Located in Crystal River, this hotel is near theme parks. Crystal River Archaeological State Park and Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Three Sisters Springs and Crystal River Preserve State Park. Swimming offers a great chance to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with cycling nearby.
What's nearby
Plantation Inn and Golf Resort - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
Crystal River Preserve State Park - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
A Crystal River Kayak Company - 17 min walk - 1.5 km
Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge - 2 min drive - 1.7 km
Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge - 2 min drive - 1.7 km
Getting around
Gainesville, FL (GNV-Gainesville Regional) - 89 min drive
Restaurants
RaceTrac - 18 min walk
Cody's Original Roadhouse - 2 min drive
Cajun Jimmy's Seafood Seller & Cafe - 3 min drive
Breakfast Station - 14 min walk
Coney Island - 4 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Does Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool! have a pool?
Yes, this property has a pool. Pool types include heated pools.
How much does it cost to stay at Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool!?
As of 7 November 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool! on 16 November 2026 start from NZ$337, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
Is Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool! pet-friendly?
No, only service animals are welcome at the property.
How much is parking at Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool!?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool!?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool!?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool! located?
Situated in Crystal River, this hotel is within a 15-minute walk of Plantation Inn and Golf Resort and Crystal River Preserve State Park. A Crystal River Kayak Company and Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge are also within 1 mile (2 km).
Manatee Encounter! Near Three Sister Springs! Free Parking, Pool! Reviews
Reviews
7.6
Good
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Easy check in! Cute room. Was only one night and the place was in full renovation but cute spot with tons of potential. Very friendly staff! Room was clean.
Overall good stay. The rooms and hallways could use a thorough cleaning. The staff were friendly. The restaurant was amazing. Sheri was our waitress and she was the best!!
The location was perfectly situated. Offering a nice restaurant and bar. Golf, pool, tiki hut, fitness center, and activities within walking distance. I actually went on a manatee adventure that made my trip special. Next top is a sunset tour. All within walking distance from The Plantation resort.
The resort was very nice. The only issue was there was no way to adjust the air conditioner and the dehumidifier in the room didn’t seem to be working, until we figured out it was more than full, and emptied it ourselves. We figure that is something the resort should take care of, not the guest.
It otherwise, a great location and a nice stay
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Sharon P.
12 April 2024
Disliked: Communication
Nice room
It was nice. The air conditioning thermostat didn’t work good. But nice place
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Row-Ann B.
12 May 2024
Liked: Location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Check-in, communication
Interesting stay
Pros: The landscaping and setting are terrific. The room was clean and normal hotel room. Cons: the carpet in the elevator of the Rose section was filthy. They were having a FLEMA meeting and inadequately staffed so that check-in took over an hour of standing in the lobby. FLEMA was rowdy, noisy and partying in the halls up to 1 AM and no one responded to noise complaints.
This property is completely misrepresented online. It is under construction, and there is no restaurant, bar, or spa open. The building we stayed in was extremely noisy. We could hear everything in the room next to us, which was just normal conversation and tv. Everytime a door opened in our corridor, we could hear the creaking and slamming. It was a huge disappointment. The pictures online are either AI generated or older, but are not accurate.
The room was big and I liked the furnishings very much. The tub seemed dirty though. The Plantation has a lot to offer with their Adventure Center. You can book river/canal cruises to see the manatees. The staff was very friendly. The pool is excellent
They had a tiki bar that played non stop country music. Being that I'm not a fan of country music it would have been better to play a mix. The on site restaurant was great. The check in process was not great. We waited a long time for a room. They didn't have one ready for us. Overall I liked the stay!
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
chris k.
3 April 2024
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Not clean
My husband and I loved this location and thought the grounds and pool area were beautiful. Unfortunately, our room was not very clean when we arrived. The surfaces had crumbs and the floor was filthy. The bathtub would not drain and the bathtub faucet would not turn all the way off, which we could hear all night long. We would not choose to stay at this location again.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Peter C.
27 March 2024
Liked: Location
Disliked: Check-in, communication
Decent location to explore the Crystal Springs area
The Plantation is a reasonable (though not spectacular) place to stay.The “resort” is a bit shabby and the rooms are quite tired. Staff was friendly and helpful though they seemed to be short handed. Room cleaning seems random - for a five night stay, we had towels changes once plus once on request. Room could have used a deeper clean - the floors were quite dirty (when you stepped into the shower, the first would show). Found multiple hairs and other things that weren’t ours. And the patio could have used a brushing/cleaning. The on-site restaurant was Ok (and convenient for a first night meal). The best part for us was the on site adventure center who offer great eco boat rides and snorkeling outings. Well worth doing.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Marti I.
12 March 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location
Disliked: Communication, listing accuracy
Crystal River misrepresented
The photos on you listing show a kitchenette. As this was vrbo I “assumed “ maybe a timeshare. In the past I’ve had 100% great experiences. Sadly, times have changed. This was an agency “roompicks.com” I believe pushing hotel rooms. Showing a suite, or at least a kitchenette but selling a hotel room! Very disappointed in vrbo!
Property was nice, we enjoyed Crystal River but upset with this company and their misrepresentation and lack of service! Property can’t do anything as to how they represented the property!!!
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review
6/10 Okay
Patti F.
20 September 2024
Liked: Cleanliness, location
Disliked: Communication, listing accuracy
Crystal River
The esablisment is beautiful but historical so I will give the musty smell to that. The room was nice with a large dehumidifier in the room that we had to empty oursevlves. It would have been nice to know that there was no elevator and we had to carry our bags up the stairs ourselves. VRBO show the parking was free. It was an unexpected $28.00 a night. The photos re misleading on your room type as well. There is no kitchen or dining area. Book through choice priveldges for a more accurate booking. The pool and tiki bar were amazing until we saw the charge from the bar on our bill at checkout even though my husband paid with his card when we closed the tab.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Verified review
2/10 Terrible
Kyle L.
18 August 2024
Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, listing accuracy
Place is run down and doesn’t match the pictures
We planned to stop here on our 15th anniversary trip . The place did not match the nice images on the website. It smelled musty and moldy. You could tell it had been a long time since anyone spent any money on the place. We checked in and walked to our room. It also smelled musty and the window was broken, leaving a huge gap. After about a minute, we looked at each other and both said, “we are not staying here”. We quick booked the Hampton inn down the road and thank God we did. The receptionist at the Hampton inn said we were the third couple that day to cancel on the plantation that day alone, and book at Hampton. This place is horrible, don’t waste your time or money. Vrbo needs to take this off their website!
I did see reviews it was under construction, though it doesn't state that in the booking. Doors to room had a lot of gap and so you could here everyone coming through( sounded drunk at 10:00 p.m). Beds were comfy and a/c was wonderful. Could step it up with continental breakfast and offer hard boiled egg and better coffee.