# KEY WEST Timeshare Owners



## TheTimeTraveler (Apr 26, 2021)

I like the Key West area and I wanted to hear from owners who own a Timeshare in Key West, Florida.  Why did you buy where you did, and has it turned out to be a satisfactory purchase for you?   Is it a fixed or floating week?

I believe there are four Resorts in Key West, and I am leaning toward "The Banyan" because of their low overhead (maintenance fees run under $1,000 per week), and convenient central location where one can walk to everything.

I know there was a bad hurricane in 2017 or so.  Did your resort have damage or assess a special assessment?



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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 26, 2021)

I was just going to ask about the Florida Keys myself.  I am wondering what resorts are available to buy or exchange into, but I am look for something near Marathon, FL in the Keys.  Not really Key West.


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## AJCts411 (Apr 27, 2021)

There are several timeshares in Key West. (7?) To me it is the location which is the defining factor.  Banyan, Hyatt Sunset Harbor and Galleon are in what I describe as Old town,  Hyatt also has two others as well as the two "Coconut" named timeshares. They are located on the far east side of Key West (I'll call new town) where the airport and the bridge to drive onto Key West are.  These are far away from the Duval scene so you need to find transport (bike, cab, car not recommended).   We like the old town locations because you can walk out the door  and be in the middle of the restaurants, bars, music, shops etc.  or you can stay on site for the relaxing day by the pool.  
Banyan is what I describe as Original Key West, and Sunset and Galleon as modern Key West.  Referring to the atmosphere and landscaping/feel of the property.  Mostly studios and one bedrooms, the Banyan does have a lower maintenance fee, and that original Key West feel.  There are units that have stairs leading up to them and some with a spiral staircase up to the bedroom.  They have a small bar/food operation (run by a great person) two pools, one adult only and very welcoming atmosphere.   The units are a bit quirky to me, not that this is a bad thing and smaller (but large for Key West lol)   By comparison, Sunset is just about all two bedrooms, large units, modern Key West.  Has a pool, fire pit, spa and nicely maintained grills, but no onsite bar or restaurant but everything is just out your door. And you can watch the sunsets from your balcony or from the courtyard/pool area.   When the cruse ships were there (leave by 4/5 pm) they dock directly in fornt of the Sunset, and can make for a lot of crowding for a few hours on the road.  But there are ways to avoid this crowd.  The Galleon, never stayed there, but the do have restaurant and the Tiki bar is great, nice views.  Location right on the marina. 

We bought fixed weeks, because that is when we go to KW every year.  Sunset and Banyan, extremely difficult to get into for most weeks if not an owner.  Its hard to pick one over the other, Sunset or Banyan in my opinion, both have their pluses... One thing for sure the prices, renting is on a up cycle, expect to pay at least 500 per nite...maybe 400 but you may have to go in the hall to open your suitcase for those deals.


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## KeyWestSuz (Jun 4, 2021)

I purchased 2 weeks at the Banyan in 2018 and I couldn't be happier.  I got a great deal and own a 1 bedroom on the first floor during week 43 and a 2 bedroom on the second floor during week 44.  The maintenance fees are less than any of the other timeshares in Key West and I just love the old Key West style of the resort.

As far as maintenance fees after Irma, I don't believe there was a significant impact, as the Banyan board makes sure to have an emergency fund set aside.  We did get assessed a COVID fee to make sure we covered loss of income, which was a one-time fee and was less than $200/unit.

I am very happy with my Banyan ownership, so much so that I use both weeks each year, even though my original plan was to go every other year and try to visit other places with either a trade through II or by renting my units.  I have also made some great friends during my week and we look forward to going back each year and seeing each other.


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## Panina (Jun 4, 2021)

I have owned at Banyan and loved it.  My ex got the weeks.  All units are different and depending which you buy can make you happy you did or not happy you did. My other favorite is Coconut Beach Resort, on the southern end of old key west,  which has higher maintenance fees.  They can be reduced by splitting your unit into two one bedrooms.  One will have the fabulous beach front view, the other won’t but will get you good rent.  I know someone who is looking to sell their Thanksgiving week for a good price if you have interest.


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## theo (Jun 5, 2021)

Some great input already provided above. Fwiw, I believe there are seven different timeshare properties in total within Key West itself.

My additional $0.02 worth is to recommend *not* considering Coconut Mallory as an option, even if offered for free. We owned and used a (floating) week there for a few years and found the property to be poorly maintained and the onsite staff to be apathetic (at best) and borderline hostile. Being as far away from Old Town as possible was also not a "plus" for us. We happily gave that week away for free -- and gladly paid the closing costs ourselves to do so; enough said. On the other hand, CM has their own docks if you're bringing a boat, but I can honestly think of no other positive feature or attribute regarding Coconut Mallory. YMMV.

I like the uniqueness of The Banyan, but winter weeks are very tough to find there. Ditto for Coconut Beach Resort. Of the (3) Hyatt timeshare properties in Key West, I would personally only consider Sunset Harbor; Windward Pointe directly abuts the KW airport runway and Beach House is just too far away from everything of interest in Key West (IMnsHO). I have no direct experience with The Galleon but, if it even matters to you, The Galleon is actually the one and only RCI-affiliated timeshare to be found within Key West.


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## The Colorado Kid (Jun 5, 2021)

AJCts411 said:


> There are several timeshares in Key West. (7?) To me it is the location which is the defining factor.  Banyan, Hyatt Sunset Harbor and Galleon are in what I describe as Old town,  Hyatt also has two others as well as the two "Coconut" named timeshares. They are located on the far east side of Key West (I'll call new town) where the airport and the bridge to drive onto Key West are.  These are far away from the Duval scene so you need to find transport (bike, cab, car not recommended).   We like the old town locations because you can walk out the door  and be in the middle of the restaurants, bars, music, shops etc.  or you can stay on site for the relaxing day by the pool.
> Banyan is what I describe as Original Key West, and Sunset and Galleon as modern Key West.  Referring to the atmosphere and landscaping/feel of the property.  Mostly studios and one bedrooms, the Banyan does have a lower maintenance fee, and that original Key West feel.  There are units that have stairs leading up to them and some with a spiral staircase up to the bedroom.  They have a small bar/food operation (run by a great person) two pools, one adult only and very welcoming atmosphere.   The units are a bit quirky to me, not that this is a bad thing and smaller (but large for Key West lol)   By comparison, Sunset is just about all two bedrooms, large units, modern Key West.  Has a pool, fire pit, spa and nicely maintained grills, but no onsite bar or restaurant but everything is just out your door. And you can watch the sunsets from your balcony or from the courtyard/pool area.   When the cruse ships were there (leave by 4/5 pm) they dock directly in fornt of the Sunset, and can make for a lot of crowding for a few hours on the road.  But there are ways to avoid this crowd.  The Galleon, never stayed there, but the do have restaurant and the Tiki bar is great, nice views.  Location right on the marina.
> 
> We bought fixed weeks, because that is when we go to KW every year.  Sunset and Banyan, extremely difficult to get into for most weeks if not an owner.  Its hard to pick one over the other, Sunset or Banyan in my opinion, both have their pluses... One thing for sure the prices, renting is on a up cycle, expect to pay at least 500 per nite...maybe 400 but you may have to go in the hall to open your suitcase for those deals.


Wow what a great detailed description....thanks so much for sharing!


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## Maine-ah (Jun 5, 2021)

Vacationing annually in Key West over many years, we ended up succumbing to a sales pitch about 15 years ago and bought a Hyatt Windward Pointe timeshare.  We never even saw the unit; bought specifically with the intention of trading for Hyatt Sunset Harbor (which salesperson assured us would happen, of course). It worked for a couple years only; never successfully trading into Sunset Harbor after that.  We did manage to trade for some interesting vacations at other Hyatt properties around the U.S., but had terrible luck with Interval International trades (the other option for Hyatt ownership.)  Hyatt has a very limited inventory for trading, and there were some years our usage went completely to waste.  It was a very happy day when we successfully sold on Redweek.com last week for a quarter of what we paid for it!   We absolutely love Hyatt Sunset Harbor, though, and can rent directly from owners through Redweek without the hassle of ownership ourselves.


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## snettleship (Jun 5, 2021)

My wife and I purchased at the Hyatt Beach House in 2000.  Hyatt has 3 resorts on Key West: Beach House, Sunset Harbor and Windward Point.  Sunset is very close to Mallory Square and Duval Street.  Beach House is on the opposite side of Key West where you enter at the bridge on Rt 1.  Windward Pt  is very close to Higgs beach, the biggest beach on Key West. Since these  are all Hyatt, you get nice rooms but the are all about the same.  We have never had a bad experience.  Location is the main difference.  
"Sunset" will be the one where you can walk out of the resort and be into the Key West experience.  If you want to stay on that and of the island, you really don't need transportation.  It's also the hardest one to get into.

Beach House (our home resort) is the quiet one.  All units are 2 bedrooms.  It has a a little beach, pool, tiki hut.  It is on the water (Gulf of Mexico) and a dock  where you can sit back and can dock a boat there.  You will be away from the "Key West Experience" so you will need transportation (Rental Car, Bike, Scooter, Tram....)  There is enough parking at the resort.

We exchanged to Windward Point last year.  First, it is very close to the airport.  You can definitively hear the planes but honestly, it didn't bother us.  It's a very small airport  and not a lot of flights.  We had a room across the street to the Atlantic side.  Best water view we've ever had.  Very nice pool.  The beach is about 15 minutes (Google that) and they have rentals for people into water sports.  As for the location, closer to Duval St, but would need some transportation.

In general, you have a Hyatt resort feel which we like that comfort room wise.  You have 3 choices on KW location.  Also, for owners, I've never had any problem exchange on TUG.


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## wshunter (Jun 5, 2021)

I


TheTimeTraveler said:


> I like the Key West area and I wanted to hear from owners who own a Timeshare in Key West, Florida.  Why did you buy where you did, and has it turned out to be a satisfactory purchase for you?   Is it a fixed or floating week?
> 
> I believe there are four Resorts in Key West, and I am leaning toward "The Banyan" because of their low overhead (maintenance fees run under $1,000 per week), and convenient central location where one can walk to everything.
> 
> ...


I own a studio unit at Coconut Mallory Resort and Marina.  My husband and I purchased it in Nov. of 2011. It is a floating week which can be used in even years.  We were only able to use it twice because my husband passed in 2015.  My daughter has used it once and I rented it out one year.  For us it was a convenient location, just as you go into Key West. It was right at a bus stopped and being senior citizens you got to ride the bus cheap and could go anywhere on the island, not have to worry about paying that expensive parking in town.

_[Ad-like content deleted.] <-- SueDonJ_


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## TBipp (Jun 5, 2021)

Our first purchase was two weeks at Hyatt Beach House about 7 years ago.  We now own 4 weeks at Beach House (Weeks 6-9), Week 10 at the Banyan and Week 11 at Windward Pointe (just purchased).  We use 3 of the weeks we own in Key West (two in March and move one to November during the PowerBoat races).  I like the Banyan for the location; however, it is not as nice as the Beach House, and the staff is friendlier and more professional at Beach House.  I will add that our purchase at the Banyan of Week 10 was pure luck.  My husband is not a fan of the Banyan at all.  We toured the Galleon twice; however, we felt the prices were not justified for the units as compared to the Hyatts.

We regularly trade our KW weeks for a September week in Colorado (Aspen or Breckinridge or Beaver Creek) and have also been to HRC in Sedona and Maui.  We have stayed at Sunset Harbor on occasion and really like the location but without a bar and rather small pool and grounds, we prefer Beach House especially with more restaurants available on Stock Island.  We get around on a scooter so driving into Old Town isn't too bad as scooter parking is more readily available.  We are very happy with our purchases and my sister and husband's brother just bought some March weeks at Beach House a couple months ago.  They had joined us on several trips and loved it so much, they decided to buy in.  The price was great for Diamond week--maybe $4,000?


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## JustynaC (Jun 5, 2021)

I own a diamond week at Sunset Harbor and love it!  Got an ocean-front view.  It was pricier than other Hyatt locations, but worth it!  I try to go every other year.  I was stationed in Key West when I was in the Navy and always wanted to spend time there.  Now that I am retired,  I love going back!  Sunset Harbor is just steps away from everything that is old town.  I highly recommend this property.


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## suzannesimon (Jun 6, 2021)

Hyatt Sunset Harbor was my first resale and we love it, Week 13. We don’t go thst often as I have a lot of timeshares. It is the only one that is fixed unit and fixed week and Sunday check/in.  We were there this year and I realized that it has a summer camp feel since the same people are there year after year and everyone knows each other around the pool. Lots of peopl catching up with each other on arrival. It’s more like home. Of course the location is primo but still in a quiet corner about a block from the party scene. It rents like a dream when we don’t use it - about $1500 over maintenance. We also liked the Galleon where our friends stayed one year. Nice units and a bar and restaurant.


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## rdc (Jun 6, 2021)

TheTimeTraveler said:


> I like the Key West area and I wanted to hear from owners who own a Timeshare in Key West, Florida.  Why did you buy where you did, and has it turned out to be a satisfactory purchase for you?   Is it a fixed or floating week?
> 
> I believe there are four Resorts in Key West, and I am leaning toward "The Banyan" because of their low overhead (maintenance fees run under $1,000 per week), and convenient central location where one can walk to everything.
> 
> ...


We bought into Hyatt Windward Point on a fixed week.  Turned out very satisfactory and we have stayed at all 3 Hyatt Key West Properties.  Sunset Harbor is certainly a nice spot, but we really enjoy Windward Point as well with it morning sunrises.  Its pretty convenient and I have never really considered it a hassle for driving into Old Town and parking for dinner, music, etc.  We also have other Hyatt's timeshares and find their legacy system to be fine and have always had easy reservations as well as II trades if I wanted to go out of the system.  Can't comment much on the Bayans other than it does have a nice curb appeal.


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## schristy1 (Jun 9, 2021)

theo said:


> Some great input already provided above. Fwiw, I believe there are seven different timeshare properties in total within Key West itself.
> 
> My additional $0.02 worth is to recommend *not* considering Coconut Mallory as an option, even if offered for free. We owned and used a (floating) week there for a few years and found the property to be poorly maintained and the onsite staff to be apathetic (at best) and borderline hostile. Being as far away from Old Town as possible was also not a "plus" for us. We happily gave that week away for free -- and gladly paid the closing costs ourselves to do so; enough said. On the other hand, CM has their own docks if you're bringing a boat, but I can honestly think of no other positive feature or attribute regarding Coconut Mallory. YMMV.
> 
> I like the uniqueness of The Banyan, but winter weeks are very tough to find there. Ditto for Coconut Beach Resort. Of the (3) Hyatt timeshare properties in Key West, I would personally only consider Sunset Harbor; Windward Pointe directly abuts the KW airport runway and Beach House is just too far away from everything of interest in Key West (IMnsHO). I have no direct experience with The Galleon but, if it even matters to you, The Galleon is actually the one and only RCI-affiliated timeshare to be found within Key West.




That being said - if anyone else want to get out of coconut mallory, I'm looking for another week. OP is right, it's not for everyone....but I do bring a boat.


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## Fitzriley (Jun 13, 2021)

We bought Hyatt Sunset Harbor pre-development and have gone every year.  Love the location, love that it is small and has no pool bar as it keeps it a bit quieter at the pool. Close to everything so no car necessary unless you want to leave the Island. We have stayed at Beach House, Windward, Galleon and the Banyan. I would buy Banyan if we found the right week, but none of the others. Galleon is over priced and the pool is too small for the number of units, IMHO. The others are too far from Old Town for us.


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## mdurette (Jun 16, 2021)

I just popped over here to ask about Key West and found this thread, great timing!    I exchanged this morning into Windward for Thanksgiving week.....and I'm debating to keep it or not.    I will already assume the resort is nice since it is a Hyatt, but I'm exploring activities.    We will have our 15YO with us so nightlife isn't a must.....but simple things like kayak, sunset cruise, mini golf, small zoo/aquarium, etc will break up the days.    Any thoughts on that?    Can you walk anywhere from Windward - restaurants, shops, etc?


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## Fitzriley (Jun 16, 2021)

Windward is too far away from Old Town to not have a car or get an Uber.... I would rather be at Sunset Harbor if you can switch..... Your 15-year-old would enjoy walking Duval.... as long as you were careful of the sights. And you can walk to kayaking and snorkeling trips. Try the Danger for a day trip.....well worth the money and an experience your 15YO will never forget. Mine have not.


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