Minimum stay nightmare -- any advice?
 

I'm trying to find a double room for less than a 4-night period between Christmas 2008 and New Year's Day in the Florida Keys.

It appears impossible! Am I trying to reserve too early or am I just naive?

We're not picky and willing to pay high season rates but it appears to be impossible to reserve places for 2 or 3 days.

Any advice would be appreciated =)

It is peak season and the keys sell out between Christmas and New Years.

You can either gamble that hotels will drop their minimum night requirements and wait to book as it get closer to your date or suck it up (egads) and spend five days in the keys:)

My thoughts are with the gas crunch and the ecomy that they will not sell out.

However what you will be left with are the most expensive accommodations and the places you don't want to stay.

Aack! The economy not the ecomy.

"It's the economy stupid"

This is a real problem in many resorts, certainly here in Nantucket in season.

There are a lot of young professionals who, like you, are willing to pay high rates but cannot get more than a couple of days off at a time. In some industries (law, investment banking) 80 1and 90 hour weeks are the norm.

The hospitality industry is not serving the very people who in the future will have the big bucks that they want.

But it's a smart economic move. If they can fill every room with people staying at least four nights, why risk having a room sitting empty for one or two nights during a peak period?

AckIslander,
Sorry, but I disagree with your point. If the rooms are being booked even with the minimum stay, that implies to me that the demand merits that provision. If they can rent the room with the minimum stay then in fact they are meeting what their customers want.

I just checked Hyatt Key West, and it showed availability for two hypothetical stays I tried...one Dec 24-26, the other Dec 27-30. Didn't run others--but it doesn't appear from those dates that they have the minimum stay requirement you've been finding. Rates are 6 something a night. Yowzer!

One to two weeks around Christmas is pretty much the norm for highly popular spots.
You may get lucky as it gets closer that they may not be full and will be willing to take shorter stays.

A few years ago I somehow got around a minimum stay over a Saturday night thing in Las Vegas by booking thru Expedia or Travelocity - I fell into it be accident since I was looking for a hotel that had different rules. Worth a try.

If you can't meet the minimum requirement, try to keep your dates open and flexible and be in touch with them closer to the date, because things always change and people always cancel and they may be left with a two or three night opening. More likely in a last minute situation but couldnt hurt to try!

Thank you for your advice.

I am indeed willing to suck it up and spend up to 5 days in the Keys BUT I don't want to spend them all in one place!

I guess I lied about willing to pay high prices: over 500/night is too much.

Great idea with Expedia etc; it does look like I can reserve rooms in the big chain hotels --- for one night even! I wanted to stay in mom and pop establishments but it looks like this trip will be all about flexibility and modifying the way I usually like to vacation ;)

Where have you tried? We just got back. We stayed at the Olivia By Duval and liked it. The location is pretty much in the middle of Duval, so it is quiet, but not a really long walk. The rental company does manage several properties, so calling them may bring up other options as well. Website is oliviabyduval.com

One tip- make a reservation for Key Largo if you want to stay there. Apparently there was a failed development that bought up a huge number of the old cheap mom and pop places. We stayed at the Bay Harbor resort and were very happy with it- except for the price tag. Not that it wasn't worth it, we just weren't planning on spending that much (I think it was 180 after taxes, and everything we were looking at in Key West was about 100).

Thanks cocontom, I checked with Bay Harbor Lodge and they have a minimum stay of SIX days -- it's getting worse!

I've got no comfort for you, only to say that's very common in most resort areas over the holidays (even Mexico).

My guess is that this is not going to resolve to your liking. Most of the popular places seem to have minimums and even the chains during this week may have too. Here is a site the keys tourism council has that lists spots throughout the Keys. It is broken down by area. Most places have email links. Sit down sometime and e-mail everyone with your requests and see what comes back.

http://fla-keys.com/

We stayed with these folks a couple of weeks ago and they do not appear to have a minimum. They were oceanside in Key Largo.

www.dovecreeklodge.com

I will do a mass mailing this weekend just for laughs since as most of you have said there's little hope :(

My present solution is to find a moderately priced place which I like, reserve for 4 nights and just leave after 3 nights. I've reconciled myself to pay the extra night for peace of mind...

So if anyone is looking for a one-night stay in the middle keys, for the 1st Jan, I will be able to help you =)

just make sure your hotel doesn't have an "early departure penalty". that never seemed to make sense to me, but many hotels do have those.

Oh no I never heard of an early departure penalty! If I pay for the day I'm not there, why would they penalize me?!?

Have you checked into VRBO? There are some duplexes on Key Colony Beach for rent by the week (I know...you only want a few days) but for $895 2/2 or $775 for 1/1, you could leave early and still save $. I looked at two of the ads and they come with a membership to a club with a pool. They looked really cute. Just a thought! Good luck in your search.
We have a neighbor that rents a duplex yearly in this area during lobster sport season. The manager told him that this is the first year he has had vacancies during that period. So I'm assuming the economy has taken a toll to the area.

moxie, unless you have a boat or are planning on renting a boat, I would plan my entire stay out of and around Key West.

I love Islamorada and it is my favorite place in the keys but it is boring if you aren't out over the water.

While you can find lots to do, you'll spend time running up and down US 1 trying to entertain yourselves.

Agree with www.VRBO.com. You may be able to rent a place for a week on there for less than what the minimum stay requirement is at most Key West hotels.