I won a stay at the fairfield inn on key west on a priceline bid. Suffice it to say I wasn't all that pleased with the result of that "win", but the price was good, $80 per night at the end of january. Anyway, anybody know how good or bad this place is? I know its not in old town, but is there hope for our stay there?

about 2000 they added some 1 and 2 bedrooms across from their other property on Roosevelt(about 2 miles from Old Town)..do you know which part you are in?..also have studios..must of those places are tired and need revamped..but that is good value..parking in Old Town is a pain and costly..

rates are running about $139 to $189 at the end of Jan-----and free cont. bkfst.........

To be being there is not really being in Key West. I assume you'll have a car to get back and forth and look for parking when you get to the real "Key West"? But maybe the money you saved is worth it to be out of the way.

Thanks, we will have a car, plus rent bikes for tooling around the island. Not sure what part of the hotel we will be in, I assume the studios since we are paying a low rate, probably the room right next to the dumpster;-)
So the new town end of the island is a rather undesirable area I gather, having never been there. No beaches or anything to save it from being a commercial strip anywhere anytown?

The Fairfield Inn is located on Roosevelt Road and is surrounded by strip malls and fast food joints. There are no beaches nearby; all the beaches in Key West are man-made and most are very small. The Bone Island Shuttle stops there, though, so you'll have easy access to Old Town. Is there "hope for your stay"? Sure! Key West is a wonderful vacation destination, so if you just accept the fact that your accommodations aren't in the most convenient location and enjoy everything else, you should have a great time

Across Roosevelt from the main hotel is their suites. We stayed there once when we didn't make a reservation. They are fairly new and have one bedroom with fold out couch and little kitchenette. While the location isn't the greatest, the hotel is clean and does offer a free continental breakfast. You are getting a good price on the hotel for Jan.

While I have no specific info on this particular hotel I suggest you go to Biddingfortravel.com and see what they say. Its a site that helps with priceline and they can let you know if it was a good bid.

soboyle, the glass is half full. You'll be in 80 degree weather the end of January with a pool and access to a beach!

$80 per night is a bargain. You can always go buy cheapie beach chairs and spend your days at Smathers Beach.

Thanks for all the replies.
My wife and i have done budget backpacking travel all around the world (see my website at www.oboylephoto.com for photographs), so I think we will be able to handle the inconvenience of the hotel location. Any further suggestions on what to do with 6 days in key west are welcome. Smathers beach will be on our list. We will have our 1 year old daughter with us, so it will be a new experience for all of us. Any other great beaches in the neighborhood, on other keys? We will have a car so will probably drive back to Bahia Honda for a day at that beach.

Just a follow up on my visit to Key West. I would highly recommend getting a room in the old town part of Key West, the location of the Fairfield Inn is not at all desirable, you will definitely need a car for the duration of the stay if you stay out there, it is just a commercial strip. The hotel itself is clean and a good value.

Thanks for the update. We have booked the BW Hibiscus for late April, will we be in as an undesirable location? I believe it is on Simonton St., about 1300. Also, does it make any sense to book 1 night in Islamorada on the way back to Ft. Lauderdale? I have always wanted to visit, but wonder if 1 day is worthwhile. Thanks