Caribbean House — Hotel in Key West

My husband and I spent 4 days in Key West and stayed at the Caribbean House. Since I go off of reviews when booking I want to be honest but fair.

I really like that there’s a keypad to get into the little courtyard after hours. The area is nice and feels safe, but that gave an extra sense of security. The rooms are very small but clean - we could smell that they had been disinfected (in a good way, not overpowering). We didn’t mind the small room because who in the world stays in their room other than to sleep?! The bathroom door was not a solid door - it was a louvered door (slotted) - so you could see/hear everything, which might make a newlywed or newer couple uncomfortable. After 26 years together it didn’t bother us, but it would have bothered me on year one or even year five lol. A big plus is that the air conditioning in the room works really, really well!!

I wouldn’t call it a bed and breakfast as the breakfast was more of a continental style. It also seemed to be better varied with more offerings on the weekend than the weekday. However they have free breakfast mimosas and what they do provided is enough to get you started for the day. We prefer to eat out and try the local food, so the continental breakfast was not an issue for us.The breakfast area is covered (which is nice if it rains or is super hot/sunny); and it’s very cute. They have ashtrays out if you're a smoker. They also have a microwave if you have leftovers and a fridge with snacks/drinks (honor system).

One downside is that the bed was really uncomfortable for us, (very firm). But we are older and spoiled to our higher-end mattress at home. Not a deal breaker for us but something to keep in mind if you have back issues. Our backs were definitely sore upon waking.

Parking is scarce, but we lucked out and were able to park directly across the street, on the street, for free. There’s also a free parking lot not far or you can pay a reasonable fee to have one of the 4 spots they do offer.

The major selling point for us was that it’s in such a FANTASTIC, central location that we were able to walk everywhere! There’s great restaurants very close by and Duval Street, Mallory Square, and Southern Most Point were all a very comfortable walking distance. We didn’t use our rental car once. We literally walked everywhere because it was so convenient!! However they also offer inexpensive bicycle rentals if that’s more your speed.

It definitely has a more laid back vibe and is much less fussy than an hotel. It felt very “Key West” in a good way! All in all we were very pleased with our stay and would...

Ok…I was excited about trying this one out for its excellent reviews. Here is my objective review, you decide for yourself.

Pros: great location, you are going to be in the middle of all the activities. Restaurants, shops, historic landmarks, museums, etc. Yet, the hotel is not in crazy busy and loud area. You will have relatively quiet stay (more about it later, keep on reading). Overall, fairly clean and well kept. Per my request, I was able to check in well before 3 pm (around noon, thank you for that!).

And that’s where it ends.

Con’s: like everything else in Key West, the property is old and very dated. The rooms are very small, even more so was the bathroom. The shower was 2,5’x2’. No, it’s real, enough to fit me in so I could spin around to take a shower. The sink barely fitted in the corner. Very small. There is no room to breathe there. Some mold on the ceiling and walls (expected as it is moist environment and humidity is common in Key West).

If you are a light sleeper look somewhere else! Noise insulation is nonexistent. I had neighbors and I could hear everything they were fighting about. Yeah, it was bad. So if you are going to have neighbors next door (and you will most likely), it will be loud, regardless.

Breakfast was a joke. Pics included. Check it out. The blueberry scone was a midget size, so was the orange. No hot items, everything wad cold. You’ll have an option of coffee and juice, some fruit, bagel and cheese, cereal with milk, yogurt and that’s about it. If you are looking for a real breakfast, there are tons of restaurants near by that do an excellent job.

Mattress…ohhh boy. That one is a separate subject. It was VERY firm. I’m not spoiled, so it didn’t bother me that much. It’s been a while since I slept on such a hard mattress tho. For some it might be an issue. TV is from a previous era, small and poor quality. But I didn’t use it, didn’t care for one to begin with.

You are gonna end up carrying a real key for you room as rooms are not equipped with magnetic cards like most of the hotels use. Don’t loose it or it will cost you.

Service…mmm. The hotel stuff interaction was mediocre. They were friendly enough, but weren’t really welcoming. (Yes, you guys are in hospitality business, you should be more welcoming if you plan on retaining your guests’ business).

Conclusion: if you are looking for a boutique type of hotel - this is not it. Far from it. This one had a lot of “excellent” reviews, but not in my book. You guys can do much better to earn this. If you are looking to crash for a night or two, this place is...

Our stay: January 28-31, 2024

A B&B that gets both B’s wrong.

At every B&B we’ve ever stayed at, we have been warmly welcomed and made to feel like family.

Not here.

The food has been magnificent.

Not here.

The staff has been kind and warm.

Not here.

That they can get $339 a night comes down to three things: Location Location Location

That part they got right. Nice neighborhood with great restaurants.

These parts they got wrong: Breakfast consisted of a list of continental options you would not serve to anyone you cared about: bananas so mealy you would only make bread from them or feed them to a baby. Other choices: Cheerios in a cup, Greek yogurt, and a few other items which besmirch the “B” in Bed and Breakfast; As for other “B,” the room is so small, you cannot store any bags without tripping over them. It makes NYC hotel rooms—notoriously small—look like the Taj Mahal. There is no more than 2 feet between the mattress and the side walls. One person must either sit on the bed or wait outside if the other wants to walk to the bathroom. Get ready to say, “Excuse me” a lot. (note: we were in the Cuba room. Each room is different but other guests commented on the size, too); The mattress needed to replaced 10 years ago, along with the pillows; Now to the bathroom. Zero privacy due to a louvered door. You must enter sideways because of the sink’s location. Sideways!!! It is so small, you can sit on the toilet and touch all four walls at the same time. Oh, and there is no outside ventilation in the bathroom other than an overhead fan, so you’d better take aim and hit your mark else you will be living with that smell for the duration of your stay; There is no guest parking in front despite there being four parking spots available. Management has installed pipes blocking their use. Again, the common denominator is “You are not welcome here.”

Nothing about this place was welcoming. Or comfortable.

The Caribbean House feels like it was bought by private equity and then stripped of anything which made it comfortable, focusing only on profit. It’s amazing the owners think it is an acceptable offering. They should be embarrassed.

Hard to imagine the circumstances under which we would return to The Caribbean House. It’s a B&B that gets both B’s wrong.

Driving away, my wife said to me, “I wonder if anyone has ever walked in to their room and said, ‘Nope!.’”

Let me save you some time: Say it now and then find different...