The only reason to stay here is the proximity to Bird's Underwater for the tours. We arrived in the evening and were ready to get settled, find dinner and go to bed because we had to be next door for our tour at quarter of 6 in the morning. Check in was quick and I appreciated them switching us to a suite because we had 3 adults and two kids. It was a little more comfortable with the pull out couch and a little table to sit at. Right away we discovered that the toilet was not functional and called the front desk. We told them we were going to grab dinner and to please send someone over. They did but there wasn't much the maintenance woman could do at the moment. She promised to have a plumber in while we were out in the morning. I wasn't happy about 5 people in a room without a toilet that would flush more than liquid, but we made due for the evening. After the plumber came it was slightly better, but not the way it should be. Luckily we were out of the hotel most of the time so we didn't make a fuss and the lobby bathroom wasn't far if needed. While the staff was helpful, the place wasn't up to par. It's a Best Western so you don't expect much but the place is pretty dingy and needs some cleaning and upgrades. They're still getting decent money for the location and they seem to be floating on that alone. read more

Best Western Crystal River Resort - Lobby - Hotels Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

There aren't many options in Crystal River to begin with, so my family and I chose this. This hotel is the best shitty hotel in Crystal River. Now, what I will say that was nice was the friendliness of the staff and the location (it's in the centre of town). However, considering that Crystal River is a very small town to begin with, any other hotel would be fine. The room we stayed in was moldy. I mean, EXTREMELY moldy. We had to buy Damprid just to get through 3 days. And, I don't know how they did it, but it was more humid in the room than outside. To add on, the floors were dirty as hell. Like, dirtier than a dog that's been playing in mud. And, the bathroom was nasty! For ~$225 a night, NOT WORTH IT. read more

See all

We had a room in the same building as the front desk-- I think building matters in regards to the type of room you have. 2 double bed. The room is dated but the AC got cold. Not a fan of rooms with carpet in general as they kept a smell in them. The location was safe, parking tags were required, and the free breakfast was decent. They had a waffle maker, cereal choices, premade omelets, biscuits with gravy, and some pastry choices. read more

Best Western Crystal River Resort is now the PaddleTail Waterfront Lodge. Don't be fooled by the new name, it has a lot of the old problems and they do their best to deceive you. I am currently laying in my room here at the PaddleTail, this is night three of five, and after two days in building one they were gracious enough to move us to building number two. The best part of this place is the location, it is right on the bay and is an easy paddle to go see the manatees. The place looks good from the road until you realize your stay will be in horribly dated buildings. One saving grace is they have gotten rid of the carpet and put in easily cleaned vinyl-plank flooring. They are in the process of putting up a new building, but as they do everyone will have to deal with construction noise, mess and congestion. Our first room was in building one, their "Standard Room" with very meager accommodations (two double beds, a small mini-fridge, a small flat screen TV and a wood rack for your clothes). Our room had a perfect view of the construction dumpster and was adjacent to the resort's laundry room. At least I know the sheets get washed, we heard the washers everyday starting at 6:30 and running all day. The first day there was no cable or internet access. They did get the cable fixed the next day but after asking about internet access twice, they finally offered to move our room. Even in the new room, the internet is sketchy at best, better than only working minutes out of a couple days. We are now in a "Deluxe Room", it has furniture and a normal size TV and a view of the parking lot (not just the dumpster, about as good as they get). They offer free coffee most of the time except for when their coffee bar is open, then they take away the free coffee and expect you to pay for "premium coffee". Do not believe the free breakfast, instead of providing breakfast they provide you with a paper lunch bag containing a small bottle of water, a granola bar, a piece of fruit and a mini muffin (I don't know of anyone who would consider this a proper breakfast). I wish I had known this had been the Best Western Crystal River Resort before I booked, the name change has covered up a lot of bad reviews. read more

See all

It's a great waterfront location that's close to everything. You can rent boats or kayaks or bring your own. They have a VERY NARROW boat ramp and 16-18 boat slips. I think staying at this location is more about enjoying your surroundings and not so much about the hotel. The crowd on our weekend was rougher so much for the kids. The majority of the staff was nice. Room wasn't attended to over the weekend.. and was pretty dated.. breakfast was... lackluster (minus the biscuits). The grills were a nice bonus as was the boat trailer parking and the water hose. They offered a military discount for the launch and trailer parking fee! read more

See all

CAUTION! CAUTION!! Great location but the rooms are filthy. For proof, see the attached photo of my socks (makeshift slippers I am sad to say) after only a few hours in my room. Staff is excellent, and the location is terrific, but the entire time I felt like I was in an unclean space. The soles of my socks prove I was, indeed, in an unclean place. My recommendations are to (1) pack slippers, or (2) book in a nearby chain hotel that will DEFINITELY be cleaner. In this case, location is NOT everything! read more

Run dont walk from thus place! We checked in and our room was close to the water next door to the restaurant. First thing I see is an ashtray full of ashes and the room reeked of cigarettes. Wasnt warned that a band played right next door every night. Was excited there was a hot tub but of course we were told the heater is broken. Would have been nice to know. Next morning coffee machine doesnt work and told front desk. Next day after going out return to the room and the new sheets on the bed have ink and stains. At breakfast now and toaster is broken. This place is the worst! read more

Best Western Crystal River Resort - Our sheets the second night when the sheets were changed. Some sorta ink - Hotels Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

See all

It was a Saturday night the pool closes at 10 o'clock we were asked to please leave the area which, we did so we went to the pavilion. While sitting at the pavilion Francis informed us the pavilion closed at 11 so we proceeded to the bbq area. Mind you there are no signs and given no "rule book" we were unaware of the times. Francis then rudely and unprofessionally in a condescending tone told us to leave the area. I then told her that she was rude and that as a guest here next time I'm in the area I'll stay elsewhere. Francis then told me to go ahead and even encouraged I did. Things were said on our end that fueled by alcohol and not to justify our actions however, no matter what said when you're in the hospitality industry you should never go back ignorantly to a client or guest. I know it's not a big deal to the Best Western but they have lost my business and the business of my sibling and her family. And for the record I did not consume any alcohol the entire day. I have never in my years of traveling and staying in hotels have I ever been treated like this. read more

Why would a hotel put a coffee table in front of a sink? I tripped and fell over it while trying to get to the sink. When I reached out they read my message and decided to not reply. So now I have to pursue harsher measurements in order to get a response. The lack of care is disheartening. I would NOT recommend staying here. There are MANY other places to stay in around the area! read more

Okay, so it's not the Ritz... .No, really though, I mean it. It's actually a Best Western (and I'd defo file it under "Motel" and not a "Hotel"), but it's was a pretty nice set up. Our room was on the 2nd floor, it was clean, it didn't smell, our internet came in just fine, there are vanity mirrors and sinks outside of the bathroom so the whole fam could get a good rotation going on the shower vs. getting ready thing, and it's maybe 45 feet from the dive shop and river where you're gonna want to swim with manatees. The "Lobby" is a separate building but nice enough. It has lots of manatee newspaper clippings and photos along with a really great gift shop. It was just what I needed to scratch the vacation itch of wanting to buy souvenirs. I got so much stuff here, and it wasn't even crap- it was legit cool stuff... at least for someone whose fave animals are manatees, like me. I got manatee pajama pants, manatee earrings, a manatee necklace, a manatee travel brush, a manatee belt, a manatee springy thing that will live in my car, and a few other things that unless you're a manatee lover like me, you just wouldn't understand. The gift shop also has free, fresh coffee and tea with all the fixins- it was a pretty good deal. When we come back to Crystal River to do some more manatee swimming, we'll most def be coming back to the BW over the more expensive place we had previously stayed up the road. read more

Best Western Crystal River Resort - Hotels Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Carpet is filthy. Looks to be black mold in the corners of the bathroom. Older refrigerator that made a loud noise had to be unplugged in order to sleep. Towels were dingy and worn. The noise from the road made it impossible to sleep. read more

See all

This is a tricky one. I like the room, but the overall atmosphere was not great. I generally like best westerns and I thought this would be a cool spot to stop between Tallahassee and Tampa because of the manatees. Th room was nice, comfy bed, couch, nice bathroom. The main issue was that the hotel is divided into 4 separate buildings. My building had a group of rough guys, one belligerently drunk next to my room. I could hear right through the wall. I felt very unsafe as there were just people hanging on the walkways outside and by my room and I was not really close to the lobby. Thankfully there was security and They accommodated a room change, which was fantastic. I'd think twice about staying here again just because of that experience. read more

I would never stay here again. Could not wait to check out of this nasty place. I'd give zero stars if I could. Dirty rooms. Mattress is on a cardboard box. Manager and staff is completely rude. Next time we come to visit we will stay somewhere else. Please don't waste your time, go someplace else. read more

We had a pet friendly efficiency which was the perfect place for us to relax while visiting family and looking at the area as a potential place to relocate. Bathroom is a little on the small side but the rest of the room makes up for it and the toilet ran off and on our entire stay. Had to be sure to keep the door closed to keep the noise down. The kitchenette had all we needed for our meals. Complementary breakfast is okay but we chose to make or own most mornings. We were really bummed that the hot top/ pool wasn't available past 9:30. As we were here visiting family it would have been nice to relax in the hot tub until at least 11:00. Wasn't sure why it was an issue (actually got told we couldn't use it) since it was no lifeguard on duty - on you own anyway. Wifi was responsive - as I work remotely, needed to be able to connect worry free and was able to do so. We also were pretty heavy on the technology with smartphones, laptops, iPads but it didn't blip once. Tv is new and able to connect HDMI for gaming. Wouldn't hesitate to stay again or recommend. read more

Best Western Crystal River Resort - Saw a manatee this morning at the hotel dock. - Hotels Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Stayed in a one bedroom suite. Absolutely repulsive! Soap scum in shower, disgusting toilet bowl, shower curtain stained and smelled of mildew, floors absolutely filthy, sugar ants on kitchenette counter. Here are pictures. Couldn't wait to leave! read more

See all

Comfy beds and right next to the water. The staff are friendly and the nearby attractions are walking distance! The only down side for me was the tiny bathroom. I lived in Japan for three years and I've seen small but this one takes the cake! read more

This is probably one of the worst hotels I've ever stayed in. The rooms smell. The toilet smells. The window curtain has no sheer curtain, so you're in the dark or everyone can see in your room. The lawn is unmowed and full of cigarette butts. The pool area has tables with no chairs and the pool is ridiculously small. Oh, and for the high price of the place they have no breakfast you have to go to the 2 star Dennys next door and pay $18 for what should be a free breakfast. The carpets are soiled and nasty, don't take off your shoes. Just a gross place. read more

I really enjoyed this hotel! My room was nice and clean with a fridge and microwave included. The WiFi was great and the housekeeping staff kept the room clean and well stocked with towels and other items. Hot breakfast is included and the staff is very friendly. This hotel also has kayaking, diving, and restaurants literally behind the parking lot. I walked next door, rented a kayak, and paddled to the springs. There's also a gift shop, ice cream shop, and restaurant right next door-within walking distance. The only thing about this hotel I did not like is that it is split into several different buildings. I prefer a hotel where all rooms are inside one building. read more

What a joke! My husband and I were traveling last week, and we had decided to stop in Crystal River (on our way out of Florida as we drove back to Texas) as the town looked very welcoming - plus it was right on the beach, and several places offered Manatee tours and dives. We stopped at this hotel first, as the website cited they were pet-friendly (we were traveling with our dog). I was greeted by the front desk receptionist, who seemed friendly at first, but as soon as I mentioned the dog, she quickly changed her tone. She was very rude and condescending as she explained the 'pet policy' - specifically that the dog cannot bark, and must leave with you if/when you leave the room for any reason. Are you kidding me?!?!!? First of all, my dog isn't a "barker" per se, but there is a chance he may bark if he feels threatened by loud noises near the room. Second, how am I/we to enjoy what the town has to offer in tourism, if I'm not allowed to leave the dog - not even for 1-2 hours??!?? This hotel is NOT pet-friendly, NOR believes in providing any type of customer service to those traveling through their tourist town. We had a similar experience at a Best Western Plus in Dunedin (Florida). Never again Best Western!! Negative star rating!!!! read more

Shocked at how much we enjoyed this place. Manatee tours at your back door. The boat tour was relaxing and informative. We quietly observed 2 manatees for quite a while. The room was so clean and spacious. The bedding was superb. I slept so soundly. Breakfast was more than sufficient, not to mention included! Waffles yummmmm. The desk clerk also gave us a coupon for Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. It was the highlight of the trip. They pontoon you through the "jungle" to the park and animal exhibits. It was so refreshing to see that this place has held on through all of the years. They've taken care of a hippo there since 1962! This place took me back in time and I enjoyed our stay so much. read more

Best Western Crystal River Resort - Observing the magnificent manatees - Hotels Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

See all

Easy check in. Friendly staff. Breakfast has lots of of options, but mostly stuff will lots of sugar. Decent coffee. Almond milk available. Clean pool 3-5 feet deep, a little warmer than the natural spring water (72F). Hot tub not too hot, which I like. Rooms clean except for the floor which left my bare feet black. Great pressure and temperature in the shower. Horrible room coffee, but what do you expect for room coffee. Helpful cleaning staff were happy to provide extra towels and shampoo. read more

The room was large and had a perfect location. The staff was very friendly. The room, however, was not very clean. Toilet did not work very well. The carpet was filthy. We could not go barefoot in the room. There are no carts to move your luggage from car to room. read more

Happy with the location, amenities and staff, for the price. Not a very expensive place so I wasn't expecting much but the room was clean, the breakfast was fine and the staff was very nice. I'd say you get more than you pay for. Not sure I'd categorize it as a resort tho.... read more

Stayed here Friday night before the drive up to Tallahassee for the big game. Anyways- woke up with bed bug bites. Nuff said. Front desk lady was nice. read more

Front desk service was very friendly. The room was clean and amenities were plenty. Our room had a refrigerator and a little freezer microwave and of course coffee. Free breakfast. The location is the greatest right on Kings Bay next to crackers which is a wonderful place to eat. Dive shop on site with Manatee tours. Crystal River is a suite town to visit. If ever in Crystal River I will stay again. We made reservations hours before arrival and have a great room. Best Western has amped their game. read more

Best Western in Crystal River provides the PERFECT location!! You are located right along the River water and beside the King Bay's walkway. You're able to walk to the beautiful, quaint downtown which is accompanied with all the local shops and seafood restaurants. You can't beat this ideal location with the sweetest staff. Kathy welcomed us with a smile and couldn't have been more accommodating. Bonus: breakfast was the best!!! read more

Last minute stay. Great rate, modern room.. very clean and right next to the water. Cannot beat this spot for a hotel stay in Crystal River. I spent the night with my baby son so I was concerned about safety and was happy to see the security officers patrolling all night even though it is a relatively safe area anyway. read more

Dirtiest carpeting I have ever seen in a hotel! First room we were put in was for handicapped, which we didn't need. Then, we discovered that the shower walls and floor grout was extremely mildewed. We were able to find custodial staff to spray it down with bleach, which helped some. After using the shower, the water flooded out more than half of the bathroom floor and into the carpet, which explained the musty smell in the room. For our second night, we were moved to a standard room which was much better, but it also had filthy carpeting. We will definitely look for different lodging in the future! read more

We have stayed here in the past with no issues. The staff was very nice and accommodating. This time which was just this weekend was horrible. Our room had roaches. We stayed in room 1111. I told the girl at the front desk and she said she can send maintenance in to spray because they didn't have any rooms available to switch us. I said spraying now will not help since they are now crawling all over our stuff. I said if we decided not to stay the 2nd night can we get a refund and she said yes. We went back to the room to pack everything and then seen them crawling all over the bed. My husband was beyond livid at this point and went to the front desk. The girl rolled her eyes at my husband when he said to refund all of our money. She ended up giving us a full refund. Later that day we called to see if they have anything available since we were still there hanging out with my family and friends. Miraculously they had a condo available for $350 a night. My husband said no he does not want to give them another cent. Now that we are home and cleaning out suitcases we found baby roaches in our bags. I do not recommend this place. They are under new management and the staff Is rude. Do not stay in room 1111 if u do stay!!! read more

Resort is dated as far as the rooms and buildings. Beds were not very comfortable, no fridge provided in rooms. However, Newer TV in rooms. Water pressure was great & hot! The room had a musty smell but wasn't too overwhelming. Went down to the pool & hot tub. A hotel staff person came to ask our group if we had room keys to be there but didn't ask the other 3 guys that were there that came in off the water who were NOT hotel guests because they took off wetsuits before getting in the hot tub. Continental breakfast was decent. read more

Worst hotel I have ever stayed at. Upon arriving in my room, the toilet was filthy, so the room had not been cleaned. Run down hotel, over-priced. Don't Waste your money We were booked for 2 nights and left early. read more

During Manatee season all of the hotels charge more so it was a little pricey but we had no real complaints! If anything, the bathroom was very small but other than that our rooms were very clean and comfortable and so close to all of the fun things to do in the area. read more

Nice hotel. A little scallopy smelling but it is the height of the scalloping tour season. Pool was nice and clean right on the bay. Beautiful grill area with three clean built in grills and a nice brick patio. If y got a boat they have a private launch. The "river view" rooms arent really river view but close enough for a one night stay. read more

Best Westerns really are the best. It was such an easy, inexpensive and comfortable choice. Very nice and helpful people working there. We asked for a River View room when booking, but when we saw it was on the first floor, we asked to get a second floor room and they gave us one that was apparently bigger and had a flat screen TV. In the same building as the lobby, no elevator though. Very big and clean room, quiet, bed was okay and windows didn't open. Great shower. When you get the free breakfast, take it outside to the picnic area by the water! This town is great and has a lot of cute eateries and antique shops. If you get in late the only places to eat that are open are McDonalds, T-Bell and a local place that looks like a bar. At least what we found. read more

I stayed here for a friends wedding. The cost was super cheap (only $60 a night) which I'm not sure is their regular rate or a discount because she blocked out rooms for the wedding. Nevertheless, I should have known something was up just by the price alone. The rooms were equipped with two full beds which is very different from the standard queens. My biggest issue, however, was the stale smell that filled the room. It really made you wonder how well they clean their rooms/carpet etc. The sheets were clean, however, that moldy smell was enough for me to never come back again. read more

Booked 2 night here as it was near the manatees. I would stay here again. Rooms were clean and did not smell. Fridge and nice TV in room, AC worked well and bathroom was clean and had plenty of hot water. Nice friendly staff and clean property. Nice pool and spa with a decent restaurant right next door. Like I said, I would stay here again. read more

the hotel itself was decent, but the staff cant get their act together. They placed me in a room surrounded by a children here for camp and when I asked to be moved so I could get some sleep they told me they would charge me. However, the next day I was told that I could have been moved for free. The staff had no idea how much my room rate was and Don was literally a box of rocks with no personality. I will never stay here and will make sure to tell all my clients not to stay here. read more

Great hotel and we were very happy with the rooms and front desk and also cleaning . Made us feel at home and very accommodating. We will stay here every year when we come in February read more

Management of this hotel doesn't have a clue. During a late stop in Crystal River my wife and I decided to stop for lunch at a popular waterfront - Crackers. While we were eating we figured it was getting late to drive 4 hours to South Florida and decided to book a room at the Beat Western Crystal River next door through Travelocity. So, after the check in my wife and I processed to our room 1208 when we realized the room was a smoking room. It had a horrible smell of smoke and sure enough my wife looks at me and says I am not sleeping in this room. Coincidentally enough the phone ring to our bedroom and the assistant manager wanting to confirm my email address. So, my wife tells him we can't sleep in that room. He tells her all rooms are booked and there is nothing he can do because we booked our room through Travelocity. So, I call who? Travelocity who proceeds to tell me that I chose a smoking room: WTF, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND??? I was sitting on a bar across the parking lot booking a room 15 minutes ago on your tell me I can't cancel my reservation. She said she needs to "validate" and she tells me she is going to call the manager. Manager tells her they won't give in on anything because it is Travelocity's fault for booking stinking room. By then my head was about to explode. I told this Travelocity call center girls who was probably in the Philippines for all I care that for the amount of money o spend with Travelocity I wanted my money back. She tried to convince me that it was my fault that I booked that disgusting room. I NEVER AGAIN stay on a frikin Best Western and I am deleting my Travelocity app which I used to book several room. read more

Very satisfied with our stay. This was our first time to stay but we will be back. Our room was very clean and quiet. Had recently been updated and freshened. The staff extremely friendly and helpful. One of the few hotels on this stretch of Rte 19 that had a good reviews and was pet friendly. A nominal pet fee! Breakfast room was nice and there was plenty to choose from. We were sorry we could only stay but one night because there were interesting things to do! Reminded me of the old Florida I loved! read more