Siesta Motel, Marathon

I never stayed here. I made a reservation for five nights two months ahead of time and then cancelled the NEXT DAY and Frank charged my credit card for one night. I called and argued with him and he wouldn't take the charge off... And by the way I still went to the Keys and stayed somewhere else and by the looks of the Siesta Motel I am VERY glad I did not stay there!!!!!

We found this place back in 2006 by chance via the internet. I was slightly leary at first to stay at a "motel" versus a national chain hotel. However, compared to the cost of the normal hotel prices at the time, the Siesta was priced within our budget. We are certainly glad we found this little gem. If one is looking for plush surroundings or to be catered to then pay the price at the luxury hotels. Realizing it is the "Keys" and being a Florida native myself, we are laid back folks not necessarily seeking luxuries but instead a peaceful, no frills, get along atmosphere. If this is what you are looking for then I highly recommend the Siesta Motel. We visit the Keys every 2-3 months and always stay at the Siesta Motel. One must be aware the Keys are a chain of islands with a main road which attachs the land; therefore, there is vehicle noise. In addition, Marathon has an airport located across from the motel which I have never been bothered by noise. Frank (owner) has always been extremely kind and attentive. Tina (assistant) maintains the rooms. They have always been very clean and good smelling. No stuffy smells or cigarettes! I am not afraid to touch any item as I know Tina has thoroughly gone through each room with a fine tooth comb. It is an old motel which has been remodeled but still gives that "cozy" feeling. I feel strongly about commenting on a negative response I found on this website in reference to someone's bicycle being stole and money from a wallet which seemed to be blamed on the owner. Might I remind everyone that regardless of where you are, doors should always be locked. We live in a society which preys on mistakes of others. In addition, when one chooses to stay at a motel or hotel, one should remember there are thieves waiting for you to leave a door unlocked, failing to secure a car, or simply not chaining a bicycle to a tree. We must all take responsibility for ourselves versus blaming others for our oversights. In closing, I have referred numerous persons to the Siesta, never had a problem and will continue to do so.

1. Our shower head was rusted (see Exhibit II), and thereby all water that sprayed down on to us was rusty water. 2. The “hot” water was barely warm. 3. The pillows were ultra THIN, and the mattresses were old & squeaked with every movement. They sagged badly in the middle & provided zero support and less comfort. The manager said they were “soft” because they were new pillow-top mattresses. C’mon! I was born at night – but not LAST night! 4. I was quoted $70/night for 2 nights over the phone (as were others in our party). But when I got there - because I used my American Express card - the charge was increased from $140 for two nights to $165 – an 18% increase! 5. In the room was a 1950s style in-the-wall AC unit that was rusted and rattled so loudly that it was impossible to have it on and sleep @ the same time. 6. There were gobs of hair (not ours!) sticking out of the shower floor drain. 7. The plastic-wrapped glass in the bathroom revealed lipstick stains on the rim when it was unwrapped. 8. The walls were so paper-thin that you could hear your “neighbor” barfing his guts out. 9. The interior walls were cracked & barely spackled. The “repaired” damage was not even painted (see Exhibit ). 10. The bathroom door hinges squeaked loudly & disturbed anyone attempting to sleep in that God-forsaken room when the door was opened/closed in the middle of the night.

I made a reservation and cancelled it several days later. The crook charged my Visa anyway saying they have a 2 week cancellation policy. I made the reservation 5 days before my arrival date and NO cancellation policy was given. The guy also said if I paid cash he wouldn't charge sales tax. This means he is a crook and ripping off the county and state of Florida!! Of course, when he charged my Visa, he charged sales tax!! The Florida State Sales Tax authorities shoud be made aware of this guy's illegal activities!!

You couldn't pay me enough to stay there again! First off they scam you on prices. Second, "the cleanest rooms in paradise" is a load of crap. Where do I start... Our room was right on the main road. Noisy isn't the word for it. It was rediculous. It was bad enough that it was raining & storming, but the traffic was very loud. When I woke up in the morning, I went to use the restroom & found it completely flooded! I thought it was the sink or toilet but I was wrong. My daughter was on the pull-out mattress next to the kitchen. When she woke up she found all of her bedding soaked. Half of the room flooded from the rain. When my other daughter woke up she found blood all over her sheets. Disgusting!! We pulled the covers back to find out that the bed was infested with bed'bugs! After the owner accused us of bringing the bugs (even though he knew exactly what they were & how to treat it) we eventually got our money back & ran like hell to get out of there! We found ourselves @ a little place called Bayview Inn. (Conch Key). If you're looking for a place to stay I highly recommend the Bayview Inn. NEVER AGAIN SIESTA MOTEL!!!

THERE IS NOTHING TO DISLIKE THE OWENERS ARE VERY FRIENDLY, AND MAIDSERVIVE IS VERY GOOD, I HAVE BEEN COMING TOO THIS MOTEL FOR 3 MONTHS MY SON IS IN THE HOSPITAL AND THE OWNERS HAVE BEEN VERY KIND TO ME ON EVERYTHING ALWAYS ASKING HOW MY SON IS. IT MAY NOT BE FANCY BUT IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED AND MORE. I RECOMMEND IT MORE THAN I WOULD THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS DOWN THE ROAD. A VERY A++++ I RECOMMEND HIGHLY.

I reserved 3 days in advance, and canceled my reservation just 1 hour later. They said they would still charge me if the room didn't sell. That's just bad business. By the way, they're right across the airport (noisy) and the motel is TINY.

My wife and I loved the comfortable atmosphere of Siesta Motel. Frank and his wife, Chris absolutely go out of their way to be sure we had everything we needed and the room was kept amazingly clean. Authentic "old time Keys" style. The garden/cookout area in back is very private with beautiful tropical gardens. Great location in Marathon close to restaurants, shopping and Sombrero City Beach (beautiful)less than five minutes away. We plan stay at Siesta the next time we are in the Keys. John and Lynne, NC.

We arrived on two bicycles, and the owner made a point at least three times, to recommend we just leave our bikes outside in the courtyard overnight. "nothing ever dissappears here". The courtyard is very pleasant, and if it hadn't looked like rain, we would have relied on his assurances and left them out. But we brought them in, leaving the patio door unlocked though. In short, we woke up to a nasty surprise. My camera was stolen. Every dollar (about $300) had been stolen from my wallet. Of course I told the owner right away, but he said there was nothing he could do. I cannot recommend staying at a motel where strangers enter at night and rob you.

I have never stayed in this motel, but, I had a very gratifying experience in dealing with Frank, the owner. Somehow a suitcase belonging to a friend of mine from Montreal, Canada was found in a room that had been occupied by other clients, who must have taken her suitcase by mistake when they were all checking out of a Miami Beach hotel. All she knew is that she was missing a suitcase and had no idea where it was.Frank was nice enough to contact my friend in Montreal and afterwards took her suitcase to UPS and sent it to her. It arrived intact. The honesty of the housekeeper who found it and Frank's effort to make sure she received it is admirable. Just for this reason, I would certainly stay at this motel on my next trip to the Keys. With gratitude from Joceline Fortin, Montreal, Canada.