I am planning a trip in early February as a Christmas gift for a smoker. Since I have tried to stay with places that have smoking rooms, it has eliminated B*Bs and guesthouses. I have come down to these two hotels, the Hyatt on Front Street and the Pegasus. I have read some iffy reviews on the Hyatt so I have tried to look at alternatives, which comes to the Pegasus. It's location seems good, and the art deco design is a real plus and the price is better than the Hyatt. But being a gift, I am looking for something that is fairly quiet and laidback. Any comments or suggestions?

I've not stayed in either, but Pegasus is in a completely different league than the Hyatt. If I were you, I'd check the La Concha. Right on Duval, definitely nicer than the Pegasus and maybe cheaper than the Hyatt. It appears that they do have smoking rooms.

I hate to throw cold water on your generosity (I sure wish someone would give ME a trip to Key West!), but I've heard very little good about the Pegasus. I've never stayed there, but the outside isn't the great art deco that's in South Beach...it's just an old, dirty hotel.

I looked on tripadvisor and saw some nice comments about this hotel, but tripadvisor doesn't always get it right. AAA gives the Pegasus 2 stars out of 5, and expedia gives it 2 stars out of 4 (the Hyatt gets 3 1/2)

I've stayed at the Hyatt several times (I assume you're referring to the one on Front Street) and like it a lot. The least desirable rooms there are the ones that overlook the public beach, so I'd try not to book that side of the building, but the other rooms are fine. In my opinion, there is NOTHING that would put these two hotels in the same category.

I agree with Jean about LaConcha. If you just want to be on Duval, it'd be a much better choice than the Pegasus, but not as good a choice as the Hyatt.

Thanks for the reassurance on the Hyatt. Like I stated,some iffy reviews have me a bit nervous about the hotel. The airline has already changed our schedule, creating a five hour layover in Miami, and I was afraid that it was just a bad omen. I checked out La Concha, but I can get a partial gulfview room at the Hyatt for about $25 less a night than a standard room there.

Don - There are 4 Hyatt properties in Key West. Two are in great locations and two aren't. The Hyatt Resort and Marina on Front Street is the one I've stayed in and love. The Hyatt Sunset Harbor is a timeshare that rents to non-owners and it's also in a great location next to Mallory Square.

The other two are very inconveniently located. One (Windward Pointe) is on the Atlantic within walking distance of nothing but the airport. The Hyatt Beach House is just at the entrance to Key West and isn't near much but strip malls and fast food restaurants.

I only mention this because I'm surprised that the "good" Hyatts would be less expensive than La Concha. We've paid as much as $400 a night at the Hyatt (over New Year's Eve) and I can't imagine it being more economical than a Holiday Inn.

SusanCS, the reason that I am able to get such a good rate at the Hyatt is that I am a federal employee, and they offer an excellent federal employee rate where the Crown Plaza does not. The Hyatt's federal employee rate is almost $200 better than their standard rate. It seemed like the perfect choice with this rate, until i read some iffy reviews of the hotel. But after reading what you and the other posters have said about the place, I'm starting to feel like I lucked into a good thing. Thanks for the opinions.