I'm not sure why this place has a low rating. This is not luxury. It's a country feel. The rooms are updated, clean, and the beds seem new and are very comfortable. The pool is currently under construction, but we knew that before hand so we weren't disappointed at all. We brought our pup and all was well with that. There is a fee to keep your dog there, but I called ahead of time to get the details on that and it's on their website so no surprise there either. We got a boat slip there and that was wonderful! Super convenient! The people who worked at the check in desk were so nice and helpful, even giving us restaurant recommendations. The guys who drove around on their gold carts were always willing to assist with whatever they could. I found this place to be clean, people to be kind, hospitable, and overall, it had a fun country vibe and I definitely recommend it! I would totally go back next year for scalloping season! read more

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Fun evening to grab a drink and easy food. Families welcome. Watch the monkeys and enjoy the water. read more

Monkey Island Riverside Resort - Monkeys - Hotels Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

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Reimagined the Yardarm. Put it in the building formerly occupied by the Florida Kitchen. Haven't done much in the way of ambiance for what I would call a fine dining experience. The service was impeccable and the food to die for. Don't expect a large menu. Think 10 items. But all cooked to order so you will wait a while to get your food. Flavors were not what you get at the chain restaurants. Different and delicious. We will be back. read more

although the rooms were decent, we were charged three days after we left an additional $80 which they say is a pet free. We told them that we were bringing our two dogs and a service dog when the reservation was made. Taking money after a visit is not only Illegal it's poor customer service. Do not go to this resort. They also didn't tell us that the pool was broken. So I think we should've had a break on a rates for that alone instead we were charged an additional dog fee with no call, email or notification. DON'T Waste your time or money!!! read more

The "resort" isn't anything to write home about but but the location is awesome ... right at the famous monkey island were monkeys live year round and have for a long time. I gather they were from some animal preserve that either went out of business or they escaped so they made this area for them. They provide food and try to keep them safe and intellectually stimulated. Folks love to float by and observe them. This area is most known for the manatees and you can kayak or take a tour to snorkel with them. We've done this twice and would love to go back. The best time to see lots of manatees in in the cold weather so you have to wear a wet suit .. I'm a big girl and they had sizes way above mine. read more

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Had to cancel a reservation in August due to death in the family. They allowed me to put deposit "on hold" thru end of year, which we used in December. Room was very clean and comfortable and appeared to be recently remodeled. Bread bowl soups at The Monkey Bar we're small but delicious in fresh loaf of sourdough bread. Used this place as a base for kayaking the Homosassa River. Low crowd levels in the off season made this a very enjoyable stay. People at front desk very friendly and helpful read more

Stayed here over a weekend scalloping trip. Pretty casual fun spot with two restaurants on the water next door with decent food and live music. There was a pool on the river too so views are great. Rooms are okay, I think the place is a bit older but well kept up. I wish we had a microwave but only refrigerators. Lady in the office was very nice. read more

Monkey Island Riverside Resort - Boat slips - Hotels Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

This place is WAY overpriced in every respect. If you turn left at the stop sign instead of right you go to the Freezer. Absolutely the best shrimp ever and you get 1 1/2 pounds for $11. This place, the Yardarm and the Monkey bar are in the same location. You won't find many locals here if that's a hint. read more

We came here to rent a pontoon boat and not to stay, so my review has to do with that part of this establishment and not the hotel. We had reserved a pontoon boat for rental and when we arrived we spoke to the gentleman in the marina who told us for a few dollars extra we could hire a captain and it would be quicker and we would not need to purchase scalloping licenses. This is far from being a fancy place and I am not going out on a limb when I say that the people that work here are true locals. I don't say this in a negative way I think it adds charm and character to the whole experience. The guy working at the marina seemed to know all the captains and when we decided to take his recommendation he grabbed his cell phone called a captain and arrange for him to pick us up within 15 minutes. The decision to hire a captain rather than rent a pontoon boat was probably the best possible decision and made our day absolutely spectacular. The person working at the marina was honest helpful courteous and accommodating. Our day in Homosassa was absolutely terrific and that is in large part due to the help we received at this marina. I highly recommend this establishment for pontoon rental or for securing a captain to take you scalloping or to the springs. read more

This place is a blast, in a perfect location and with all the amenities that make hanging out by the river awesome. The staff is friendly, helpful and go out of their way to make things happen. The food is great, the drinks are excellent and the pool is right by the river. We love going out on a pontoon boat or kayaking; it's all right there. Lots of neat stuff to see in close proximity and there's a Publix on the road in for stocking up. A little pearl of goodness that we love visiting again and again! read more

Monkey Island Riverside Resort - Homosassa Riverside Resort pool - Hotels Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

We stayed at the hotel the night before our early morning manatee tour and rented a room with two full-sized beds, which cost around $120. This is certainly a little on the pricy side, but that's my only real complaint. The front desk was friendly and helpful and The Monkey Bar, located on the other side of the parking lot, serves awesome food and great drinks. The rooms are dated for sure, but I thought the setup was quaint and suited our needs perfectly. One of the manatee tours meets in the hotel in the morning so that's definitely convenient. read more

A little hideaway who'd of thought that only an hour and 40 minute drive away from Orlando this little slice of paradise was here! What a wonderful place.. The rooms were huge each with a small patio area and a small kitchen they were extremely clean and inviting. Looking right out into the river it was a gorgeous setting. A friend of ours hired a boat for the day and took us up to the springs where the water was perfect.. We will definitely be back for a longer stay to really explore all this resort has to offer... Oh and make sure you try the piña coladas delightful. read more

Monkey Island Riverside Resort - Cleaning scallops - Hotels Near Me - Homosassa, Florida

We got good deal here. Plenty of space.We had a good table near window. Out waitress was great, and she did great job. Our food was good enough to say. Nice clean rooms. Very spacious and comfortable. Fantastic pool. read more

Recently I was with a group of approx. 40, who decided to lunch at this place. We had not tried it since rebuilding. Used to be fine - was terrible. We called ahead twice to make sure we could be accommodated - middle of the day on a Thursday, with a positive reply. Sure - there was hardly anyone else there. There are 2 nice decks, upper and lower. However, no set ups on tables (sale, pepper, condiments.) Patrons must order from one person behind counter, then must pay for and leave tip before service or food is received. 45 min. wait for (1) fish tacos, (1) salad. Very quirky menu - noted nothing for kids (no hot dogs, grilled cheese...) Half the group left and went somewhere else. We're not going back. read more

Motel was old and not maintained. The shades in the rooms kept falling. The electric outlets were old and hard to keep a cord plugged in. We received not maid service the 4 days we were there. The day before check out they brought in a vacuum and left a note wanting us to clean the floor before we left. read more

Our party of 7 rented a pontoon boat July 28, 2018 from Riverside for scalloping. Rented months in advance. We showed up and it took an hour to get one. They brought it over and dropped it off and left. It didn't have enough life jackets so we had to go to their office to get more. We headed out and found everyone passing us since the motor was very slow, and make rattling noises; plus it took about 2 hours to get to the scalloping area. The boat was littered with cig butt & ashes and there were ants crawling up the sides. The boat stalled about 7 times during the trip and we were really concerned that we wouldn't make it back. But we made it after another 2 hours. So I went into their shack to settle the bill and informed 2 guys of the bad trip. The didn't want to hear, offered no help and changed me full price. Don't rent here! read more

Rented a pontoon boat 3 months ago. We were told it was a large, newer boat less than a year old. When our party of 8 arrived we were told that they just rented out our boat "accidentally" to someone who said they were us. No ID or credit card was verified upon check in. They didn't even require a credit card upon reserving the boat. They did have another "older" boat which they would rent us for a reduced rate. This boat was an old junky boat, still dirty with cans and bottles in the storage compartments and less than impressive. It took us almost two hours to reach the scalloping area because the motor was unable to go faster than 10 miles an hour. I would not recommend this marina for renting a scalloping boat. read more

Unfortunately we didnt have a good experience with the Pontoon rental. We had a party of 8 people to go scalloping. The boat was very old and the seats were moldy. We could deal with that, but the boat didnt run properly. All other boats were passing us all day and then the boat barely made it back to the dock, it would only go idle speed. Once we got back to the Marina, the guy at the counter had an attitude when we explained the problem with the boat, as if we were lying, he commented that people complain about their boats all the time, as if everyone was trying to get the boat rental for free. I would never rent from them again, very bad customer service and all boats on the fleet were in poor shape. read more

We stayed at the resort and the first night it was raining cats and dogs so we ran over to the restaurant for dinner. It was a relief finding a good meal on a dreary evening. The waitress was pleasant and attentive. Being tired from a long day of flying and driving we were greatful to be able to relax and not be disappointed. The room was adequate and not too pricey. Just what we needed. We rented kayaks and had a great day with the Manatees. There's a manatee & wildlife park nearby. We also biked part of the Withlacoochee State Trail nearby. The A/C unit was a bit noisy but we opened the window most times for the fresh air. The walls seemed to be pretty thin but we slept well at night and we're out most of the day so no issues. read more

This is another hotel that gets its business by being convenient to the state park. Like most of the hotels around homosassa it is dire need of remodeling, it would be a 2nd or 3rd rate hotel in a big city. It does provide lodging, a restaurant, fishing and boating equipment. The restaurant provides a unique view of the river and monkey island (it really is a very small island inhabited by monkeys). Like most of the hotels in the area,there are as many pickup trucks as cars. It has a web site. read more

Less than 5 hours over $2000 stolen from our boat! Should've know from the latest review. Seriously so sad for a small town! The resort owners/managers don't care because their cameras are "on but not recording". Sounds like an inside job. Don't waste your vacation, time, or money at this place. To think we came up here for the first time interested in purchasing one of these units too. Clean yourselves up it's a disgrace. read more

Review is for pontoon rental only. Reservations were easily made a week in advance and no issue with checking in. Boat was a little older and could use some sprucing up, but suited our use without an issue. Overall, paid $99 for half day rental (including gas) and would use them again. read more

Booked a river view suite. Nice spacious room with good view of the river. Nice balcony and kitchenette. Housekeeping was almost nonexistent. First full day we were there a housekeeper (?) came to room as we were leaving and asked me if we wanted maid service and did we need towels. I said yes to maid service and no to towels. When we got back to room, the bed had been made (poorly) trash containers were still full and towels from that morning were in a pile on the bathroom floor. It was late, we were tired and I decided not to complain. Next day maid service was much better, but dishes left undone in kitchen sink. This room was expensive - I've stayed at beachside resorts with ocean view for what I paid for this place. I would think good service would come with that price range. Additionally, the restaurant was horrible. Not one item of fresh Florida seafood on menu. They were actually serving pollock! (From Alaskan waters). The bar was beyond a dive. Smelled like an ashtray. In short, I'll never go back. read more

This place needs to up its game. It could be so nice. Great location but mediocre food, dirty carpet, outdated decor. I would love to rate this place higher, but cannot. Prices reasonable, very casual dress is OK. read more

Stayed August 7th-9th. On Saturday the 8th they had the pool closed all day because they were shocking it.( why couldn't they do this at night or on a Monday or Tuesday). The rooms were a good size only problem there was the housekeeper could of emptied the trash can everyday and there was no carpet so she needs to sweep the floor everyday also. read more

Of the available choices on the water, this was the best choice. But for what they offer, it's way over priced

This place is overpriced and isn't concerned about your booking . We booked in December and it's now August , 5 rooms here. They canceled our boat reservation at 7 am the day of. 10 person boat . And their restaurant is under construction so all you hear is saws all day . Thanks for the heads up ! Rooms are over priced. Customer service blows . Spend your money at Mac craes read more

I only gave it 2 stars for the view. The food was not very good and the service was worse. She never once came back to see if we needed anything and kept trying to sweep the floor all around us. It was not that close to closing time either. We took out of town guests since we had not lived here that long and had never tried the place yet. Sorry we went and the prices are quite high for bad service and questionable food quality. I think Wendy's fare would have been better than this. Will never be back. read more

I rented a pontoon boat for a day, it was something that if I owned it I wouldn't rent it at all as I know it would reflect on my business with negativity. I am 6'1 and weigh 200 lbs, I had to fight the steering all day long and was sore for 2 days. They had me look at the prop before I took the boat out and it was scratched but I didn't spin it to check every blade. When I brought it back it had the same scratches but they used a pole to reach the prop and turn it and one blade that I couldn't see had a nick, I had to pay $50 for that. I have my own boat but I didn't have it for that day as I didn't want to trailer it that far.I do own a vacation home on the river and I know where not to go. They don't want to hear your side, they just bill you and that's that. I will not rent there again. read more

First of all, don't order scallops in this scalloping area - they aren't allowed to sell in restaurants what is caught offshore but they don't tell you. I ordered scallops - probably the worst I've had: no flavor, watery. Service was laughable - she kept forgetting things - and this was during their big season! Wine is lousy and served in itty-bitty glasses. Expensive for what it is. read more

Worst Experience I have ever had! I went here after getting a Groupon. This was such a terrible experience from the first day right up to when we left early the second. First, the room... Was missing window verticals which left light from lights outside coming in all night. The AC was insanely loud and not very effective, we would put it at 60 degrees on high fan and it would not keep the room very cool... this is during the winter when it is not very hot outside, especially at night. We were woken up very often from the AC going on and off. The bathroom looked like it had issues and they tried to piece meal it back together. 2. With the groupon we go a $50 credit to the monkey bar restaurant (goes by 3 different names and I was told they are changing it again soon). If I was actually paying, I would have walked out after about 10 minutes. To read my full review look up Monkey bar restaurant. In short they didn't have much of what was on the menu and the food was just terrible and way overpriced. I love scallops and this was the first time I didn't finish them. I ate about 2 of the 6 scallops and was done. My wife and I ended up having stomach problems a little later. 3. The next day with the groupon we got a pontoon boat rental for a day. We were originally told we could take it out at 7am... when we were there at 7am, we were then told not til 8am. We loved getting up early to then wait an hour, especially since there are no places around to really get breakfast or do anything. Right off the bat the guy told us the one he was giving us had a damaged propeller. We asked if we would have any problems with it and he assured us it would be fine. about 2 and a half hours out it just stopped working and had to be towed back. We decided not to bother going back out on another boat. What was really annoying was the fact that they had another at least 3 boats that I suspect were fine sitting there and they gave us one with a damaged propeller. 4. Later that night we decided to go to sleep early since there isn't much to do besides go to the terrible restaurant. We were in bed around 9 with a plan to leave around 4am to avoid traffic. After the people next to us were being insanely loud and disturbing (to the point I almost called the cops) we called the office and they had someone come say something to them. That didn't make much of a difference. So we decided to just leave around 10PM. The rooms has an adjacent door and paper thin walls where it easy to hear everything in the room next to you. When we went and spoke to someone at the office after having a chat the employee was even aware of how bad most of the problems are including the upkeep of the rooms and the restaurant. They also mentioned only reason the restaurant is still in business is because the resort right there, which I totally believe since it was terrible. If it wasn't for scalloping season I don't think the resort would be there either. The only Upside was for the small amount of time out on the boat we did see some nice wildlife. If you are not getting a boat rental this place is a total waste. Hope that you get a boat that doesn't shut down on you. read more

Hotel needs a major overhaul. Great location for scalloping, however, it was noisy and the a/c barley worked and kept us up all night making loud noises. This is a great place for the 20 something crowd that goes to hotels to party. And this is how the hotel looks. Like a bunch of 20 year olds partied here last night. Food at the restaurant was over priced and was just ok. read more

Great spot. Peel & eat shrimp delicious. House salad with chicken added, good size and fresh lettuce. Comes with tomatoes & olives. Service was excellent. Water view. A wee bit chilly inside, just to note. read more

Riverside Resort...no! Riverside Fishing Camp...yes! If you are looking for a place to fish, drink and pass out on a floppy mattress, this is it! The walls were paper thin and we could hear the conversation of our neighbors. Prior to checking in make sure to inquire about all their hidden fees. We had purchased a Groupon thinking it was all inclusive and found that we had to pay many additional " charges". We did take a pontoon ride on the river which was nice and the boat captain was knowledgable but the condition of the boat was questionable. read more

Terrible place to rent a boat. First they could not find our reservation when we arrived, conveniently they had a cancellation so we could indeed get a boat. I have rented boats for several years in crystal river homosassa area. These were the dirtiest, most beat up boats I have ever seen, Seats torn, filthy boats. The engine a 60hp barely putted along, it took us over 2 hours to go through the springs on the boat, it continued to break down and stall. When returning the boat that afternoon, they swore we damaged the prop. Now mind you going as slow as we were there is not way we damaged the prop however we agreed to pay 100 charge to the young kid assisting us for the damaged prop he claimed. The next day I look at my bank account and a charge of an additional $283.00 had been charged to my card, and cleared not in pending, or authorization but cleared my account. I call there and tell them about the charge they claim its just an authorization and will be refunded, not trusting them due to the prop situation I ask them to send me a receipt where I authorized this charge, they were very rude. I knew I signed nothing so I was interested to see what they would send me. First they sent me someone elses receipt and signature. I told them that was not mine send me mine, then to my disbelief they sent me 3 receipts with my signature FORGED on them. Forged, I was amazed that they had the audacity to send this to me. I also asked for some sort of proof I signed to pay for damage when again I knew they gave me no paperwork so they would not have any. I told them this was absolutely not my signature and I knew I never had any receipts or paperwork and how dare they sign my name to anything. Needless to say I have not heard back from them. My bank refunded all my money but I am debating filing charges. Stay clear of this place. read more

I have been coming to this resort since 2005. This year was the first time I have ever been treated badly. There were 12 of us staying in 3 different rooms. I read when I booked the rooms online that the pool was under construction, so when I called to make some changes to our reservations and confirm everything I asked if it was open. I was told that it was. My sister and her husband arrived a day earlier than I did, and she told me the pool was closed. When I checked in, I saw a paper on the desk that it was closed, so I asked if there could be a discount or something they could do for me since an employee had assured me that it was open. The clerk said she would put it in my profile, and that would be up to the manager. I was in the office a day later and asked if anything had been decided, and the same clerk said there were no notes in my profile from the manager. I was playing a board game with my family when I got a call from the manager on my cell phone. She introduced herself, and then started out by saying "I understand you have an issue with the county not approving the permit for the pool". I said I didn't know anything about a permit, but yes, I was wondering if there was anything she could do for us. She went on a rampage about going out of her way for us, that I could see that the pool was not open when I was on the website, and she couldn't help that a hurricane had hit the resort. Her hostile tone made me very upset. I had to ask her to please let me speak. I explained my issue was being told it was open, She offered 2 choices to me, #1- I could come down and pay the balance that I was waiting to have my daughter pay when she came in later that day, or #2 she would cancel the last day we had booked the room for. Of course, I didn't want to ruin a family vacation for all of us.Some were driving from the Orlando area, and 3 others flew in from New York State. Everyone else that I dealt with was very nice, and it makes me sad that my family can't come here and bring their growing families to a place that has brought us so many good memories. The manager could benefit from some lessons in manners and hospitality courses. I have never had a problem when I travel, and am a pretty laid back person.There was no excuse for her behavior. read more

This is a review for boat rental at the marina. We rented a pontoon boat, which supposedly could hold up to ten people. It was woefully underpowered for our smallish party. Boats were whizzing by us toward the bay, while we putted along barely moving. I've rented boats around Florida and in other states, and never seen such an underpowered bathtub offered to a customer. The 40 hp took us 90 minutes to get to the bay, rather than 20 minutes the other times I've been out there in a regular boat. The engine kept stalling, coughing, and seemed to be misfiring. Poorly maintained or just worn out. Other customers were likewise complaining when we returned to the dock. The staff seemed uninterested in our feedback that the engine should be repaired. I guess business is so good they can coast on location and scallop season. We won't rent from them again. read more

This review is for the restaurant. It needs a good makeover but the view of the river and monkey island is nice. We like the all you can eat fish and chips that is served before 3pm. They do not use the cheap basa, which no matter how you cook it is squishy. The fish they use is firm, flaky and mild. If you are gluten intolerant like me, they will cook the fish, blackened. The servers are nice and so far it has been a good place to eat. They just really need a makeover and a through cleaning of the windows. read more

The food has been great every time we've eaten here. Service is a little slow and a bit overpriced. We enjoy the monkeys and the water. They also have great live music. read more

Service was horrible in the restaurant! (Both the wait staff and the kitchen). Waited an hour for the salad and no bread( not ready yet). Waited longer still for entree and then incomplete ( no hush puppies). Complained to mgr. it's coming right up....not! Finally got them after dinner was eaten and all was finished. Dessert? Told to take them home...warmed over hush puppies?? I think not. Yuck! The cruise on the river is lovely, but don't waste your money or time on this truly awful restaurant. The food, if you finally get it, is just ok, but don't count on getting it in any timely manner! read more