My husband and I are traveling to Key West for 4 nights at the beginning of August. We are looking for a nice place to stay, with a great pool (knowing that it will be hot!). Happy hour etc. would be great too. I've read many postings and we are between the Marquesa, the Harbor Inn, Ambrosia, or the Heron House. Ambrosia got great reviews, but I'm leary about it being a pet-friendly inn. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Also, we are flying into FLL and would like to stop on the way for a night. Should we stay in Key Largo, Marathon, or Islamorada? Thanks!

I used to live in Islamorada and strongly recommend you stay there. Key Largo and Marathon are full of strip malls and fast food restaurants. Islamorada is the real deal with great restaurants and places to stay.

Thanks for the quick response. Is there a place in Islamorada that you would recommend?

On Islamorada I recommend Cheeca Lodge. With all the old, rundown motels along the upper part of the Keys, Cheeca is a refreshing change. We stayed there in January and it was very nice. The staff went out of their way to make our stay just perfect.

Have fun!
Joni

Also check out the Gardens Hotel in Key West. We were between the Gardens and the Marquesa and chose the former for our trip in November. SWIW on Tripadvisor.com Gardens is ranked #1 hotel in Key West and Marquesa #6. Both look really nice!

gores beat me to it! I do think you should at least consider the Gardens - along with the Marquesa.

Several years ago I recommended the Marquesa to friends and the Heron House to another friend. The couple who went to the Marquesa raved about it (still do), but the person who stayed at the Heron House said that she wouldn't stay there again.

The Ambrosia and Key West Harbor Inn are both very popular, but not in the same tier with the Marquesa and Gardens.

Cheeca Lodge and The Moorings are the top spots to stay and also the most expensive. Breezy Palms is a Mom and Pop motel, clean and reasonable. Hampton Inn is next door, also. For restaurants the top end would be Pierre's (same owner as The Moorings. Mad Dog and Ziggies is great. Morada Bay's prices are creeping up but it's a great setting. Also, Islamorada Fish Company and the Lorelei are real local places.

Simonton Court has fantastic pools - one bigger, and several medium scattered throughout the property which is truly gorgeous. It's a beautiful oasis near Duval Street and its happy hours. It is probably one of the nicest hotel properties I have stayed at, perfect for the Keys. We also like Island City House for the accommodations, but the pool is not as nice.

It's not on Islamorada, but Tranquility Bay resort is very new, pretty high-end.

We love Morada Bay for a lunch break on the way down - spectacular setting and perfect for getting into the Keys frame of mind. Just outside of Key West is Mangrove Mama, also uniquely Keys-ey. Enjoy the Keys, we are headed down there soon and absolutely can't wait.

Thank you guys! We appreciate your help and love the recommendations. We are thinking that we will stop on Islamorada on the way down for one night, stay in Key West at the Harbor Inn for 4 nights, and then stop again in Islamorada on the way back for our last night. The Gardens Hotel looks amazing, but if we want to stay at Cheeca, we need to save some $ while in Key West. Any restaurant recommendations in Key West would be great. Do you think we should stay at Cheeca on both ends of the trip? The hotel situation in Islamorada seems like its hit or miss. Thanks again!

Marrero's Guest Mansion is a great place to stay in Key West. Great pool, fine breakfast and happy hour. Right off of Duval and on the Ghost Tour.

Look it up on TripAdvisor

We loved the Marquesa.

I have so many restaurant recommendations in Key West it would boggle your mind, so could you narrow your preferences a bit? Fine, cheap, funky? Seafood, Cuban?

Sorry I haven't logged on in a while. We will be in Key West 4 nights. I like seafood, but my husband does not. What would be the top 4 do not miss restaurants?

The Hampton Inn Islamorada is an economic alternative to Cheeca. Respecting that Cheeca is total class, Hampton has a nice pool and fine man made beach.

I don't think you should go to Key West without dining at Louie's Backyard. THe food is outstanding the service gret and the view stunning. I prefer lunch there because of the daytime view. But anytime is good. It is on the east side of the island not to far from the southernmost point.

We were there about a week ago. We also enjoyed a spot called Azur. Food was excellent.

It's only about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Miami to Key West. It is a beautiful drive and the time goes by quickly. Not sure why you need to stop and stay a night 1/2 way into the trip??
dave

http://www.oceankey.com/oceankey_home.aspx

Great pool, great outside bar and pier. Great big prices. I believe you can get a room here for $369 per night Sun-Thursday in August. Believe me, that is cheap. Can't beat the location. Zero Duval street with Mallory Square right next door. We have stayed here twice and absolutely loved it.
dave

I'm with Dave on not needing to spend another night on the way back.

For higher end food, we really liked Hot Tin Roof and Opera. Opera did not have very much seafood on the menu at all, but the fish (yellowtail?- can't remember) with arugula pesto was really good. The risotto was not as good- we could tell where the chef was going, and it was a good place, but it was just overseasoned. The dessert was excellent (chocolate something or other, served with a glass of milk)

Hot Tin Roof had a good mix too. I had a shrimp with a lime cream sauce and tomato jam that was really nice.

El Siboney was very highly recommended to us. It's a very homestyle Cuban place. I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't enjoy it, but that's a reflection on how I felt, not anything related to them. The beans were excellent.

BO's is always good for a casual lunch.

The creperie on Duval is great for brunch- Tom's prosciutto, egg and swiss on buckwheat was soo good- and I don't even like savory breakfast foods! The nutella and strawberry was also good.

Blue Heaven is an institution, and the food was pretty decent, although unmemorable (I remember the roosters, I don't remember what I ate). The coffee was good.

We didn't make it to Louie's- we were planning on it, but we were on the wrong side of the island and half drunk.

If you're hungry while you're going through Key Largo, The Fish House was probably the best meal of the trip- great fish, well seasoned, interesting combos. And the best Key Lime Pie we had on the trip. It's next door to the Sandal Outlet, which was actually as expensive as Nordstrom, only with older merchandise.

Just got back last Sunday...

As of last week, for one person...

Breakfast at Turtle Kraals, heuvos rancheros, juice and coffee, $15.00. They have 7 specials as well as regular b'fasts, and you can sit overlooking the Bight.

Breakfast at the Banana Cafe, La Formibable, one of the three filled-crepe specials, juice and coffee. $19.00

Breakfast at Pepe's on Caroline. Special omelette, side of hash-browns, special home-made date-nut bread, juice and coffee. $19.00. (Too much food)

Breakfast at Two Friends on Front. Pancakes, side of bacon, juice and coffee. $16.00, but I had a coupon for a free juice.

Breakfast at the Pier House. Eggs benedict, juice and coffee. $22.00 This would be comparable to the Rooftop Cafe, Bistro 245 at the Westin, and maybe at Blue Heaven for breakfast.

Dinner at B.O.'s Fishwagon on Caroline. Large fish & chips with a coke. $19.00. They only have bottled beer and wine so...

Dinner at El meson de Pepe just off the Mallory Docks. #80, the Cuban sampler with pork, beef, yellow rice, black beans, sweet plantains, and a kind of olive humus, glass of rioja, cafe con leche. $33.00. They add an automatice 18% tip and you can chat with Orlando the head waiter about traveling in Europe. He's a great danceer and you can also sit and listen to the live band.

Dinner at the banana Cafe on Duval. A glass of Kir to start, Hogfish over a bed of couscous, and a glass of red wine (I ask the waiter to choose). $41.00

Several happy hours at Alonzo's. 1/2 lb of peel-your-own spicy shrimp, 12 steamed cherrystone clams, and two Key West Sunset Ales. $21.00

Your table is waiting.

Pjk