My wife and I (both 29) are heading down to Key West with my parents in mid-Sept. for a long weekend (Thur-Sun). Currently we are booked at the Best Western Hibiscus for about $89/night.

I wanted to get some opinions on this motel and potentially other 'better' places to stay. Our criteria are these - close to Duval is sort of a must, clean is a big deal, price of no more than about $110/night, privacy, my parents smoke so a smoking room must be offered - or at least a patio or somewhere where they can smoke, disgusting I know.

My parents aren't thrilled with B&B's because of the whole shared bathroom thing etc. so we only really looked at name brand hotel/motel options. Are there any close by guest houses that may fit those criteria and offer a better experience? Thanks for any insight.

Thanks for any insight!

Jasmine House has some inexpensive accommodations and has gotten good reviews on this board.

Have you checked out keywestinns.com? I don't think sharing a bath will be as much a problem as finding someplace that allows smoking.

The Harbor House has some relatively inexpensive rooms (remember September is still "summer season") and its location is wonderful. Not sure about their bath situation.

As for the Best Western Hibiscus, it gets good reviews for the exact reasons you've opted for it: good rates and convenient location.

Just a heads up but the state of Florida banned smoking in restaurants.

Did you check www.biddingfortravel.com?

Most of the B&B's in Key West have rooms with private baths. I'd look at Courtney's Place, never stayed there, but it looks fun and is 1 1/2 blocks from Duval. Also Whispers has some cheaper rooms, it's only a couple blocks from Duval and close to the docks. Duval Gardens also lists rooms under $110.00. Angelina Guesthouse get great reviews and isn't expensive.

Merlin Guesthouse also has some cheaper rooms, but I think that they front Simonton and can be noisy. We stayed in one of their little cottages towards the back of the property last November and couldn't have been happier. Rate then was $130.00.

Jean

Thanks for the reply's. We are headed to Courtney's place based on a recommendation of a friend. It looks MUCH cooler than the BW. The rate is 109/night with the third night free, so it is actually cheaper!!! I will post a trip report when I return.