Filled With Charm, The Lighthouse Court Hotel Is A Rustic But Modern Inn That Is A Sanctuary Without Giving Up The Thrills In The Heart Of Key West
by Heather Cassell
If island charm is what you are wanting to wake up to in the morning, look no further than the Lighthouse Court Hotel (902 Whitehead Street; 800-549-4430 or 305-294-9588; ; HistoricKeyWestInns.com/The-Inns/Lighthouse-Court) in Key West, Florida.
Girls That Roam woke up to roosters crowing as the morning rays shone through the cracks in the wooden blinds. We slept in that morning because we arrived very early in the morning from the West Coast.
When we awoke to the sounds of the rooster and the stirrings of other guests, we discovered that our second floor room was a perfect sanctuary that also provided a bird’s eye view of the goings on at the historic 40-room hotel inn. Just outside our room was a whitewashed weathered wood deck that led down to the café/bar and pool area.
From the deck we could watch all of the activities below from guests floating around and splashing in the small pool or hanging out in the hot tub to friends enjoying a complementary light breakfast from the café beneath us around the pool to others playing a game of Corn Hole in the shade of the palm trees. At night we enjoyed relaxing staring up into the night sky freshly washed from the tropical rains during the day making the stars twinkle even brighter.
Our room wasn’t only a sanctuary, but the Lighthouse Court Hotel provided an escape just far away enough from the action on Duval Street, which spans across the key with restaurants, bars and shops. Located in Old Town Key West, it is also easy walking, biking or scootering distance to historical sites, starting with the historic Hemmingway House. The house is now the residence of his famed six-toed cats who sometimes escape from behind the walls and can be seen cruising along with the tourists along the sidewalk around the property right across the street from the inn. On the other side of the inn there’s the historic Lighthouse Museum. And further down the road from the inn is the Southern Most Point. These are just a few of the interesting things to see and do in Key West that are all within a simple stroll from the inn.
The staff was friendly and very helpful from fixing the old toilet in our room to suggesting places to rent scooters for the best price or restaurant recommendations and things to do during the day, other than laze around the pool or on the beach.
The atmosphere of the inn is a cross from a rustic beach house to coastal plantation cottages, which makes sense since ten of the “conch” buildings on the property date back to 1890 to the 1920s, according to the Historical Inns of Key West.
In spite of its historic exterior and the interiors retaining the look and feel of a long ago era the rooms are fully set up with all of the comforts of the modern world and is eco-friendly and parking is available for $10 a day.
We couldn’t have asked for a better place and location to stay.
THE FLUFF
Lighthouse Court Hotel, 902 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040. 800-549-4430 or 305-294-9588. . HistoricKeyWestInns.com/The-Inns/Lighthouse-Court.
RATING: 3 = Aqua
(5 best – 0 worst: color code: 5 = midnight blue; 4 = black; 3 = Aqua; 2 = orange; 1 = gold; and 0 = green)
TYPE OF LODGING: Women-owned, Historic Inn
CHECK OUT: $$$ = $175 – $350
(Lowest price for a single night in a standard room during high-season)
SWEET DREAMS: This was a perfect retreat after a day in the sun and nighttime fun on Duval Street.
WORTH THE SLEEP?: zzz = Like being at home
VIBE: Cool as a cucumber in a summer breeze, everyone is casual and friendly in the most welcoming way from the staff to the guests.
SCENE: You know you are on vacation. The everyday wear is bikini’s, tank tops, shorts, sunglasses, and flip flops.
LOCATION: If location is highly important to you, this is the place to stay. It’s close to everything, but a sanctuary away from the party on Duval Street and the crowds at tourist hot spots.
ROOM: Warm, sunny, bright white washed that is clean, comfortable and even the waves in the distance can be heard from your room lulling you to sleep. The rooms aren’t spacious, but it wasn’t cramped either. The bed is extremely comfortable and there were enough outlets for our devices.
BATHROOM: Small and comfortable with a shower. Not quite enough space for all toiletries, but was stocked with eco-friendly supplies. We did have an issue with our toilet because it’s a very old building, but the staff came and fixed it right away.
AMENITIES: Café/bar at the pool serving complementary breakfast and coffee in the morning with outdoor seating around the pool and hot tub. Games in the grassy area. Free Wi-Fi. Close to historical sites and places of interest, restaurants and bars, shopping, and beaches. Parking is available for $10 a day in the hotel lot.
To plan your Key West vacation, contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel in association with Travel Advisors of Los Gatos at 415-517-7239 at .
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