After reading a few of the reviews here I was worried about White Gates and I do have to say the reservation process leaves a bit to be desired (more later).

While White Gates is not The Ritz it is comfortable and well kept. Our Villa was clean, bug-less (ants are always a problem in Florida no mater how hard you try), and even came with beds and bottled water for the dogs.

The water area was neat and tidy, it has a nice little sandy area and some steps so the dogs could get in and out of the shallow water easily.

While it is a little pricy it is a nice place to come to vacation with your dogs and I think at the end of the day, when you can see your pups smile it’s all worth it.

Now about reservations: If you are looking for 1 or 2 days, be patient with the owner. It seems that she likes to hold rooms for people who want longer stays. While this is ok, I think it would be beneficial if she could look back at years past to give you a projection of availability.

My husband and I had the most relaxing, beautiful, 4-night stay with Bella, our Yellow Lab. I just read some of the negative reviews and I must say, I think those people weren't really looking for a "Keys experience." The cottages were immaculately clean, simply but tastefully decorated - a perfect Keys place. We were not looking for any Ritz Carlton or even Hilton experience, and we got exactly what we were looking for - a very clean, quiet, relaxing spot where both Bella and we could get into the water. There are not many places in the Keys where you actually can get into the water - it's all around you but good luck getting into it, with all the rocks, grass, etc. This bayside beach bottom did have some rocks, but you could still get into the water and Bella (our Lab) was absolutely waterlogged - loved every minute! Plus there's plenty of open space; she could run around free even though we kept the leash with us in case other dogs were put off by her overly friendly nature. And each evening we sat at one of the tables by the water and watched the sunset; just another day in PARADISE! We were so happy with White Gate that we're going back for another 4 nights in September - just booked it today.

This is a dog lover's paradise. Plenty of room to run and swim, it was great for humans too. We would not hesitate to go back. The grounds are beautiful and so are the cottages.

This was by far the nastiest experience ever. We stayed for one awful night out of six we had paid for. We honestly didn't know if we would wake up the next morning the stench from the pillows and sheets was so foul. The room smelled as if two lowlifes had literally been lying in bed chainsmoking cigarettes for three years in a row. The air conditioning filter had never been changed and it reeked with a powerful stench that was undescribable. We requested a refund due to the positively uninhabitable conditions but were denied. The people who run this stinking dump will get theirs eventually. By the way, the "white sandy beach" is a slimy boat ramp you'll be lucky not to break your but on. This place is disgusting beyond belief.