Key West Florida is home to its own unique style. Key West hotels range from Victorian cottages to lush garden resorts. While things get booked ahead during major events and holidays, wherever you make your Key West vacation residence, this friendly and easy-going community in its lovely surroundings will make you feel right at home.
One local who opened her home to the world was Peggy Mills. For 49 years, she tended her “secret garden” of bromeliads, mangos, balsas, breadfruit, palms, lilies, hibiscus, bougainvillea, orange jasmine, and magnolias. Today her private residences nestled in this lush setting now make up the Gardens Hotel.
The Gardens Hotel’s Bahamian-style complex is made up of seventeen suites and rooms in the main house (listed in the National Register of Historic Places), carriage houses, and a secluded hideaway cottage. The gardens feature an outdoor bar and pool, as well as four 1-ton earthenware rain catchers from Spanish-colonial era Cuba. Winding brick pathways connect the rooms, which feature flat-screen televisions, oak floors, mahogany furnishings, brass beds, and marble bathrooms. The master suite has a cathedral ceiling, Jacuzzi, sauna, and private balcony. The complementary breakfast includes Key lime beignets and the house special blend vanilla coffee.
The home to the elegant Cafe Marquesa, the charming and historic Marquesa Hotel resort has two swimming pools and a waterfall cascading into a lily pond. Victorian rooms have antique and reproduction furnishings, botanical-print fabrics, marble baths, and iron beds. Both gay and straight clientele frequent this charming hotel.
Eden House is a 1920s Art Deco guesthouse with a garden courtyard with a pool bordered by lounges (featuring daily happy hour). Friendly staff will help you to your clean, spacious room or suite.
For an oceanfront B&B, check out the La Mer Hotel and Dewey House. These lavishly restored twin Queen Anne Victorians feature fine linens, granite wet bars, balconies or wraparound porches. The Dewey House has its own pool. Ameneties include a morning basket of breads, pastries, and tropical fruit.
A ten-minute boat ride away is the hideaway of Sunset Key Guest Cottages. The resort is made up of 37 exclusive Victorian cottages with tin roofs. Rooms feature tiled baths, and wraparound verandas.
With a progressive tradition of socially tolerance, Key West lodging has long welcomed gay and lesbian guests. The lovely Fleur de Key Guesthouse is made up of Conch-style boarding house and cigar makers’ cottages, along with a pool and hot tubs. Rooms feature tropical décor and antiques. You’ll find the boys tanning by the pool at Big Ruby’s. The garden courtyard features afternoon wine tasting. Another popular hotel is the clean and friendly Oasis, featuring a 14-seat hot tub. Out and About rated The Florida Key Guesthouse with five stars. Pearl’s Rainbow, a private women-only lesbian-friendly guesthouse, features two pools and hot tubs.
Just off Duvall Street you’ll find a cheap Florida hotel option in the clean but thrifty Abaco Inn, with rooms overlooking a lush garden patio. Guests are provided passes to the lovely beaches of Fort Taylor State Park nearby.
