The Best Hotels to Book in the Florida Keys
There aren’t too many more scenic places in the US than the Florida Keys. 120 islands make up the archipelago, which is a fabulous destination for fishing, snorkeling and everything in between – so book your hotel with Culture Trip and test out your sea legs.
The one-time haunt of Hemingway, the favored winter retreat of President Truman and the setting for Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall’s final film, the Florida Keys have long been celebrated as the glamorous end of the Sunshine State. Here, there are hotels in vintage mansions and glam retreats on yacht-crammed marinas, plus any number of lavish beachside resorts. Just pick your island, order a rum punch and settle in on the terrace to watch the sunset.
Tranquility Bay Beachfront Hotel and Resort
Hotel, Resort
A gleaming white statement on a white-sand beach, close to where the Seven Mile Bridge enters Marathon, Tranquility Bay delivers the Florida Keys you’ve always imagined. White wooden verandas look out over the sea from the two-story beach houses, palm fronds dance in the breeze and garden rooms offer glimpses of green through Venetian blinds. Full-sized kitchens with giant fridge-freezers elevate the beach houses into sophisticated self-catering spaces.
The Gardens Hotel
Boutique Hotel, Bed and Breakfast
Palm fronds tickle the frontage of this gorgeous Key West mansion, which could have been plucked from a black-and-white movie. Whirring fans circle gently overhead on the terrace and balcony, and rooms spill from the main building into cottages in the grounds. Handsome antique writing desks, four-poster beds, cane armchairs and eclectic works by Key West artists give the rooms an old-time feel, conjuring the atmosphere of the island’s heyday.
Coconut Palm Inn
Hotel
Occupying prime grounds in Tavernier on Key Largo, the Coconut Palm Inn has been welcoming guests to the Keys since 1947, with a broad waterfront frontage facing a stretch of blue water and the hotel’s boardwalk jetty. Airy rooms with period flourishes have terraces enveloped by a lush tropical garden, and the expansive suites face onto the hotel’s palm-dotted beach. All have little details which recall the building’s history, such as Audubon Society bird prints – a nod to the original owners’ favorite hobby.
Orchid Key Inn
Hotel
The Perry Hotel & Marina Key West
Chain Hotel
It’s all about the sea at this stand-out-from-the-crowd hotel that brings a bit of industrial chic to the Florida Keys. Take a drink out onto the terrace and balconies, and the views conjure dive trips, fair winds and deep-sea fishing. Looking in the other direction, it’s all about exposed timber, steel angles and smooth concrete. Rooms have acres of glass to let in the views, along with clean white lines, lush linen and warm-toned woods.
The Saint Hotel Key West, Autograph Collection
Boutique Hotel, Hotel
Walk about 300ft (91m) from this low-key but luxurious Key West hotel and you’ve gone as far west as you can go in the Florida Keys without tumbling into the sea. Set inside a classic, weatherboard-fronted Key West house, the Saint is small and intimate, with a tucked-away garden pool, and high-style rooms with mirrored furniture, iHome digital sound systems, crisp linen and ocean-blue ceilings. There’s a restaurant and bar, and more great dining in the grid of streets right outside.
The Grand Guesthouse
Hotel, Guesthouse
Two blocks south from the historic Key West cemetery, the Grand is as unpretentious and easygoing a stay as you’ll find anywhere in the Florida Keys. Behind gently nodding palms and an airy veranda, you’ll find cute, cozy rooms with colorful bits of art and their own private entrances, set around a shady, tropical yard. The house has a classic Key West story – it was built as dormitories for cigar-rollers during the 1880s. On-site parking is an extra plus.
Ocean Key Resort and Spa
Resort, Spa Hotel
The Ocean Key serves up the full tropical package, slotting seamlessly into its Key West setting. Smart, summery rooms with day-beds on the veranda look directly onto a vivid sweep of turquoise blue, with passing yachts for company. Colorful wooden chairs and tables, shaded by sun umbrellas, fill the hotel’s private jetty, and huge windows bring the swish of the Gulf of Mexico into the room as you sleep.
Amsterdam's Curry Mansion Inn
Hotel
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.