Plantation Resort on Crystal River

Booked a stay during Christmas as a gift to my children. My son was excited to see the manatees while my daughter was excited to play the golf course. We booked here after seeing they had a golf course, full restaurant, and with continental breakfast included. After arrival, we waited well past our check in time to get a room. I watched people get the same 2 bed rooms for hours while telling me there was none ready. Eventually I brought this to the manager’s attention. She claimed it was an error/glitch in the system and finally got me into a room. Turns out it’s under construction with only one building available, no restaurant, no golf, and the “continental breakfast” consisted of bagels, cereal, yogurt, and coffee. My receipt showed $347, but I was charged $424!!! I requested a partial refund through Expedia. They contacted the hotel multiple times and were refused any kind of compensation. They said the golf and restaurant weren’t “included” in the fee, and continental breakfast was served 6-9 every day. Nothing about being under construction, golf closing, or restaurant closing was disclosed before booking. I was told it was under new ownership and management by some locals. 0/10 do not recommend. Place had tons of character and would definitely be back if we had a good experience! All they needed to do was be transparent from the start.

I stayed here in 2022 and it was my first time visiting Crystal River . I had a great stay. I enjoy the tiki bar , fishing and other food services. I’m back in 2025 And I was going through the reviews and they are so awful. There is no bedbugs Or bad service. They just shut down three of their buildings to completely renovate. It’s a great place. We’re family and friends. Don’t knock it till you try it!

I stayed here for 3 days last week. Check in was easy but my room keys kept resetting themselves and I had to have the front desk reset them every time. On two occasions, I waited for several minutes for help before the front desk helped me reset them. It should be noted I was the only person there and I felt completely ignored while waiting for them to notice I needed help. The rooms are average. The bed is comfy, the air is cold, but they are outdated and DIRTY. My feet were black on bottom after walking around for a few minutes. The shower curtain was moldy, and my friends who were also staying didn’t have a microwave in their room and their AC broke. Room service was terrible, not replacing our towels one of the days, and not giving us washcloths for two of them. The cleaning staff doesn’t do any cleaning except for take out trash while you’re there. The pool area was nice and the property is nice and convenient if you have a boat. It’s pretty from afar but it shows its age. For almost 200$ a night, this is a terrible value in my opinion. I have stayed at far nicer hotels for far less. Next time, we will stay elsewhere.

We ate dinner there and the meat is definitely second class.

PROS: -The location was amazing, reception area and restaurant, bars etc were beautiful. Room was a good size, lovely furniture, comfortable bed, lovely fluffy white towels and face cloths. Had an iron and ironing board, refrigerator, good complimentary shampoo, conditioner, shower gel & liquid soap. Shower was powerful and hot. We had a King River Front ground floor room so good location with lovely view.||CONS:-Walls are thin and if you have an adjoining room with adjoining door like we did, then you hear everything from next door. Our first night our next door neighbour had his TV in blaring all night long, didn’t turn off once. You can hear all the doors banging in the corridor as doors stick and you have to slam them shut. Floors in the room were grubby, if walking bare foot your feet turn black. Debris and dead insects in the sliding patio door runners inside and out. Broken glass top table outside the room on patio. No safe in the room. Poor selection on hospitality tray, no English Breakfast or black t-bags, no fresh milk or half/half milk pots, just a small packet of dried milk/creamer! Power sockets in places you can’t reach and not enough of them. Stains on lamp shades. No privacy door on bathroom or toilet, just a make shift shower curtain put up between the toilet and main sink area. Sliding toilet door broken/jammed in the wall! Bath base looked grubby where the enamel has worn away and plug looks painted in with paint chips coming off! Complimentary liquid soap dispenser had come off the shower/bath wall so was just left next to sinks, no attempt to put back on wall. Biggest issue was the pool outside, which was the biggest draw for us booking this hotel. It was brown and full of debris from hurricane Debby that passed through 6 days before. We understand that these things happen but there was no attempt to clean it in the two days we were there and when we asked staff if it would be cleaned, they just shrugged their shoulders. The hotel should at least have contacted us to make us aware of the pool issues before arriving! Hotel is definitely not worth the £200 per night that we paid!

The food and the staff was good. The rooms are just gross. We switched to another room and it was just marginally better. Room service somehow missed our room 2 days in a row. There is lots to do for kids so for a family, it is basically your only option around. The owner has been trying to sell the place for several years so he isn't putting any money into the place. Next scalloping trip I'll be staying some where clean.

First I’ll say that this is a great location. You can park your boat close to your room and that’s obviously very convenient. It has a 70’s old Florida vibe which is cool but probably hasn’t been cleaned since then. The shower water wasn’t hot but the sink water was scolding hot. The low pressure shower has lukewarm water. The floor was dusty and bathroom was kinda moldy. Humidifier has to be dumped constantly. We were charged a daily $30 service fee at checkout. Such a sneaky way to make more money. The place has so much potential. You have to keep in mind that it’s not a hotel and paying for the location. I still had fun because we were on the water all day. But this isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for valet, room service or housekeeping.

I hate to say but after we booked we read the reviews but decided to try anyway. Beautiful historic location. Very beautiful property but probably struggling after the hurricane. Room was neglected to the point of not feeling comfortable to stay. Mold in the shower but just plain dirty on doors, shower etc. truly a shame as some TLC would go along way. Staff was nice and offered to clean but just wasn't feeling comfortable at that point. Not how I wanted to spend my birthday weekend but stuff happens. Hopefully they can get it on track as it certainly would be a great place to stay otherwise. Also nice is that a freedom Boat Club location is there.👍

Stayed here several times. Overall, I would go again, even though the service isn't always that idea. Summer 23 visit- room wasn't entirely clean, but the property was nice. Spring 24 visit- had two rooms, one was ready just after check in, the other was a two hour wait. Overall, the convenience of being right on the bay and having the adventure center in walking distance is a huge bonus! The adventure center is a fantastic resource for renting pontoons (watch out for the rocks though, beware, the map provided on the boat isn't all that helpful!). Booking fishing excursions directly through the guides is significantly cheaper than booking through the adventure center. Plenty of nice things to do in the area too!

The worst part of vacation has been staying here. If you want any sleep while on vacation don't stay here. Nice place but forget getting any rest. It is so loud. We are on the 2nd floor in the main building. Doors opening and closing all night and early morning. They sound like shotguns. You can hear people/kids up and down the hallways all hours when you are trying to sleep. People on the first floor below sitting outside the room talking comes right up into your room. The pillows are so bad we had to go buy some. And then at about 6AM every day a delivery truck beeping wakes you up after not having had much sleep all night. What staff we have interacted with seem nice. And the grounds are nice. There is no elevator in the main building, so up and down the stairs all the time. The room has some issues I will show in my pics. There is a fridge but no microwave. And don't eat here. It is terribly expensive.

Horrible horrible horrible. I travel.. ALOT! Booked 2 nights here and got in at 915pm after a LONG travel day. We just needed a clean room and a hot shower. Well, we received neither. The nightlight in the bathroom had mold all in it, and the bathtub had FOOTPRINTS deep into the filth on the bottom of the tub. Missing enamel on most of the front portion of the tub, which just breeds bacteria. MOLD ON CEILING We went and asked for another room, and the clerk (who needs additional training) told us, "They're all like that." So, ALL OF YOUR ROOMS ARE DIRTY?? We asked to speak to a manager and was told to call in the morning. We asked that she TRY to reach one, and she was unable to get someone on the phone This being the Manatee Festival weekend, we were thankfully able to get the last room at a much cleaner hotel. I would never, in good conscience, recommend this establishment. Ps.... we have yet to hear from management, which we were told would contact us.

Filthy is the only word to describe this place. The tub was absolutely disgusting, black filth on walls by light switches, food on floor, floor so dirty my socks were literally black!! They try to make it appear "fancy" but really a dump. A/C barely works and the humidifier in the room is incredibly loud. Speaking of loud if you wanna hear your neighbors conversation then here you go, worst night sleep ever. Should have left but had no other place available. Didn't feel safe in the hallways, they were always unlocked and filthy as well.

ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING - DO NOT STAY HERE!!! This property is so rundown. It needs a major rehab. Rooms are dirty with black mold growing on the ceilings!

I dont believe they deserve one star. Take my word and do not stay here!! We let front desk know our shower was dripping and told them through out the day, no one ever came to fix, so we listened to that all night. Tried to get compensation and they denied it saying there was no record of it! Horrible customer service, run down hotel. There are better options, trust me. I made the mistake of staying here. I don't recommend at all. Also, people party all night outside of their room and the front desk doesn't seem to mind. Seems like locals go there to party. I should have read all the reviews because most are bad reviews about this place. Worst night of my vacation, thank God it was just one night in a trashy hotel room. Looks like a conveleset hospital walking down the hall to your room.

DO NOT STAY HERE. UNLESS YOU'RE COOL WITH COCKROACHES. Let me start off with saying, I lived in this county while in high school. The Plantation was always regarded as a fancy hotel. So imagine my my disgust when my family booked it for two nights on an emergency visit to my grandma. Since it was last minute, and this was supposed to be a nice hotel, we were fine with splitting the $300+ a night rate. But my god. I wish I had more photos of the mold, flaking ceiling, and general demise of this room. Unfortunately all I have is this photo of a COCKROACH. My mother talked to the front desk about it, and I'm convinced they heard her filipino accent and figured they could take advantage of her. Brushed her off by saying, "Oh, no. That's just a palmetto bug." Now if you're like me and not born and raised in the south, I'll save you a google search. Palmetto bugs and cockroaches? Same fucking thing. They said they would spray the room. But they didn't even clean the room while we were away. So I doubt they kept their word there. It's boils my blood that they get away with running on their false identity of being a luxury hotel. Musty. Crusty. Smelly. Nasty establishment. I'll end this review on a lighter note, as a treat to anyone who's read this far. We went to the pool and jacuzzi to try and have just a crumb of a nice time... however, that leisure time was tainted by the drunkest, most sunburnt woman I've ever seen rambling about how she "mmmmjUST GOT A DUI Likeee last week" to my right and to my left: a child no younger than 10 licking jacuzzi water off of the pavement like a dog. Like I said. Musty. Crusty.

STAY AWAY- worst Resort Ive ever stayed at. If I could give ZERO stars I would . 1- Room wasn't ready til 6pm. ( 2hrs late) 2- We reserved water front room & Got a crappy parking lot view. 3- AC doest work. 4- Beds Are so small 2 people can't sleep in them. 5- Place smells like MOLD & MUSTY. ** STAY AWAY****

We stayed here for 3 nights over Labor Day weekend and it was a good time. Sure, the hotel could use an update, but it gets the job done. It is likely the nicest place to stay in town and we were here for the manatees, so went with it. The entry driveway is impressive, and check-in was easy. We had a 2nd floor room overlooking the grassy area by the beach volleyball courts. "Beat up" is how I would describe the inside of the room. There was a TV and fridge, which again, did its job. The bed was comfortable, and the bathroom roomy enough. The toilet and tub had its own room so that was nice. The grounds felt like 1970, but the pool was big and the scene at the bar was lively. I liked that the pool area was right on the water where you could watch boats go by. The towel system was high tech as you scanned your room key at a machine and it tracked your towel with a chip to make sure you returned them. You could grab as many towels as you needed, so they did run out at times, which took some time to refill. A major renovation would make this place 5 stars!

This place is really pretty in the pictures but could definitely use some work - especially for the price of the rooms. The place is very moldy, with black mold showing on the ceiling tiles in the hallway and in the closet. Be careful if you or your kids have allergies. Our room smelled so moldy, we asked to moved to a different room. They did accommodate us which was nice and did not upcharge our bill. The hallways were dirty and remained that way our entire stay. There were large weeds growing out of the gutters and wood rot all around the building. We could not open our "patio" door and maintenance had to come and make a quick fix so we could sit outside. We paid extra for a patio room with a garden view but we had a view of weedy bushes and the parking lot. We wanted to play shuffle board but were told the poles were all broken. The splash pool was awful looking with green stagnant water that just sits collecting mosquitoes. An employee told us it had been like that for 3.5 years with no plans to fix it. With as many families and children that come to this place, I really think that should be a priority. The food was good and they had a Starbucks in the building which was a definite plus. Our room was clean with no bugs but we stayed for 4 nights and would have liked a dresser for our clothes so we didn't have to live out of our suitcases. The bed and pillows were very comfy and the noise didn't bother us. The Tiki Bar was nice but the menu advertised on-line did not match the menu they had so we had to go to the bar inside to get the food we wanted and then take it back outside with our drinks. The drinks were very good and all of the staff was very nice and attentive. Some citronella candles and tiki torches would have been a bonus. I did use the Spa for a mani and pedi and wouldn't recommend it. Was $109 (before tip) for one of the worst mani/pedis I've ever had. The girl did not trim my cuticles at all and did not even soak my hands. She cut my toenails so short they looked silly. Even my husband commented on them. We did enjoy our scalloping and manatee trips and this place was packed with families and boats so our vacation was enjoyable, just a little pricey for the lackluster accommodations and amenities.

This trip was so fun. We went mon-fri and we don't have one complaint. Me and my boyfriend are 21-23 and we didn't want to go to a "party type" spring break. We came here and had such a fun time. The bartenders at the tiki hut (Shelly and Deena) made our trip 1000x more fun. The staffs personality was so fun and perfect. I would highly recommend this place for any age group. We will definitely come back. Food service is super quick and rooms are clean. We love it here!! There are many reviews saying this place could use a touch up, but it's meant to be an old school plantation house, and that's exactly what is it!! When you look at pictures, just know that's exactly what you'll get! Highly recommend this place, but if you're looking for some stuck up fancy place, don't bother coming!

I never worked there but was allowed to see certain things that where to say the least troubling. Using tarpaulin in the attic to collect humidity as they claimed but not possible to collect at least 30 gallons of humidity in 1 building in a week and the money you will shell out you might want to just higher someone to kick you between the legs it would be cheaper and less painful

I had high hopes for Plantation after researching the area and seeing it was one of the top rated. That was my first mistake. The property as a whole has so much potential. It really is charming. I felt like I was in Savannah or Charleston. But the rooms felt less charming and rustic and more so just run down. Don't get me started on the food. The food was *atrocious*. We paid $12 for Buffalo chicken dip at the tiki bar before our dinner reservations (thankfully elsewhere) that shouldn't be touched with a 10ft pole. The bartender, Liz, also had a terrible attitude and rolled her eyes at us. The breakfast bar the next morning was nothing short of revolting. I paid $60 for the three of us to eat what I imagine is comparable to prison food. Adding one star because the front desk staff and our waitress at the breakfast bar were kind. I would never in a million years spend $400 to stay here again. In fact, even if they offered ME $400 to stay here, I would respectfully decline.

Looking for a weekend getaway that is not too far from home where we can get our on our Kayak and have some fun. This place checked a lot of those boxes. Onsite restaurant, boat ramp and patio views of the river were a big draw. Room was large with a good running fridge, large bathroom area and free WIFI. This place has an old Florida feel to it and you can tell that a lot of the folks here have been coming back over and over. Lots of large groups. If you have a boat you can park it right along the wall and see it from your room. At high tide we actually pulled our kayak up to the wall and got out right there in front of our room. Much easier than the boat ramp although it is a very short drive through the parking lot to get there. Over all we really enjoyed our stay here. Sitting on the patio in the evening after everyone has come back from a day on the springs is pretty festive!! One issue was that the pool was closed. Something about the chemicals were screwed up. We missed hanging out there after kayaking all day. Would have been nice.

We had a good time here but the customer service could use some work. No one person was outright rude just not the most welcoming or helpful. The bed was comfortable and the room was clean and spacious. They need some sort of sound muffling as the hall is extremely loud and the doors opening and closing could raise the dead.

Made a reservation for the wrong dates. Canceled the reservation within 4 hours of making it. They had no compassion and still took a one night stay from my refund. If it was booked for days or weeks then canceled I'd understand but less than 4 hours is greed. They don't care about circumstances or customers. My lake of business for them won't effect them at all. Just wanted people to be aware.

Apparently, brunch buffet is only on special holidays. We went on a Sunday because their website said they have a Sunday brunch. Not so, in fact it's a very limited menu. That said, I ended up having the smash burger. It was huge (2 patties) and was delicious. The wife had the fish tacos, which she enjoyed.

Do not waste your money staying here at all get an air bnb Over priced Dirty half remodeled rooms with cockroaches Dinning room has flies The chief is terrible The villas are dirty with roaches and cigarette smoke smells People at the pool vaping and cursing at their toddlers I have traveled to 52 counties and this by far was in the top 5 worst places I've stayed and #1 for the United States . The marketing is all false and photoshopped The only thing nice here is the fountain They will not compensate you for anything at all They just apologize

Worst experience ever! Do not stay here. This hotel is way overpriced, dirty, slow, and unhelpful. I've never paid so much for such a horrible room. They are taking advantage of the boaters in scallop season. The tub didn't drain, we had zero towels in the room, the pool was closed, and NO AC in July!! All they could tell me was the maintenance folks had left already and would be back in the morning, which is when we check out. The restaurant is also overpriced and food was just ok.

Showing its age for sure, bed was comfy and staff were nice. But just not what I was expecting from pictures online. I thought I was going to be in luxury but this is more of a holiday inn luxury. Had a room by an exit and it was LOUD. Not the hotel's fault just inconsiderate guest letting the door slam etc.

Friends went there for Christmas Buffet. $55 pp. Only thing they liked was the mac & Cheese. Everything else was poor. They won't be going back there for anything food eise

This is a sub par restaurant, we went to the outside Tiki Bar and it was a terrible. The gal behind the bar was nice but the kitchen was so far behind on a slow Monday people were wait 45-60 minutes for food! We left after an hour!! Won't be back and DO NOT RECOMMEND!! Too bad beautiful venue!!

The friendly staff is what elevates this rating to three stars. My family and I stayed for one night on a Monday. At first glance, the property seems pretty run down...because it is. I don't know when it was built, or when it went through the last remodel, but it's showing it's age in a lot of areas. After navigating through the very dingy hallway and stairs to the second floor, we walked into our double queen room. It was spacious, but it had a strange smell, the curtain was falling off the rod, and the room was dirty. One thing I just didn't like at all was the "resort fee." That apparently pays for internet, parking, the closed pool and hot tub, some lawn games, and a game room inside. It's just the standard nickel and dime charges a place calling themselves a resort feels they need to charge. It's one thing to charge a fee if there's some sort of value attached. I didn't see the value here. My wife and I went for a walk and found the tiki bar. The staff there was awesome. Great conversation. We all had dinner at the restaurant. The service was great and the food was pretty tasty. The service and friendliness of the staff made the night worthwhile. There don't seem to be many choices in this town. This may be the best of the best. I'm going to look a little harder, though, if we come back again.

We spent 4 nights here last month and have been regular visitors over the past 10 yrs or so. This most recent getaway was truly awful. The beautiful Plantation Inn has gone to seed. We checked into an absolutely filthy room. We were told no other rooms available and housekeepers wouldn't be back till next morning. So we had to sleep in that nasty room, full of dust, mold growing all over the bathroom, the bathtub was disgusting as well. The floor was filthy. In the morning we had to track people down to get our room cleaned. Everyone was extremely defensive and rude. About 11:00, a cleaner came in and said she would clean the room, but the policy is the guests can't be in the room while she cleans. HUH?! She stated it was "for her protection". So we were forced to sit outside on our patio in a thunderstorm while the room was being cleaned. At some point, the housekeeper opened the sliding door to the patio and informed us the room was now clean, but we had to remain outside till the floor was dry. Again, there was a pretty nasty storm happening. Also, it was my 65th birthday. And shouldn't the room have been cleaned BEFORE we arrived??! We finally got to a manager, who, after much negotiation, decided they would comp us a dinner. We did appreciate the dinner, the restaurant is great. But honestly, the trip was a birthday gift from my husband and it turned out to be just miserable. Plantation Inn, you really need to do better. It was an expensive trip and we expected at least the basics, like a clean room and mold-free bathroom.

This hotel is a beauty from the outside , nothing more exciting then staying at an older part of history on the river ! The front desk staff was amazing ! However you should be notified upon booking which building you are in because our first night stay I was in a building with no elevator and that was joyus carrying everything up to the room . Upon entry to the room it had broken shower tiles , mold above the windows , and someone's beard shavings all over the handles in the sink , there are air purifiers in the room and they were filled to the brim with water , and the pillows were terrible so if your going bring your own and an extra blanket because your heat source is a space heater which is fine it comes with the territory of the building ! Went down stairs for dinner , menu selection had about 12 items and was BEYOND over priced we slipped out the back door and had Mexican down the street ! With slipping out the back door we discovered that the hot tub was broken , and the tiki bar only stayed open depending on customer flow ! Second night another room in a different building thankfully one with an elevator again though mold in the room and the floor that had just been updated was all torn up it looked terrible ! I just feel for the price your being charged there needs to be some MAJOR cosmetic updates to match the price . . However the security guard was wonderful , the maids bang on your door before checkout disturbing you even when you have the do not disturb on .. it was a nice place to stare at the beautiful fountains but the rooms were terrible for the price , save your money ! Oh and one last thing the "plantation" sign when you first turn in should be lit at night to be able to find the establishment and avoid accidents .

The property is very beautiful but don't expect to have a remodeled room. The hallways are remodeled with bright light, I was very disappointed with the room. They could at least replace the 1990' curtains and lamp shades. We had a room on the river but if we left the curtain open everybody could look in. I stood in front of two receptionists for 5 mn, they never came to assist me. I paid $220/night NOT WORTH IT and it was in January during low season. Rooms should be $130/night.

Checked in. Was told the price was 115. They added tax and it came to 131. Fair enough. But without being told I was charged a 29$ resort fee for amenities that are non existent. Was not given a receipt of any kind, not a hardcopy or an email. The " fee" was for parking, the pool which was too cold to swim in, and for the outside bar which you have to pay for anyway. Also, the walls are paper thin and when I called and asked about the fee I was given an attitude. Sterling clar of this place​

You know those places that look amazing online, but when you get there you realize the mistake you made? That is this place!! Rooms are just old and you can hear everything from all your neighbors...sneezes, conversations, and nocturnal activities. There are plugs for charging phones and stuff, but they are on the wall behind furniture and next to beds - obviously more for vacuuming and lamps at one point. Doors and windows don't seal, and the dorm room fridge incredibly loud. Arrived 1.5 hours after checkin time and had to wait another 30 mins only to be given the wrong class of room. So, another 15 mins and we were in the correct room - water view, with private patio. The patio is a side walk along the outside of the building with 2 chairs and small table outside each room. All have a spotlight that shines on them from the ground, I'm sure for security, but also renders the patio useless past sunset. "Private patio" means you can use your chairs and no one else can - DO NOT confuse private for privacy. There is zero privacy on the "private patio"

We decided to stay here since our boat club has a fleet located on site. Google reviews seemed decent but when I checked Yelp and saw the negative reviews. I literally began to get nervous since we invited another family to join and I was horrified to see some of the reviews. But when we pulled up I was surprised to how cute the place was. It's a 1950's building and there is some dated styles but that's what makes it quaint. The resort is very large with rooms that have private patios. The service was great and their pool area near a tiki bar is perfect. The room was very clean and I should know because my husband brought Clorox wipes and when he wiped everything down there wasn't a speck of dust found anywhere. This hotel was pet friendly and seemed to have everything needed to host a family. We had was a great stay and for what the rates go for, I think you get what you pay for.

let's start with the good. The location is perfect! Right on the river, great views. I went with a friend and booked a charter with Tried and True outdoor (Deanna our Captain was awesome) adventures, OMG 100 stars! ( that's another review) First, of all, there is no elevator to the second floor. So be prepared. They didn't tell us that on booking. This has to be the noisiest hotel ever, doors slamming, your could hear everyone in the room next to you. in addition, to that there is an adjoining door to the rooms. Normally, no problem.... except that obviously, something was broken on the door that attached to our room. All of a sudden, we heard loud banging on the attached door. My friend and I got very scared, we thought someone was breaking in to our room. We finally found out the hotel was fixing something. Call our room and let us know. My advice is find a B&B...unless you like noise and dirt. Thumbs down. New management is in order. I doubt we'll hear back from them, but I'd be happy to talk to management about it. Ps the staff was doing the best they could do!

We started out Rocky with a server that was checking people in had a nasty attitude ( I decided not to name her or call her out this time) because my server Cassidy was awesome! And Kim the other girl was great also! The food was wonderful and the place was beautiful and clean only thing is it was very cold in there...there were freeze warnings the night before but I think everyone should try this place!

Came here on an anniversary trip with my husband. We messaged the property a week before arrival stating we would be arriving around 12pm due to checkout from other hotel. When we got there we were told our room would not be ready for 4 hours, which okay we understand when places get busy. Then we sat in the lobby behind the piano and watched 6 other couples walk in and get room's immediately. Checked in multiple times with the girls up front and was still told our room wasn't ready. No option for an accommodation or offered another room while my husband had to take work calls from the lobby. Will update how this goes but not a great start. Update: made friends with a lovely 80 year old couple and they were also made to wait 3 hours with us in the lobby. After numerous amounts of folks who checked in, no one would help us. I get the policy but do they understand how this is perceived? Once checked in, rooms have very thin walls. Stay was overall pleasant but would not stay here again. The blonde bartender they promote on their website must not like other blondes as she was very rude to me. Tried to order a drink at the tiki bar and she wouldn't serve me until another male patron called her over and ordered for me. She rolled her eyes and made comments about my age when taking my order. I am 35 and have been ordering drinks for quite some time I didn't see the issue. Don't go here. The best western up on the north end is closer to some fun restaurants and I heard the service is way better. I didn't like my experience here and I didn't feel valued for coming to stay.

Doesn't get more old Florida than the Plantation. Gets a lot of bad reviews for the rooms being outdated but who cares, you are going for the location and the outdoor amenities. From the docking to the easy excess golf course to the tiki bar, it just doesn't get better. So many things to do on the water and the lack of wait at the boat ramp makes that even more accessible. This place has become a yearly trip for me and I don't imagine ever skipping it.

I want to give it negative 10 They simply suck. Customer service blows. Maintenance is a mystery.

We used plantation for our room block for our wedding and they were borderline worthless with figuring all of that out. Clean rooms but this is where it gets good. They have no water in the rooms, and the vending machines are 3.50 for a month a water if they're not sold out. Except they don't accept bills bigger than 1's. So that was cool. So I walk to the front desk for a water(after getting 30 people to book rooms here tonight) and her actual response was "I am not authorized to get you water ". All I wanted was 6 bottles of water on my wedding day I didn't care but they made that impossible and as a local here I cannot wait to refer my business elsewhere

Great location but rooms are in disrepair. Water is hot in shower but no comfortable chairs and no microwave. Nice landscaping and convenience.

Hotel was pretty nice. Cleanliness was ok, but not the best. The breakfast is pretty convenient and is open early. Great hotel if you are going on fishing or scalloping charters.

Beautiful Crystal River and King's Bay! BUT...the hotel was a nice conference center 40 years ago. Maintenance is shoddy. The elevator license was 2-years expired and then the elevator broke on our stay. Mildew in the bathroom. Evidence of plumbing leaks. Half assed electrical fixes. They ran out of regular coffee pods because the purchasing manager bought decaf by mistake. Very slow service in the restaurant. All in all, wvidence of a too-down poor customer service attitude and a "just get by" approach.

DO NOT STAY HERE! DIRTY AND POOR SERVICE!!!! I am not one to typically write reviews. Mistakes happen, and I can work with that. However, I do expect good service from a hotel. My friend and I arrived late on Friday night, after traveling all day. We had an early morning with the manatees ahead of us and were eager to check in and get to sleep. Upon getting settled into our room, I noticed that my comforter looked dingy. (Strike 1). My friend assured me it was nothing and perhaps my luggage had left the smudges. I continued to get ready for bed and as I pulled the covers down, found a hair in the sheets. (Strike 2). I got up and pulled back the entire comforter, to find dirty socks in the bed. (Strike 3). Exhausted and upset, I went down to the front desk and shared my findings. The young gal apologized, but said they had no other rooms to move us. She offered new bedding, which obviously was a must, and said she would have it sent to our room. A while later, security stops by our room with a set of clean sheets, but no one to make the bed for us? I realize it is not his job nor was this his mistake, but this hotel was very nonchalant about the whole experience. We had to ask him for all new bedding for the second bed as well, because I am certain if one was not changed in between guests, neither was that one. Security returned with a second set. As we made our OWN beds on vacation, we discovered the sheets were the wrong size and were too big. At this point, we were so tired, we did care. The following morning, I went down to the front desk to ask to speak to a manager. I was told there was not one at duty, but that they would call me. I received no call. The next day, I went back down to the front desk. I spoke with a woman who was one of the managers, yet when I asked to have that night refunded, she stated she would need to get permission to do so. She stated that she was also not sure if she could refund the full night or just half. Since we stayed their three nights, I was not asking for a full refund. I was simply asking for the night in which we did not get to enjoy our room under the basic standards. When I checked out the last day, I reviewed the bill. While I still never received a call, they did refund me half of the first night. I left and followed with an email to corporate after we got back home and settled in. While it's not about the money, I was blown away at the fact that no one seemed to care that the beds had not been changed. The response I received from Choice Hotels corporate office was that the hotels are independently operated and gave me an email to a direct contact. We stayed in March, I reached out via email in April, and to date, I have not even received a response, an apology, or a solution from the hotel. I opened complaint note #11299359, yet no one has even tried to reach out or rectify the situation. Again, I get that what happened was likely due to one employee that cut corners that day! But I am even more appalled at the lack of customer service provided as a result of the incident. I will never stay at another Choice Hotel or associated location and recommend you do the same!

Booked a room that accommodates 6 people, we have a family of 5. When we got to the room--just 2 beds? Called the front desk and I was told that 2 queen beds sleeps 6 people. Ridiculous!

Tiki bar outside is awesome. Great view - great drinks - great conversation with other travelers - great service. I've heard over the years that the food in the restaurant isn't incredible but it sure was at my prom date in 1983!!! Lol. Legit old Florida experience at the tiki bar. Go there for free. Or go play golf there - that crew is AMAZING as well and the course is in excellent shape. And if ya stay there - just spend a lot of time on the river or at the tiki bar!

Place looks impressive as you drive in, but that is it. It was the worst experience at any place we have ever stayed. THIS PLACE HAS BED BUGS!!! The rooms are dirty, furniture and decor was old and dated. The curtains and lamp shades were stained. And this building had newly renovated rooms but the only new items were the floor and tv. Our air did not work well, the toilet did not flush, the room phone was all static, the shower tiles moldy and the Ice machine in building did not work. The hall and foyer of the building was never swept or mopped the 4 days we were there. The pool for kids was filthy with trash and debris and a baby with diapers was in the large pool and the diaper disintegrated. Gross white gel blob floated in pool. Brought to front desks attention, nothing was done. Spoke with multiple people including the manager who never called me as she stated she would. To top it all off the day of check out we found a live bed bug on the bed and I had multiple bed bug bites. Yes we were refunded our money and they attempted to fix our problems, but no one went out of their way to help us or follow up with us. In addition, there is a $28 a day resort fee and a daily $8 parking fee which is a total rip off! It is by no means a resort! Save your money and your health! DO NOT let the pictures on line deceive you!

We currently have reservations from Nov 20-23, but may cancel. I was on hold for 20 minutes trying to make a golf reservation and had to call the reservation desk that transfers one to the golf course. An hour ago I left a message at the golf course to call me back and if they fail to do so, I will write the President and CEO of Ascend Hotel Collections, specifically Neerav Dudhwala. Social media is a wonderful tool to alert the American public businesses that do not provide customer service! We will soon discover if Plantation on Crystal River is one of these businesses! I will provide an update on the property and customer service also. Reviews I recently read are NOT positive, but we will judge for ourselves-more to follow!

The hotel was nice once we received a workable room. Checked in and proceeded to room. It was remarkably hot. We contacted the front desk and a tech was sent to correct. We left for dinner optimistic that the room would be cool upon our return. It was, but there was a large puddle of water under the unit. We were asked to change rooms. This was ok, but inconvenient. No apology, upgrade or compensation such as breakfast, cocktail or activity. In addition, prior to checking in, we had requested info on a fishing charter. We received no contact after multiple requests. We booked at a pier away from the resort. Disappointing.

This place has incredible potential! The front desk staff, tiki bar staff, cleaning staff and the management are all incredible! Extremely nice and attentive! The trouble was the rooms themselves. There is zero sound barriers and you can literally hear people walking upstairs like herds of elephants, people walking by in the halls loudly talking all night. Light streaming in from the huge gaps in the door. The room was greatly in need of a renovation. The pics online look luxurious, it is not. The toilet is so low it looks like one for an elementary school. The grounds are immaculate and the staff is incredible. This place needs an inside reno and some soundproofing for the weekend crowds

DO NOT STAY HERE. If you're okay with 1-star hotels, this place is for you. If you're not okay with 1-star accommodations, stay elsewhere. No, seriously. I was in Crystal River, Fla, for a wedding over the weekend and took advantage of the room block to get a suite. The hotel looks fine in photos, but I was rudely awakened upon entering my building. The air quality was poor and it was stuffy -- but it was a hallway, so I didn't think anything of it. There were holes in the wall -- may have been drunk kids, so I didn't think too much of it. Opened the door to my room -- and forget it. The room smelled SO BAD of mold and mildew. I tried to open the window which had no screen and the window wouldn't stay open -- IT CAME OUT. I had no choice but to leave it out because the smell was so terrible. I pulled the curtain sheers in front to try to block the bugs, but the sheers had huge tears in them. I called the front desk and inquired about the smell as I have very bad allergies and asthma. I was told that "it's Florida" and that it had "been raining" so the smell was "normal." When I mentioned my asthma, the woman I spoke to offered to have someone come "spray a citrus spray" in my room. Asthma = sensitive to smells, part one. Part two, masking the smell doesn't cure my asthma or my allergies to MOLD. There was mold on the door of the room, so clearly, this was a bigger issue. Whilst I was there, I read that the hotel had some water damage recently. I can't imagine that the state of Florida/the health department would allow a facility that is riddled with mold following (alleged) water damage to stay open. Every hallway smelled worse than the next. Walking to the main building, we named each hallway. There was hospital hallway, cancer corner (smelled like cigarettes), cigar way, and mildew central (lucky us). Although I wanted to enjoy the charming potential that this place had, it was downright atrocious. I had a room for two nights. The first night was so uncomfortable and I couldn't breathe because of the strong mildew odor. I considered sleeping in my car, but it was too humid outside. I fell asleep around 3 a.m. and woke up wheezing and had a sore throat (surprise!). The following day was the wedding -- I chose not to drink and drove 90 minutes home after midnight to avoid spending another night in that terrible room. All of my clothes that I left in the room stunk like mildew -- that's how strong the smell was. Whether you have asthma/allergies or not, this is completely unacceptable. I have photos of everything. I wouldn't revisit this property or stay here if they paid me to do so. It was absolutely miserable. Friends stayed at the Hampton Inn up the street and said it was very nice. I'm not sure where the people giving this place 4 & 5 stars stayed, because it wasn't my building. The wedding was lovely and the staff at the wedding was really great. The food was mediocre at best.

The images on their website suggest that this is a luxury hotel, it is not. The whole area was very dirty, some of the things I encountered include: blood on my pillow, dog pee in the hallway, stains on towels, curtains, and bedding, hallways were swept once (poorly) during my 7 day stay. The spa was freezing, and when I told a staff member she said "no it's not" without feeling the water or providing further explanation. When I told another staff she told me that there was an issue and it was still reheating. At the on site restaurant I waited for two minutes at the host stand before being noticed. The host was on her phone and I had to physically tap her on the shoulder in order to get her attention, before needing to do this I said "excuse me" loudly a few times. There were also four people behind me trying to get her attention. The next issue was the room service. I called the front desk at 5:30 asking for towels to be in my room when I got back from the pool, it went to voicemail. I called back at 6, also no response. I tried again three more times and by 6:30 I finally got a call back. She did not know what I wanted, so she had not listened to the voicemails I left, and said they would be at my room shortly. They arrived at my room at 7:30. When I got out of my shower and went to use the towels, there were large brown stains with chunks in them. Safe to say I did not use the towels, and left pretty unhappy. The manager at the front desk was amazing though, and was extremely kind. I would not personally stay here again, but the outdoor parts of the property were nice.

Extremely filthy inside the hallways, ceilings in some areas have mold stains and appear to be collapsing. Horrible smell in the hallway near the gift shop. Smells like a nursing home. The staff aren't friendly and never went out of their way to accommodate you. Not a resort feeling at all. I wouldn't recommend staying here unless they decide to clean this place with bleach and replace the molded carpets. Great boat access!

The same as most other reviews in here!! Place smelled like mold when we walked in and was down hill from there.Room had a full house dehumidifier next to bed that ran all day all night. The bathroom looked like something out of a haunted house with black mold on walls and the floor was sticky and the shower Curtin was about a foot too long and laid in shower with dark brown stains in it that we carefully took out. We notified the hotel and they didn't seem surprised and had no better room for us.. so we stayed and all theww of us woke up with sore throats the next morning.The restaurant was just as bad as our waitress took our order and never came back and we had to go to bar and get our own drinks and ask manager for our check in which they comped 50 percent which made no better.. Please do not put your health or well being through what we did!!!