This was our third time in Key West, and we would definitely come back. It is a fun, relaxing and scenic place. There are also interesting site-seeing places here, such as the Hemingway House and Truman White House. We had seen them before so didn’t go back there on this trip.
Our hotel was great. We used Bonvoy points for the room, and then paid $150 per night extra to upgrade to a Presidential Suite, which was worth it. We are Gold Elite Bonvoy members, and you need to be Platinum members to get free breakfast, which takes 50 stays per year, so we will never reach that level. According to the manager here, 70% of the people staying here have Platinum or higher status.
Other than commercial fishing, tourism is the only industry here. There are a huge number of restaurants here, and most of them seem to be very busy. As expected, the seafood here is very fresh and tasty. There are also a huge number of tourist and clothing stores.
Key West has a very Caribbean flavor to it. It reminds us of a lot of places we have stopped on Caribbean cruises. The homes are all Caribbean style, there are a lot of roosters walking around. and there’s even a Diamonds International store.
It’s only a fifteen minute drive from one end of the key to the other. We know because we made the trip at least once a day. It’s very easy to get around without a car, which is nice. For those who do have cars, the preferred model is a convertible Mustang.
In summary, Key West is a great place to visit if you want a combination of relaxation, activity, no stress, and winter warmth. It is even more attractive now that there are direct flights from Chicago.
Notes from Barbara for our next trip here:
• Try the restaurant Little Pearl – great reviews & heard people talking about it.
• Try some of the restaurants near A&B Lobster (the Harbor Walk) – lots of cute places on the water.
• Go to the aquarium – we haven’t done that yet.
• Uber back from the grocery store on the first day.
• Bring a few baggies from home.
• Having breakfast in our unit worked great.
• Buy swimming noodles at Walgreens for the pool.
• Nicer walks are in the neighborhoods than near the hotel.
• Heard the Sheraton has been rehabbed – could check it out too.
• Nothing to buy for the grandkids in Key West – all junk – think about buying something at home for a gift before we go.
• We used points for our room at the Marriott & paid to upgrade to a suite – well worth it. Unit was huge & we really enjoyed it.
• We lucked out this time with beautiful weather but be prepared for rain.
• We enjoy Key West & hopefully will come back again.
Jim and Barbara's Travel Journal 