Steve

Hello. This is my first post to the list. My wife and I are going to be in Key West the first week of January. We've never been before and I was hoping that some of you might recommend some good and fun things to do and see. We don't have hotel reservations yet because we were hoping to get more information before we committed. Our preference seems to be staying within Old Town, close to the beaches on the Atlantic side. The two Wyndham hotels seem nice but a bit out of our price range. We can afford about $200/night maximum. Also, I noticed many of you commented in previous posts that tourism was down in Key West. Does this translate into deals and discounts?

Thanks in advance for any comments. I really do appreciate your help.

Steve

Steve

Just a quick follow-on to my first note. We're thinking about booking a room at the Southern Most Motel located at 1319 Duval St. Does anyone have any experience with this place?

I had assumed that the Atlantic side of Key West was more desirable than the Gulf of Mexico side. I guess I thought that because most of the beaches seem to be on the Atlantic. But I get the sense that most "post-ers" here think the Gulf side is better.

Again, I'd appreciate any and all comments/thoughts/words of advice and encouragement. Thanks!

susan

Steve - actually, you've got it reversed. The Gulf side is generally considered more desirable because it's where the sunset celebrations are, and most of the restaurants and tourist activities, too. I haven't stayed at the Southernmost but have seen some nice comments on it. But if it's possible to find something closer to the Gulf, I think you could save yourself a lot of walking, which is the easiest way to get around Key West. For lots of information about accommodations you might check out keywestparadise.com. The only remark I've seen about tourism being down was by someone who was there this month, and December is normally slow anyway. January is in the thick of high season, so I wouldn't wait too long to book a room. You might try doing a back check of this board for additional information about places to stay and things to do in Key West.

JoAnn

Steve,Old Town and the Atlantic are on opposite sides, so if you want the "action" stay in Old Town. Key West is only about 4 mi. wide, but that's a lot of walking. Some of the things I suggest is taking the Conch Tour Train (not the trolley) and learn and see as much as possible about Key West..it's a very informative tour. Rent a moped or bike and travel that way. See Mel Fisher's museum that shows the riches from the Atochia Spanish Galleon; The Audubon & Hemingway homes. Check out WWW.KEYWEST.COM for their events. If Island Days are in progress there might me a house tour and those old restored homes are beautiful. Go to Sunset on Mallory Square and look for Dominque and his cats! Enjoy your stay.

grglnswsh

You should find a lot of options for 200 a night. The first couple weeks of January is slow because it is right after the holidays, so rates drop a little. I always like the B&Bs. Pull up keywest.com and look under accomodations. Some of the more popular ones are The Conch House, La Pensione, and The William Anthony House (no pool).

Jim

The "unsavory" characteristics of Key West are why I love the place!

Don't worry about Harold/Willy's posts. I promise you that no one is paying any attention to them. He's one of the Fodors Buffoons and it's best to just let him rant. The more he does, the more people discount his opinions.

Gina

Steve-We always stay at the Galleon Resort, they have condos and efficiencies within walking distance to everything in Old Town and close to Turtle Krawls and Schooner Warf Bars.

scj

Remember that the "beaches" in Key West are not the long, soft sand, take a romantic walk beaches of other places as the keys are coral. For that reason we always prefer to stay in Old Town where you can take great walks, see some wonderful architecture and take in the sunsets. There are some wonderful BandBs -- we like the Wicker House on Duval. If you want to rent a townhouse or condo you might try truman annex.com. Be sure to get off Duval and see some of the funky parts of Key West!

Steve

Thank you all so much for your great responses. My wife and I are now convinced that a) we should be staying towards the Gulf side of Key West and b) that a B&B is really the way to go.

The only question now is: which B&B to stay at. From the websites I've looked at - based on all your recommandations - they all look so inviting.

I contacted the Conch house and the Veranda and Marquessa rooms are available for the same rate. Does anyone have experience with either room.

Also, what about the Old Customs House? Has anyone ever stayed there or know anything about it?

Thanks again. We are hoping to end this and make a decision by tomorrow. We are taking all your suggestions seriously and I'll be sure to let you know where we end up.

Steve

K & D

We stayed at the Duvall Gardens, I believe the name is, a very nice B & B. They have beach privledges, a short walk away at the Marriott, so very nice without Marriott's prices. They'll also help you find the nice places in Key West. Sloppy Joes's for nite life, get there early to see Pete & Wayne (if they're still there), take a catamarron trip for snorkeling/kayaking & lunch one day, go flats fishing, go for ice cream at Pink Flamingo one night, great seafood at reasonable prices at Half Shell Raw bar, steaks at Pepe's, buy a whole key lime pie from Key Lime Pie company, go to the Wreckers museum downtown, take the trolley. Take a drive up north of Key West. If you like dolphins, sign up to swim with dolphins at Grassey Key at the Dolphin REsearch Institute, well worth it. Rent a bike, be prepared to do alot of walking, the "Duvall Crawl."

george

A quick suggestion: Do a google search on Truman Annex rentals. The Shipyard units can fit in your budget if your time down there coincides with their rental week. I'd check first with Craig & Cindy, then check whatever else you may find.

The location is superb (near-waterfront and the Gulf end.) The units are quite nice (we stayed there w/daughter and spouse,) you have off-street parking, and it's gated.

If the Duval Crawl is your thing, you could almost roll home from the Green Parrot (a rather-nice watering-hole of some notoriety.) If not, you're still staying in nice digs. And get some groceries and party-in, if that's your fancy.

Worth checking.

George

grglnswsh

If you can afford the Marquesa, do it. It is one of the best, if not the best, down here. The location is better. I am surprised room rates are the same so you really might want to double check the location of the romms within each place. Marquesa is usually much more than most places on the island. Banana Veranda has changed hands and is now called Budget Key West. I understand the rooms are nice but the location is not. It sits right next to our hardware store and lumber yard.

grglnswsh

I just reread your post and got it completely wrong the first time. To early in the morning for me. LOl! Choose a room that is not facing Truman Ave. It is one of the main streets here and can get noisy.

Steve

Still no decision but it is forthcoming shortly. We've narrowed it down to about a half dozen B&Bs. To make things worse - or better - the Hyatt is now offering a deal which makes it almost affordable for us.

While I have your ear, I was wondering how "vegetarian friendly" KW is? We're both veggies: no meat, chicken, or fish, though we do eat dairy.

Thanks!

Steve

grglnswsh

The Hyatt is my favorite chain hotel here. It is on the water, has a small beach and has a nice pool area. The town is very vegan friendly. If you don't see it on the menu, just ask if they can make something for you. It is very common here.

Rowan

We stayed at the Wyndham Reach last weekend. We got a rate of $115 through expedia. The rooms were large and nicely decorated, and you can use all of the amenities at the other Wyndham around the corner. We liked being at the quiet end of the island. Bikes are a great way to get around. You can get into all of the action in about 5 min. The Southernmost was around the corner from the Wyndham, it looked OK. Try breakfast at the Denis Pharmacy on Simonton-the Southernmost Pharmacy. Sit at the counter with the locals like Jimmy Buffet and John Glen did. Good food, not greasy, and cheap. Have a good time!

Pro

Have you tried the Heron House, The Gardens Hotel, The Colony, Ambrosia, The Merlinn Inn, The Conch House, The Mermaid & The Alligator or The Key Lime Inn, all are great. We still like the Marquesa but our 2nd & 3rd choice is the Ambrosia or the Ambrosia Too then Heron House. There are two others you might consider is the La Pensione or William Anthony House.

Carol

If my memory is correct, right acros the street from Blue Heaven (I think that is the name) great place. A place called Johnson's - we looked at a menu posted outside and I thought I saw alot of veggie dishes.

grglnswsh

Here is a good restaurant site to dig around in. I hope it helps.
http://www.keywest.com/themenu/

Merilee

I stayed at the Southernmost Motel on one of my trips to Key West and I liked it very much...I had a poolside room on the upper floor and it was nicely decorated and clean...another plus is that it's within walking distance of everything...they also rent mopeds...I recommend it especially for the price.