I stayed here a few times throughout the years, and have to say this must be one of the best motels I have stayed in!

The gentleman at the desk was very nice to show me a room the first time, just so I could picture what I was "getting myself into."

I must say I was always impressed with the cleanliness of the place and I truly enjoyed their pool!

I was astonished to read reviews about rude management at this hotel! I have always been treated as an honorable guest there, and I have recommended this property to a number of friends who have visited Key West throughout the years.

I have yet to hear a bad comment from any person I referred to El Patio in the past.

I stayed here on the advice of a coworker yet found myself utterly depressed at the state of the place. It probably hasn't been renovated since 1940. The linens were far from fresh and the bars on the windows left me wondering. Don't count on using the Internet - the network key doesn't work and the front desk isn't the most helpful. I slept on it the first night thinking I might be over reacting... Until I got into a shower that trickled out of the tap. Too bad they take your money up front - otherwise I would have changed hotels in a heart beat.

I stayed for a week at the El Patio just before Christmas. I've waited a month before posting a review because I wanted to be able to give an objective opinion. There were things I really liked about this place, others not so much.

Pros:
-Cost - I looked a long time before booking my reservation and there just wasn't anything even close to this price range in the area.

-Staff - From my phone call to place my reservation to my last interaction with the front desk, the staff was pleasant and very helpful. There was some confusion when I rented my bike (the price I was quoted was $8/day but I was charged $12) and when I asked about it later, it was handled fairly. I was told that the actual price should have been $16/day but the manager did honor the first quote I was given.

-The patio - the rooftop patio is really very nice and while I was there was always deserted

-Quiet - again, while I was there the place was pretty quiet, no little kids or loud parties, although I see by some other reviews that this is not always the case

Neither pro or con
-Location - generally I loved the location. It's in a quiet residential neighborhood on the ocean side of the island. There is a public beach three blocks away. It is away from all the craziness of Duval Street. However, I did not have a car while I was on the island so I had a fairly long bike ride or walk every time I wanted to eat.

Modest and dated - from the furniture to the bedspread to the TV, everything was old-ish and modest. I decided to find this quaint and charming, like going to visit Grandma.

Cons
-Bed - my bed was awful, hard as a rock. By the end of my week there I couldn't lay flat on the bed.

-No wifi - I could only use their wifi if I was standing within about 5 feet of the office. I use my phone a ton, so this was a problem.

Not especially clean - not dirty per say, just not really clean. There was a little mold in my shower stall. The floor of my room appeared dirty, especially near the walls. When I walked around bare foot in my room my feet turned black.

Would I stay there again? Maybe, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

We stayed there this weekend and really enjoyed it.
This is an old FL motel that has been kept up nicely. The gardens are beautiful and the we enjoyed the rooftop deck in the mornings and evenings.
The rooms are clean and comfortable with original Cuban tile.
The motel is situated on the south side of the island close to the southernmost point.
It's in a quiet neighborhood walking distance to Duval Street and about a 5 minute walk to the public beach. You can sleep comfortably knowing there won't be screaming partying people outside.
We did not get to enjoy the pool as it was too chilly this weekend, but the area around the pool is nicely kept with plenty of chairs and potted plants to make it look tropical.
The staff was helpful and friendly.
Will definitely return to El Patio!