Johanna1

I hope I didn't just double-post. I'm trying to narrow down our lodging choice for Key West. We plan to go for a week next year in August 2004. I know, I know, it's going to be hot, but our 5th Anniversary is 8/20 and this is the honeymoon we never got to take due to a job change that didn't work out. Anyway, it appears that in order to experience the full Key West flavor, we should stay at a guesthouse or B&B. While we are not going to scrimp, we don't want to spend more than $150/day for a room either, and at that time of year it seems we could get something nice for that price. We are in our early 40's, no kids, enjoy and need our privacy and will definitely want our R&R time sans noise and disturbances at certain times. With staying a week, a kitchen would be great and a decent pool is absolutely necessary too. With that in mind, what do you think of Ambrosia House or Ambrosia Too? From what I have read so far, it seems close enough to Duvall Street to walk back and forth, yet not so close that the noise from the all-night partying would be a problem. Which room would be best for us? Also, could the presence of cruise ships at this location be a noise problem or block any views? Any and all suggestions welcome!

alex

We just got back from a long weekend in Key West, having been several times before, but always in May. We had a fantastic time as always but I don't think I was prepared for how truly hot it actually was going to be (and I lived in central Virginia for 11 years). You are very wise to seek out a place with a good pool because you will be using it a lot. I have not stayed at Ambrosia or Ambrosia Too but the location is excellent. It is a short walk to everything, yet in a quiet area. It is not located on the beach or water, so cruise ships are not really going to be an issue. There may be some while you are there (there were two in port on the Sunday we were there) but they dock near the Hilton and do not block most views (although I suppose they would if you stayed at the Hilton). They also leave (usually - they are supposed to anyway) before sunset. We stayed at Simonton Court this time which we really enjoyed, but the room we had was a little above your requested price range. They do have rooms for $129 and $139 but I don't believe any of them have kitchens, only fridges (which was really the only thing we used). We stayed in Hibiscus (MH-1) which has a full kitchen, a private hot tub, and a pool shared with one other suite, as well as the larger main pool. No children are allowed. I would suggest Cafe Marquesa for an anniversary dinner - very romantic and excellent food and service. So, that is another suggestion. Anyway, I hope this helps!

mrtod

I highly reccomend Ambrosia House, I've stayed there twice and will most likely return. In August the price should be around $130.00 per night and that includes a light breakfast. This hotel is similar to both Heron House and Simonton Court. I've stayed at both but like Ambrosia the best. Also Ambrosia has very comfortable beds and is very quiet at night. For the real KW experiance try a poolside at Ambrosia Two.

Enjoy!

Surfrider

For restaurants, may I suggest: Antonia; Mangoes; Blue Heaven; Cafe Marquesa; Seven Fish; and Pisces.

For t-shirts, don't miss Last Flight Out at 503 Greene Street; and gifts, Glass Reunion at 825 Duval Street.

Visit Hemingway's house at Olivia and Whitehall Streets - enjoy his cats!

And for a funky lunch, try The Iguana at 425 Greene - conch chowder and alligator tail sandwiches.

alex

mrtod, why did you prefer Ambrosia over Simonton Court and which room did you stay in at Simonton? We have stayed somewhere different every time so we are always looking for a new place to try. Both Heron House and The Gardens were sold out for the time we were there this past trip. I second the recommendations of Seven Fish and Blue Heaven. I had read a couple of complaints about service at Seven Fish but we went back again this trip and it was as good as ever. I would also recommend 915 Duval for tapas. Also close to Ambrosia is Fausto's Food Palace, a little grocery store that had a nice selection of wines, cheeses, and foods to go. There are other less expensive grocery stores but we really liked the selection there. Another nice place to buy wine is Grand Vin where you can sit at the wine bar have a glass or try a flight.

Johanna1

Thank you all so much for the feedback, although Alex is scaring me a little with the references to the incredible heat. If it's intolerable in May, what will it be like in August? We live in suburban Maryland, and it's quite hot in the summer. Will Key West be so hot in August that you literally can't go out? If so, we may have to change our travel dates.

GoTravel

August in Key West will be very hot, muggy, and humid with a chance of a quick thunderstorm every afternoon.

The thing I don't like about the keys in August is that you can't cool off by jumping in the ocean when the water temps are in the upper 80s.

I don't like to go to South Florida May through September.

Lee4

Hi Johanna1,

My husband and I spent our 5th anniversary in Key West a few years ago, and we were there at the end of July, beginning of August! Yes, it was HOT, but we live in the South and are used to heat and humidity.

We stayed in a rental cottage we found through the Center Court Historic Homes and Cottages. If you go to Google and type those key words in, I'm sure you'll find their website. I viewed different rentals of theirs on the website and also got pricing information. Since we were going in the summer, we got a discounted rate. Our cottage was a 1 bd/1 ba (upstairs) with a living room and kitchen/dining room downstairs. It had A/C which was certainly needed there! The pool was 2 houses down, and they had an adult only pool, as well as family pools. We were one block off of Duvall and walked to most things. I highly recommend this company and know they have some excellent properties all over Key West.

Yes, it will be hot, but you'll be able to cool off inside your hotel room/apartment and inside the stores, restaurants, etc. Just take lots of breaks.

My favorite restaurants were Mangia Mangia (Italian), El Siboney (Cuban), Five Brothers Grocery (Cuban), and Blue Heaven. We also frequented a small French bakery on Duvall (can't remember the name) and it was delicious!

clairelong

We went to Fort Lauderdale and the Keys in June...it was fine. In the evening it was great...compared to being in the Houston heat!

These people that love Key West apparently do not go to Key West for the beauty of a beach...cause there's not a beach but rocks instead.

But you all must have see something that i didn't when i went.

alex

Johanna1,

I certainly was not trying to scare you, just to prepare you. I think maybe my message was somewhat misinterpreted. I don't think I said the heat was intolerable in May - I was referring to our most recent visit this August (Aug 1-4). The temps in early May when we have gone before have always been extremely pleasant, right around 78-80 with a light breeze. If you look on weather.com, you can see the average temps for every day of the year for Key West. In early May, the mean temp is around 79, while in early August, it is 85. While we were there, it was much closer to 95 every day and very humid. It is also rained very hard several times but never for a very long period of time (usually cleared up within a half hour except Saturday night when it probably rained for closer to an hour). That being said, I would go back in a heartbeat. As someone else noted, the evenings were very pleasant. So, the daytime was fine for lounging around the pool, swimming and sipping frosty drinks while the evenings were pleasant for strolling around town, shopping and dining. I really hope I didn't scare you off - Key West is one of my favorite places!

Alex

Surfrider

Just returned from Key West two weeks ago - and oh yes, it was very hot (90 plus) and humid - we joked it was a 3 t-shirt a day place.

You will need a nice cool swimming pool. And excellent A/C. Take a sunset cruise - not expensive, and it is beautiful.

You can skip the Green Parrot bar - it is a dump!!!

alex

Totally disagree about the Green Parrot Bar - one of our favorites (although it is definitely a dive)! One of the bartenders is a regular Chicago visitor and fellow Cubs fan!

JeanH

I've been to Key West several times, and I think the hottest was the one when we traveled in September. It was the only time that the heat actually drove us inside for dining.

As far as accomodations go, our favorite room is at the Island City House. The one one the third floor of the main house in the back. Puts you at coconut level. Huge semi-private veranda. What I mean by that is, some people may wander by, but the furniture is for the occupants of that room. Full kitchen, although we only used the fridge. Not huge or fancy, the bathroom is small, but very nice. Large pool on site. Hot tub (maybe they put cool water in it in the summer), and nice tropical landscaping. Under $150.00 in the summer.

Jean