Amelia’s Hideaway

I like to leave honest reviews so other travelers are fully aware of what they are getting when they rent. I don't feel the reviews I read about the house were accurate. We traveled with 6 adults for a week over the Christmas holiday. In case you don't want to read the entire review - here is a summary - location is great but the house itself is just old and run down. It needs a lot of maintenance attention for general things and is not worth the top dollar price that is charged. We have stayed in Key West 10 times, sometimes in hotels but also in other rentals. We are experienced Key West travelers so we understand what we are signing up for but this house is in sad shape. First, the good - the location of this house is perfect. It is so close to the action of Duval but tucked away on a dead end street. There was very little noise except the occasional rooster crowing which is expected in Key West. The beds were comfortable. The pool is small but very nice and they cleaned it twice while we were there for a week. I would recommend NOT paying for the pool heat as it only got to 84 degrees and was never really warm enough to swim during December. That was a waste of money. The outside area is very nice, including the two tables on the pool deck and the upstairs sun deck. The grill is clean and worked well. The sun deck only has four lounge chairs which was not convenient. The house sleeps "10" so I think there should be at least 6-8 lounge chairs. We had to take turns which was annoying. There are large geckos that visit on the sun deck. They inhabit a tree that overhangs the deck and we saw a variety during the week. We got along fine with them, but it was startling the first time they appeared. The washer/dryer is very convenient and worked well. They supply laundry detergent and starter pack of paper towels and toilet paper - very basic. We also had a very good experience with the staff from VHKW - they were very responsive when we had questions or needed anything - they even brought us a broom so we could sweep the deck and a pool thermometer. Very good people to rent from. Other things that I feel travelers/renters should know: The towels all smelled musty and even after washing, still smelled. The house doesn't have central AC and the room AC's could barely keep up with the mid 70's temperatures - I can't imagine the rooms being at all cool during the heat of the summer. The lack of proper AC resulted in dampness to all of our clothes - everyone of us had to launder all of our clothes when we got home - even the ones we didn't wear because they were damp and smelly from humidity. The one bedroom had a dehumidifier but the water basin was so small it would need to be emptied every hour or two so it was ineffective at helping. The drawers all smell like mildew upon opening. We had a lot of rain one day and there was a leak in the "master bedroom" behind the dresser. We had to wipe it up with towels. This was on Christmas day so we didn't report it. The gutter also overflowed with either leaves/ debris filling it or a hole. The shower drain in the master bathroom was partially clogged and we would be standing in a couple of inches of water while showering. Pretty gross anytime but especially in a rental. The jack and jill bathroom has a tub/shower that the diverter doesn't work so the water is a little more than a trickle from the shower head. This drain is also slow but not clogged like the other one. The fixtures have some rust and are old and really need to be replaced. In the kitchen, we had steady puddle of water from the refrigerator leaking. The refrigerator froze our food even though we had it on the "normal" setting. The water isn't hooked up so the ice maker didn't work. The refrigerator needs to be replaced. The rest of the kitchen was pretty well equipped. We cooked many meals and it was fine. There were basic spices and adequate pots and pans. The sink doesn't have a disposal but this isn't advertised or told to the renter so beware. It is very slow draining sink and the hand sprayer doesn't work at all. Again, just old equipment that needs to be serviced. The stove and dishwasher are newer and worked fine. The kitchen is overall "old" like the rest of the house. Cabinets are wonky, countertops are tile so hard to clean - just overall old and kind of dirty. The family room is small and only has comfortable seating for 5 people. Most troubling - in the middle bedroom there was black "dust" all over the bedspread. It appeared to be termite dust - we washed all of the bedding but every day there was more. We found it falling from the ceiling where it looks like paint was used to try to cover up the infestation. Termites don't bother people so we dealt with it but this needs attention. There is only one closet between the three bedrooms. We all had to use the same closet for our hanging clothes. There are many outlets that don't work and hard to find light switches - I would guess the electric is also wonky and could use an update. The wifi worked well even with all of our devices running at the same time. In the front bedroom with the twin beds, the sliding door doesn't lock. Unless there are updates made and maintenance completed, we would not stay here again. It's unfortunate because location is usually everything but not in this case.

Smelled a little musty and not getting to use the pool was a little disappointing. Couldn't get it warm enough and it wasn't really in the sun to help it. Otherwise the accommodations were good with ample supply of towels.

Great house for large groups, location was awesome walking distance to everything. Definitely would rent this place again

When it comes to locations, you cannot beat this. Located 100 feet off of Duval Street down in quiet alleyway. Where the entrance is secluded and gated. You can assure yourself with privacy and all the amenities needed. If there’s anything that is amiss; the team at VHKW is more than willing to help and correct anything.

Such a great house and location for friends to gather. The outdoor space is perfect, and the location at the quieter end of Duval couldn't be better.

Great location had everything you could possibly need.place was immaculate pool was cleaned daily

The house was great with a fabulous location. The concerns would be the odor by the pool, the exposed electrical by the pool and the leaking closet in the bedroom. Sam was so accommodating with our bags and hospitality.

We loved the property and the location. A few items of note, we were unable to get hot water in either of the bathroom showers that were furthest from the entry gate. There was a cracked pvc electrical pipe with exposed insulated wiring by the pool. And upon initial entry to the property, there was a white board on the ground in the courtyard. We later learned that a board was missing from the safety fencing around the upstairs outdoor patio.

We loved the house and location!!! The only downside was the parking my elderly father had trouble with how far away the parking lot was and he actually parked in a closer lot to the house by the butterfly museum and paid out of pocket. Also I'm still waiting on reimbursement for the parking that I paid for. There really is no reason why in this day and age it can't be an eft. Other that those small thing it was an amazing house and we had an amazing time and will definitely recommend you and use you again in the future.. Thank you!

Very nice and well kept. Easy access to great locations

Excellent service.

My only real complaint was not having a washing machine. I feel like one could have been rented and brought in for our stay or that we should have been compensated. It was way too inconvenient to send laundry out. One other thing is people came in to start cleaning before 10 am on our check out day. That was a little odd. Other than that, the house was in a great location and was perfect for our family. It needs a little work (the roof was leaking!) but is a cute key west home!

Loved this house! The location was perfect just Steps from Duvall (like 3 houses back) far enough for privacy at night but close for all activities! Restaurants close were delicious and it only took 24mins to walk to the other end of the strip. Perfect amount of beds and bathrooms! Pool was amazing and the rooftop patio was a huge hit! Highly recommend this home for a party of 6 or more!!

Easy to book. We had food being delivered prior to our check in time and the staff was very helpful, they went to the house to accept the delivery and unpacked all of our refrigerator items. 100% recommend and will be booking through them again.

We really enjoyed our stay. The house was perfect for my family. The location was excellent. No problems getting in. We only had a few minor issues. They were taken care of promptly.

The house was good not what I expected but it was good. I did not like the fact that the pool cleaners and the property guy could come and go as they pleased with us there or not. Other than that it was great. Beautiful view and my kids loved the pool.

The property was just as pictures showed. There were 7 of us and we all were comfortable. Kitchen and living room was separate from the rest of the house which was nice so at night if some people where up and watching TV others where not disturbed. We had no problems besides the internet going in and out on the property but that was not a real issue with us. There is no parking at the property however we would bring our car and load and unload with no issues. Instead of parking in a paid parking lot we would park the car on Whitehead St. about 3 blocks over for free - just make sure there are no blue parking signs that say you have to pay to park. To be honest if I was to go back to Key West I would not get a rental car. Ubers are available all the time and it would be much cheaper. Location was great - very close to shops, restaurants and bars. The house had TP, paper towels, garbage bags, to get you started. Lots of games in the house. The pool was great to have.

We had 5 couples stay for my 40th birthday and it was fantastic!! House was just as pictured. A few maintenance things that could use repair, but we all had an awesome time!

Appreciate the help in accessing the correct key holder. House was very clean and neat on our arrival. Great time

Wonderful stay in Key West! We loved the location and all of Amelia's Hideaway! It was perfect for our family.

We all had a great time at Amelias Hideaway! From the moment we opened the door to this beautiful sanctuary so quietly tucked away and still right in the middle of everything wonderful. I will soon be planning my next Key West getaway and Will definitely be asking VHKW to help me find the perfect vacation home. Great job guys!

We loved the house! The layout was perfect for our group and the location was very convenient!!

We loved the house and location!!

What a great place! Perfect location! Accommodated 4 couples with lots of room to spare! Please add skid proof tape to access the upper deck! Very slippery when wet!!

Awesome house and amazing location!

VHKW keeps things simple and easy. Amelias was perfect for our group of 7

The house was great! It was perfect for four couples to explore Key West. We had a great response from the Rental Office when our toaster stop working. We had a brand new toaster the next day. The cleaning crew does show up early so be ready to check-out right at 10:00AM. We would rent this house again!

We loved the house and had a great time. We had everything we needed and your staff was great. Thank you!!!

We enjoyed the location and especially the rooftop area. Excellent. We know that Saturday turnover can be a challenge. The cleaners need to look under beds when cleaning. We found a lot of loose cereal in bedroom 1. Also, more towels for bathrooms would be nice. Plenty of beach towels. All good there.

Our family of 8 stayed at Amelia's Hideaway. Loved the location, the home was exactly as posted on the website. Every room was beautiful. We took full advantage of the sundeck, pool & grill. The only complaint I had were some termites in the 1st room which were visible and they came to take care of.

Our time spent at Amelia's Hideaway was amazing. It was private, but still close to everything. We had 5 adults but never felt constricted. The house had everything we needed. The kitchen was equipped very nicely and was very clean. There were several board games and card games that we took advantage of. We will definitely come back and stay. Thanks VHKW.

Very nice home. Worked out perfect for 4 couples!

This is the second time we have rented from VHKW. They are very friendly and renting was a breeze! Amelias hideaway was the perfect place for our group and we enjoyed our stay!

VHKW was very easy to work with and responsive to our needs. Amelia's Hideway was in a great location with comfortable beds, extremely clean, nice living /kitchen area, lots of bathrooms, comfortable AC & fans, a washer & dryer, nice pool & outdoor areas. There is a CVS right around the corner to pick up shampoo, other toiletries, coffee ect. but a much longer walk to a grocery store. NOTE that there seemed to be some insect activity around the window in the large twin room toilet bathroom.

We really enjoyed our stay. The cottage was located close to Duval street but felt secluded. Everything was clean and in good order. We especially liked the central location of the pool in the courtyard. We would visit Amelia's Hideaway again.

Staff was very friendly and responsive to all inquiries. Maintenance was on-site within a couple of hours for a non emergency fix of a handrail.

Very easy to work with. Property was as described and accommodated our large group perfectly! Our grown kids enjoyed the pool, we had plenty of bathrooms available for all of us, plenty of room in general and we were very happy to have a working grill up top on the sundeck. The kitchen had plenty of utensils & dishes. AC worked perfectly, as well, rooms were decorated nicely and nice bedding. House is located at the end of Duval, everything in walking distance so it was easy to come and go. Definitely recommend this vacation home for a large group. Take not though, when they say check out is at 10am, you had better be packed an ready to go because the cleaning crew will show up at 10:05!

Location, location, location! Our work group of 8 stayed in this home 3 years ago, and we loved it so much, we booked the same place this year! The courtyard, rooftop deck and layout of the hideaway is wonderful! Clean and lovely.

The location of the home off of Duvall is perfect and private. Very convenient location to anything you need. The layout of this house is perfect and we especially love the privacy of each of the rooms that open to the courtyard. Check-in and check-out procedure was very convenient as well. As out-of-towners we were pleased with all of the items the house came stocked with. We will definitely be looking at using this house again the next time we are down.

3rd year using VHKW and was satisfied disappointed in the quality of our rental compared to the previous years. Customer service has always been great.

Amelias Hideaway was perfect for our vacation! On a quiet dead end street and steps from Duval St. They way the property is set up was ideal for everyone being together yet everyone having their own personal space. The upper patio was perfect and yet private to enjoy the sun! VHKW was more than accommodating especially with traveling with children. Look forward to renting again! ???

Property needs blackout curtains or heavier curtains. Pool is losing water daily. AC in the separate bedroom in the back next to kitchen did not get cold. Was more damp feeling.

Our group of 8 enjoyed Amelia's Hideaway's quiet location and comfortable bedrooms. The kitchen was well appointed with utensils and dishwater as well as spices. The new shower in the end bedroom was wonderful. The only complaint we have is the lack of closet space/ dresser in that bedroom. Overall Amelias is in a fantastic location... walking distance to the ocean and great bars!

Easy to work with and very knowledgeable of area and properties.

We enjoyed our stay at Amelia's Hideaway. It was a perfect fit for our group. The outdoor space is great plenty of room. The pool was perfect, the roof top deck was great. We had so much fun and the location was great. Thank you,VHKW we hope to be in touch again real soon!

We stayed one week in key west in a vacation home. Thx for good organization and service. All was like promised.

A total of 6 of us rented this unit for a total of 4 nights. It was spacious enough where everyone had their own room and beds. The pool was great and the roof top deck was a great place to relax. Close enough to walk just about anywhere and if not a short Uber ride did the trick. If I go back to Key West I will be seeing if this is available for my stay.

House was very nice and worked perfect for what we were looking for. I would stay there again. Two things I would advise on fixing would be the slow draining shower drains and in the first bedroom we found a black sand or like coffee grounds on the two twin beds . We moved them away from the air conditioner and re-washed sheets . but stay was very good and we enjoyed neighbor hood and location. We are already looking at next year.

Great location.

I'm giving this four stars because I believe five stars should be reserved for Waldorf/Ritz Carlton properties. If you love Key West as I do, this property is nearly perfect. Not luxurious but...location, location, location. 42 paces and you're in the heart of the action on Duvall Street. Brought my four kids aged 21-30. This is what they wanted and we all LOVED it. A/C was amazing and beds were clean and comfortable. Towels need an upgrade. Really no parking but you shouldn't need a vehicle. I would definitely book this again.

Dealing with VHKW was easy and the people were very nice. I would rent through VHKW again. However, the property that we rented (Amelia's Hideaway) needs a total refresh. I would not rent or recommend that property.

Perfect location, walking distance to everything, but located on a nice and quiet street. It was great for our family, giving everyone their own space, but had amazing community areas that we used all week to spend time together, Pool was a definite plus!! LOVED this house!

We loved the privacy of Amelia's Hideaway, all while being just steps off Duval! Great location, and we especially loved all of the outdoor areas- pool, patio and rooftop deck.

We stayed at Amelia's Hideaway and had a wonderful time. The house was clean and had a great layout for our group of 10. The location off Duval was perfect. The staff is friendly a very helpful.

Our house was just perfect for our week stay! We had a group of 8 and there was plenty of room for everyone in beds. The rooftop deck was one of our favorite places to go and sit and just relax. There was not much sun in the pool but plenty of sun up top on the rooftop deck along with plenty of lounge chairs. The house was right off Duval st so walking at night was made very easy to get home. We were greeted with quite a few iguanas that roam the trees during the day, they were very cool to try and spot out. We would highly recommend the Amelia house and would stay again.

House could use some updating, but served its purpose.

We had a lovely time celebrating my moms 88th birthday at Amelia hide-a-way. The location was wonderful and the pool was a big hit. All of the rooms were clean and comfortable. We would go back again.

bathrooms don't drain well while showering

Fabulous vacation at this great family cottage in the perfect location close to restaurants, shops and ocean.

We had a wonderful time at Amelia's Hideaway! The outdoor space was so much more than we could have asked for- the pictures don't do it justice! There was space for everyone without feeling too crowded and all amenities readily available. The home was clean upon our arrival and all questions were answered in a timely manner! Would definitely recommend.

Great location. Pool was fantastic. Nice and quiet, but near the action.

We enjoyed our stay at Amelia's Hideway. The house was unique. You either had to walk through bedrooms to get to the main living area or go out the sliding door of each room. It was clean but could use some upgrades. The washer broke, the electrical switch to the laundry room was hanging off the wall. The front gate broke off the hinge. The pool could use a little work. All in all we truly enjoyed our stay. The location was perfect.

Our group loved the accomodation! The week long stay was perfect- the property was clean and in good repair. It was close to Duvall St. but on the quieter south end. Walkable to everywhere we wanted to be! Highly recommend Amelia's Hideaway. We will be back!

We visited in August with three other couples and could not be happier with the accommodations. Each couple had their own space but the common space of the rooftop deck and the pool were amazing. Being August it was pretty hot and I couldn't imagine staying at a property without a pool. There were plenty of towels the AC were TVs in every room and clean accommodations in what may have been the best location off to fall Street. We will definitely be returning.

The Hideaway was a great location and I would recommend to others. Lots of indoor and outdoor space and the pool was refreshing.

We were only in keywest for 2 nights but Amelia's Hideaway was perfect for our stay. Parked the van and walked to everything!

Overall great experience at Amelia's hideaway last week. Our family of 10 fit comfortably in the house and really enjoyed the outdoor space for the kids. House was as described and clean when we arrived. When we contacted the maintanance team on a few things they were very responsive.

Booking process and homes were great. I understand the maintenance / cleaning crew has a tough job and we were 30 min late leaving a property. That said he was overly cofrontational and surely. Not a full on complaint as if we were out at 10 it would not have been an issue, but may be worth a conversation... was a deffinite detraction. Could accomplish the same goal w/o guests thinking a physical confrontation was a possibility.

We had a wonderful time and it was a fantastic property. Looking forward to next year.

We had a wonderful week at Amelia's Hideaway! The location was perfect and the house was just right for our group. Loved the pool, the proximity to the beach and the quick access to Duval! We will be back!

Pool care wad a little shody but other then that the place was great. Vhkw is very noce to deal with

I love the layout of this house! Perfect for large groups or families and it is right off of Duval Street. The outside deck / patio area was perfect for getting sun and BBQing. Had a few minor Maintenance issues with ice maker that were addressed immediately when called. Place was perfect, had an old key west feel and private pool...no need to leave and go to the beach.

2 families of 5 shared Amelia's for a 1st time visit to Key West and we had a great time! It was clean and well equipped with kitchen supplies as well as linen. The extra room with the kitchenette was pretty warm but we had 5 teenagers sharing this room. We would definitely return!

The house was everything we hoped it would be. It is in a great location and yet quiet. We had a problem with the refrigerator and I phoned it in. Someone came promptly and was taken care of. The only suggestion I can make is that the kitchen needed some more silverware. There was only 4 teaspoons and 7 butter knives. There were only 4 of us staying there and I felt like I had to keep hand washing silverware. Would surely recommend this home to anyone going to Key West, and I would stay again.

Very cute and clean! Plenty of accommodations and privacy!

We had a wonderful time at Amelia's hideaway. The villa had everything we needed just off the main duval street but really peaceful. It was really clean and had all the facilities we required .