Tarpon's Nest Boutique Hotel

This cute little boutique hotel had really friendly, helpful staff. Our room was comfortable and had everything we needed, snacks included. The AC worked well, and so did the shower and internet. The pool and its setting were adorable, a nice break from beach hotels, and there was good local food and drink nearby. The price wasn't bad either. The downside is the airport across the bay. Planes were loud through the day and part of the night, and if you're a light sleeper, they'll wake you up. For me, the rest made up for it.

My best friend and I only stayed a short time, but check-in and checkout were quick and easy. The staff were PHENOMENAL, especially Valerie, who was amazing and shared so many great recommendations. We had the two-bedroom suite. The rooms were spacious, nice, and clean, with a mini-fridge, a carafe of water, and snacks. Our view looked out over the cute pool area, which was a great place to spend time and was open 24 hours. The bar served great drinks, though it wasn't open around the clock. The property is behind a locked gate in a nice area close to the beach. We were somewhat near the airport, but the noise didn't bother me.

The rooms had a cool look and were comfortable and clean, and the staff were friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the pretty pool area, especially sitting in the hanging chairs and having some great bites from the restaurant. The nearby boardwalk and beach were an easy walk and beautiful, with hardly anyone around when we went that night. The neighborhood itself isn't ideal for strolling. One thing to know: our airport taxi drivers acted as if this was a trip to the far end of the island and overcharged us. The next day, an Uber cost just $12 plus tip, so I'd recommend ordering one.

We really hoped this would be a nice stay, but too many things went wrong. It's entirely self-service, more like walking into an Airbnb, and the only instructions they sent were for getting into the room. We had to call the hotel to find out things like the Wi-Fi password and that there was a tiny coffee machine in a shared area. They were upfront about the airport noise, and they were right. Noise-canceling earplugs are a must. We walked into our first-floor room and found puddles on the floor, and the AC wasn't working. Since we were the only people on-site, we had to call. The best they could offer was to send someone the next day. The bar and pool had no service while we were there on a weekday. I wouldn't recommend going through this trouble. The welcome email also looked copied and pasted, since they used the wrong name. Ownership should provide check-in times and more information about the hotel.