Hi all. . .We are looking for a nice place to stay in the Lower Keys for about 3 days in March. Nothing too far from Key West. We will also be staying in Islamorada for 4 days prior. Any and all info greatly appreciated!

I guess I'm confused. Four days in Islamorada then 3 days in Key West would be very nice. Why don't you want to stay in Key West?

I would luv to stay in Key West, not that I dont want to. . . Any suggestions? Heard Old Town was cool. . .

My best advice is to stay at one of the small hotels or B&B's in Old Town. Key West is meant for walking. Staying in the more commercial areas by Roosevelt Road just wouldn't have the same feel. We've stayed at Paradise Inn, Island City House, Ambrosia House and Merlin Guesthouse. We liked them all, although Paradise Inn has gotten pretty darn pricy. We tend to go in November/ December, before high season rates kick in, so can't help with prices. We had a very pleasant stand alone cottage at Merlin in November for $129.00.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn Suites and really enjoyed the place. We were able to drive to KW for the day.

Key West BnB that is TERRIFIC--the Marquesa Inn...

HOW ABOUT THE ALMOND TREE INN in KEY WEST?

Marquesa is tops! It doesn't get better!

I don't doubt for a minute that Marquesa may be the nicest B&B/small hotel in Key West. But, it costs almost twice as much as many places that are very nice. Guess it depends on individual budgets.

JeanH is right on the mark with all of her advice. There are many wonderful inns and small hotels in Old Town. It does depend on your budget since you are going during high season. For a nice inn at a reasonable rate, I highly recommend the Almond Tree Inn. We stayed at Almond Tree Inn last year and loved it! Only drawback was that it did not have a lush, jungle-like garden area as some of the other inns do. That said, it is a wonderful small property and in a great location for walking to either end of Duval. The rooms are very nice (and for the same rate at other properties, you would have a tiny room.) If you want to go top of the line, then stay at Marquesa.

As far as Islamorada, we have stayed at Hampton Inn. It was nice, definitely more than I expected. In a few weeks, we will be returning to Islamorada and staying at Casa Morada.

I know many people love the small B&B's, but when I'm on vacation, I would rather be staying right on the water whenever possible. The Ocean Key Resort is really nice and overlooks the Gulf and Old Town in Key West.

We stayed at the Ocean Key Resort last January and loved it! We were within walking distance to everything. I loved that the pool overlooks the water. We bought a package from Luxurylink.com and got a great deal. I cannot say enough nice things about this hotel. We were held up by bad weather in Atlanta and arrived a day late. They were so accomodating!