Ruth

Message: Is anyone familiar with the El Patio Inn? Or other moderately priced hotels in Key West?

lisa

Not familiar with that one, but stayed at the Southernmost Point Guest House and enjoyed it very much, and it's very moderately-priced, friendly service, well-located, etc.
www.southermostpoint.com

susan

I asked on the Keys Message Board of AOL if anyone had ever heard of this place and got no response whatsoever, which is not a particularly good sign. I looked up the web site, where it was called the El Patio Motel, and there were no pictures of the rooms, which again isn't a great sign. I'd look further if I were you.

Owen O'Neill

I agreee with the suggestion to look further. There are many moderately priced guest houses in KW, most of which are conveniently located in Old Town. I stayed in Jasmine House, which was fairly basic (small bathroom, no swimming pool, no happy hour etc.) but spotlessly clean, nicely furnished, quaint and only a few hundred yards from Duval Street. I think we paid $75 per night on July 4th weekend. I too have also seen many positive comments on the Southernmost Point guesthouse. KW is so small and well established that if you can't find any information on a plcae, it's easier to just pick another.

scigirl

I've never heard of the El Patio. I have been to KW many times and often stay at the Key West Bed and Breakfast on Williams street. It is reasonable and has 6 rooms or so, great breakfast, close to Duval (but far enough to be quiet), and is perfectly relaxing. There are a lot of nice small B&Bs in KW - so it isn't a problem that no one has heard of the El Patio Inn. You do want to be sure that it is within a few blocks of Duval. The far side of the island is a strip of shopping malls and motels (in the concrete parking lot on a busy street sense) and isn't an enjoyable or convienent area to stay in.

kittie

Ruth,

I, too, haven't heard of that hotel.

My advise: when looking for a place in Key West make sure the hotel has on-site parking. Not all hotels (or b&b's) have this ammenity- and yes, it is an ammenity in Key West! Most of the street parking is designated for residents, so finding a parking place can turn into a nightmare.

Kittie

Lori

I agree with everyone to look further. My recommendation is to try one of the B&Bs a couple blocks off Duval, but closer to the Mallory Square end of Old Town. We like the Pilot House (on the 400 block of Simonton), or any in that area. Simonton is 2 blocks away from Duval nightlife but so quiet. There are some good ones on Caroline St as well. The Pilot House has a main Victorian house with a few great rooms, or new poolside cabanas which are clean, airy, and private. It's a great property. Also, the prices really drop off after May, so even though it can get hot, it's still a good time to go, especially since the water is generally calmer during the summer and better for diving and snorkeling. You can find a map of Old Town from Mapquest online to get your bearings, and alot of great websites by looking online under "Key West accomodations". The good Inns and B&Bs will keep popping up, and I would go with one of them. Enjoy.

Pat

We have stayed both at the Southernmost and the Pilot House. Southernmost is good value, but basically a motel accomodation. The Pilot House is a touch pricier (although we got a room in the Victorian house that included a kitchen and private balcony for $125 (just after Easter), down from $210 (2 years ago). The Pilot House is located on Simonton, which runs parallel to Duval, and is far enough off of Duval to avoid most of the noise. Frankly, Duval is pretty tacky in some respects, although if you're there to party and get drunk, it's the place to be. On the other hand, straying off a few streets and walking under the quiet canopies of Banyon trees makes for a very romantic evening stroll. Just avoid staying out on the concrete strip because you'll spend too much valuable time commuting into Old Town. For the extra couple of bucks, get a place in Old Town, park the car and forget about it until you have to leave, and spend the rest of your time soaking up the Key West experience.

Ruth

Owen, thanks for the tip on the Jasmine House. It has the most reasonable prices of all the B&Bs recommended. Does anyone else have experience with this place? Thanks!

ilisa

Pat, are you thinking of the Southernmost Motel rather than the Southernmpost Point Guest House? Ruth, when are you going? We will be in Key West the first week of April and are staying at Ambrosia Guest House. I'll let you know how it is.

Ruth

Thanks, Ilisa. I'll look forward to your comments on Ambrosia House. We will be traveling the end of February, beginning of March, 2001, apparently the height of the high season. That's one of the reasons I'm looking for moderate prices; even "cheap" motels can nearly double their rates between December and April.

pat

Lisa, you're right that I'm talking about the Southernmost Motel. I think that just beside their motel property they had a guest house with maybe 4-6 room that looked out on the water. Very pricey as I recall. Was that the Southernmost Guest House referred to earlier?

Ernie

My wife and I spent several days at the Pilot House in Key West during Thanksgiving week. There's a clothing optional pool and spa area. It's an old house that's been restored and won an award for the restoration. It's one block over from Duval and about 6 blocks from Mallory Square. I don't think you can ask for a better location because we walked everyone, except for one morning when we drove to the East end of the island to see the sunrise. Everyone should do that. If you need any other info about the Pilot House, there's a web site or you can contact me. Thanks.

buttercup

Try the Key West Guest House Association. I forget the website, but it has been mentioned on this site.

They directed us to Papa's Hideaway, a small (4 rooms and one small house) inn. It is near the southernmost point about 2 blocks from Duval. The room was nice, and there was a pool and hot tub in a pretty garden. Since the place is so small, it felt very private. We always had the pool and hot tub to ourselves. We paid $99.

Celeste

Heron House and Simonton Court are both very nice.