El Patio Motel — Hotel in Key West

If you're looking for luxury, keep looking because you won't find it here. However if you are looking for a consistently clean, friendly, and inexpensive (for the Keys) place to stay while in Key West then El Patio Motel is probably your best choice. Luckily we live in Florida, so it's easier for us to steal away and head south for the weekend. We've found over the years The El Patio still comes out on top.

The El Patio is a two level Art Deco style motel with a rooftop sundeck and a saltwater pool. We prefer it's location because the motel is in a residential area (which means the neighborhood is normally quiet.) and only a few blocks from both the beach and Duval Street. Parking is somewhat limited (but free) so I suggest if you drive like us, park your car and walk and/or take taxis everywhere. Trust me, parking is at a premium all over Key West and it will end up being cheaper taking a taxi from the far end of the island back to El Patio than paying to park your car in lot for the day (and probably safer if you plan on drinking!). The staff here are very helpful and will offer suggestions on where to go based on your interests. When you check in they'll even give you a detailed map of the area along with coupons and specials.

The accommodations are clean, but basic. Queen bedding, small fridge, TV, small table with a couple of chairs, tile (it's actually linoleum I think), a wall unit AC and a small bathroom. The suites are of course larger, with the additional space being used in a separate bedroom and kitchen amenities. I've stayed in every type of room there over the years and The El Patio's website photos are pretty much right on the money. I suggest you take a look at the photos and see if you think the motel rooms are a right fit for your needs.

Something else, the price. Don't expect the same type of hotel rates in the Keys that you normally get in other Florida cities because it's not going to happen. I work in the travel industry and hotels are notoriously expensive in this region. An economy brand hotel may rent their rooms at $100 in Orlando, but in Key West the same accommodations will easily be almost triple that rate, especially in season.

One last thing,...

Stayed at El Patio for a third time from 25 Nov-29 Nov 2021 (Although the registration has not always been in my name). I must complain a bit this time. House keeping has really dropped the ball. We were asked if we wanted the service one afternoon,; to which we replied yes. We were told we would have to vacate the room first. !0 minutes we returned to find our room barely touched. Not even the beds were made up. The top spread was sort of pulled up, but it was left a mess. The floor or anything else was not touched except that I believe the towels were swapped. Very disappointed. I do not require a 5 star hotel, Although I have stayed in many. I do require a hotel were the employees give a crap about their jobs and do their jobs to a standard so the customer can see this. Undecided at this point, but I may look elsewhere for accommodation my next trip to Key West.

Stayed at El Patio for the 4th time June 5th - 7th. Little has changed. Very reasonably priced and comfortable. Unfortunately the house keeping has not changed either. Beds were very poorly made. Worst still, dirty towels were left in the bathrooms, a couple even folded and hanging. Poor House keeping really needs to be addressed.

Stayed here for the 5th time July 2023. I believe in loyalty, but loyalty works best when there is a bit of reciprocity. Nothing has changed. House keeping continues to be abysmal. I found out the owners spend the summer period up in New England. Perhaps this luxury is eating significantly into the house keeping budget.

January 2025. Back for the 6th time. Patio overall is still a great hotel to spend a few nights. Location is fantastic. Unfortunately the housekeeping remains...

Spent two nights here recently. This is a small, retro, quaint, little hotel located close to the beach, but tucked in a residential neighborhood, which was quiet, except for those roosters....LOL...which are everywhere in Key West, anyway, so that was okay. It's part of the charm in Key West. The rooms are older but large and clean, with a very small bathroom, with cool, retro-Florida colored tile. The shower had good water pressure. This place is cute with a fountain in the center courtyard, with tables, and spiral stairways that you can walk to the second floor, and one that goes up to a rooftop terrace. Lots of lush vegetation on the property, also. No elevators. There was no coffee or breakfast available, but you can easily walk to get coffee at the coffee shop/general store just around the corner; also a quick walk to the beach and pier where you can watch the sunset/sunrise. The staff was okay, but I was a little taken back when I arrived about an hour before check in, and when I asked if I could use a bathroom, the front desk man told me that the only bathrooms available were in the rooms, and that I would have to wait until check in. I found a bathroom down at the beach, but, since I was spending over 300.00 a night, I though he could at least let me use a bathroom. That's the one thing with privately owned properties that aren't chains - they don't have to adhere to any customer service standards. But I believe that customer service should always be a priority. After all, there's lots of hotel competition in that area. So, when they say a 3:00 p.m. check in, they mean it. Don't ask for any favors before that.....but other than that,...