the reviews from years ago. We will definitely stay here again!