EmilySD

My father is 63 and planning on visiting Key West in February. Looking for recommendations on accomodations and dining. Hotel or B&B should be within walking distance of dining and the beach (not for swimming, but sunsets). Cheaper is better, no luxury resorts for dad, but not a dump Thank you!

cherrymae

I'm not sure of names of hotels, but try to convince your Dad to stay outside of Key West, it is very pricy. My uncle lives on Duck Key, there is a lot of cheap house rentals and motels. Most of which are directly on the water, and there are plenty of sights, bars, and dining outside of Key West. Getting to Key West from the other keys is easy. There is only one road all the way down. It is gorgeous down there. My family prefers the Keys over the Bahamas. February is the most expensive time to visit the Keys. January, is just as nice and a lot cheaper. Plane tickets are cheaper, as well as hotel accomodations. But if he insists on going in February, have him check out some places outside of Key West.

SusanCS

Key West is wonderful in February! Yes, it's high season and prices are elevated, but your father should be able to find something in his price range. It's not necessary to be within walking distance of a beach to enjoy the sunset celebrations...in fact, most beaches are on the Atlantic side, where sunsets aren't visible. The hub of sunset celebrations is Mallory Square. Your father will want to stay in Old Town, as close to the Gulf as he can afford. The hotels on the Gulf (on Front Street) are all expensive, but there are B&Bs in the same area that are much more reasonable. Check out keywest.com for lots of accommodations...and by all means do a back search of this board. There have been lots of threads dealing with this subject.

EmilySD

Thank you for the replies, my father realizes it won't be an inexpensive trip. Any specific recommendations? Any dining suggestions? He loves seafood! Thank you.

bookhall

Susan's got it nailed. Most definitely stay in Key West--it's a great experience, particularly in Jan. and Feb. And it's hard to avoid seafood, not that you'd want to!

Poking around a bit, I found a place called Budget Key West, at 1031 Eaton St. This used to be a dump. I knew it had changed hands a few years ago, and they've apparently done a first-class job in the renovation. Go to www.budgetkeywest.com. Looks good to me, and the rates are attractive. Also, very close, is Westwinds. It's in the AAA book. We have stayed there, though not recently, and found it quite enjoyable.

GoTravel

I looked at buying the hotel a few years ago. It used to be the Eaton Lodge or something similar (not the other B&B that operates under the Eaton name). It was a dump and you would have to have deep pockets in order to pay the asking price ($2.5 mil), pay for the extensive renovations, and operate for a profit.

KeyGal

Hope it's not too late for this response, but we stopped by the Southernmost Hotel (NOT the motel) at 1319 Duval Street to check it out last time we stayed in KW. It's very reasonable and very charming.

EmilySD

Thank you very much for the recommendation. Have a great weekend!

highbay

To Cherrymae:
Duck Key is one of THE most exclusive Keys in the Florida Keys. It is also somewhat removed from any real action, not mention the price tag to rent anything in that area. It's about 10 miles away from Marathon, which in my opinion is certainly not an area to walk around and see the sights, or go to dinner. If the poster's father wanted seclusion, and was maybe bringing his own boat, etc., then I would highly recommend renting a house. Otherwise, Key West is more in line with what it sounds like he is looking for. To the original poster, check out biddingfortravel.com. It is a priceline forum that gives you some informed advise about using priceline. We have had some success with getting great bargains throughout the US using this service.

mojitogirl

How much would he like to spend per night? Does he want a pool on the property?

EmilySD

Thank you for wanting to help. The limit would be about $200/nt. A nice B&B would be about right, any with smoking rooms? He doesn't like to rent a car when travelling, so he'd have to be within walking distance of restaurants, etc. He doesn't need a pool at the hotel, he just likes to eat, drink and enjoy the atmosphere. (He goes to New Orleans every year for the Jazz festival in March and Chicago for the 'Taste of' in July).
Any dining recommendations in Key West would be appreciated.

Thank you again for the assistance. Have a great weekend!

Laurie

Emily, I have stayed at Artist House Villas twice while in Key West, and have had a very good experience. This property is about 1/2 block from Duval street but is very quiet at night.

They are set up like mini apartments, each with it's own kitchen. There is a smallish pool that is shared.

As for restaurants, our favorites were:

Schooner's Wharf, Seven Fish, Alice's at the La Te Da and B.O.'s Fish Wagon.

SusanCS

The Island City House is in a great location - very near restaurants, tourist activities and the sunset celebration - and has a variety of accommodations. It has a wonderful reputation and probably would have something within your father's budget. Another good choice is Ambrosia House.

mojitogirl

I agree, Ambrosia and Island City House are both wonderful properties and well located. Last time we went to KW, we stayed at Almond Tree Inn and were very pleased. It is a few blocks further from Mallory Square than the above properties, but definitely well located.

Blue Heaven is great for breakfast. Alonzo's Oyster Bar is good for seafood, located right on the harbor. Upstairs is A & B, more upscale and expensive. We've had some good seafood at Conch Republic, also in the historic seaport area. Love Seven Fish for dinner, tiny place though.

Louie's Backyard is on the other end of the island-what a view! The Afterdeck Bar hangs right over the ocean. Dinner is very expensive, but we often go and order lunch right at the outside bar (so we can be closer to the water). We have had some delicious lunches there-my husband has never been disappointed with the fish sandwich of the day. The cocktails are also great, if he desires. Definitely worth a visit.

Mangoes on Duval also has good food and a nice outdoor patio for people watching.

Schoooners is a fun bar in the historic seaport area. Live music most of the day and we always meet some fun people whenever we go there.

We have been to Key West five times and are returning late January/early February for another visit. Please let me know if you have additional questions.

EmilySD

Thank you all so much! I have forwarded the information to my father.

seafox

think about renting a house or a condo...it cuts down on food expense and gives you more space. try rentkeywest.com