Boutique Hotels in Key West, FL

Just three hours south of Miami, a different kind of getaway exists. Key West has long been a mecca for those who move on island time, don’t need all the frills and find the beauty in the simple things, not labels. Walking in the Keys may predispose you to another kind of traffic jam: the nature kind. Here, roosters and hens run free, as do iguanas near one of a kind boutique hotels in Key West.

Right outside the door of your boutique hotel in Key West literary history bursts from the seams of the island. No trip here would be complete without a stop at the infamous Sloppy Joe’s, where Ernest Hemingway himself had many a nightcap during the World War 2 years. Hemingway, who lived in Key West from 1931 to 1939, wrote some of his most famous works including To Have and Have Not, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.

The house itself is now a National Historic Landmark on Whitehead Street in Old Town, open to visitors who want to see where this literary master wrote some of his best works. The inside is packed with artifacts that beloned to Hemingway himself, including his typewriter, a desk lamp made from an old carburetor and other items that reflect both his personal style as well as highlight how he used them in his writing process.

Dry Tortugas National Park is located about 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico and worth an excursion from your boutique hotel in Key West. The park preserves Fort Jefferson and the seven Dry Tortugas islands. The park has four distinct areas: Fort Jefferson and its surroundings on Garden Key; Bush Key; Long Key; and Loggerhead Key. The islands are reached by boat or seaplane from Florida City (Key West) or Marathon.

Also worth a visit is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park located in Key West, Florida. It was built by the U.S. Army between 1839 and 1845 to defend Key West from any potential attack by sea. Today, it’s the last remaining fort built by the U.S. Army in the Florida Keys, having been abandoned by both sides during multiple wars over its lifetime—the Seminole Wars, Mexican-American War, American Civil War, and Spanish-American War.

The sunset celebration is a nightly event held on the waterfront in Mallory Square. The street performers, musicians, and vendors are free to enjoy. If you're seeking something other than sunset viewing, head over on any Sunday afternoon from March through December at 3:00 p.m. This is when Key West hosts its weekly Sunset Celebration Concert Series where local bands play rock music while everyone dances together under a large tent on Whitehead Street right next door to Mallory Square (which has been transformed into an open-air dance floor). The event ends with a spectacular sunset over Key West's harbor before everyone disperses into nearby bars and restaurants afterward.

Don't forget to check out our boutique hotels nearby in Miami, Miami Beach, and Boca Raton.