TL;DR
- Historic charm: Renovated 19th-century buildings with rich history.
- Dreamy vibe: Balconies, lush landscaping, and elegant design.
- Adults only: Relaxed, mature atmosphere with Key West fun just outside.
- Check prices here
The Marquesa Hotel is a collection of gorgeously renovated historic houses in Key West, Florida.
The main building, after barely surviving the great Key West fire of 1886, historically served as a corner store, guestrooms, an apartment building, and even a furniture store.
Since 1994 the complex has existed in all the glory of charming wooden residences, supplemented by multiple pools.
It has a serious ‘dream house’ ambience, beautifully designed and bursting with breezy balconies, en-point landscaping and friendly, professional staff.
The adults-only label guarantees a level of relaxation that you can easily amp up simply by stepping out into Key West’s notoriously fun center.
What are the rooms like?
- Unique flair: 44 rooms and suites with individual design touches.
- Well equipped: King beds, minibars, coffee makers, & some with kitchens, bath tubs & balconies.
- Range of sizes: Rooms from 250 sq ft to suites of 630 sq ft.
- See each room in detail here
Like many historic buildings, each room, and especially each property, will have a unique flair.
Here, guestrooms are generally confined to the original building, while a 2018 acquisition hosts most of the Premiere Suites.
The hotel generally doesn’t guarantee specific rooms.
The high ratings though, suggest that it doesn’t matter that much.
It’s all done up in a clean kind of contemporary chic, neither super youthful, nor dated.
It’s mostly the nice timeless elegance of a leather chair here, a walnut antique there, sparkling white linens and enough variety in decor to make each room feel special.
Guestrooms start at around 250 square feet, which is on the smaller side for Florida, but pretty typical for a historic island hotel.
Deluxe Rooms generally run 300+ square feet, and Suites range from 350 to 630 square feet.
Nothing is going to reach the opulence of a 1500+ city hotel penthouse, but that’s just not the vibe here.
Whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy a king bed, some kind of seating, a mini bar and coffee service in the room.
Many options have a mini-kitchen, most have bath tubs, and balconies, and the views are almost uniformly charming.
What are prices like?
And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?
- On-site dining: Café Marquesa serves acclaimed seafood and American classics.
- Relaxation: Three pools, landscaped courtyards, and spa access.
- Extras: Complimentary bikes, concierge service, and welcome cocktails.
As a guest, you’ll enjoy coffee & tea in the lobby each morning, as well as a welcome cocktail at check-in.
The Café Marquesa is a Key-famous spot for food and drink, welcoming guests and locals alike.
It’s seafood-heavy, to no one’s surprise, but the breakfast service is an American classic not to be missed.
Dinner is a seven-course tasting menu opening after a lively, happy hour packed with Southern flair.
The other obvious facilities are a nice collection of beautifully decorated common areas and the three different pools on site.
Active guests can enjoy access to the Ocean Key Resort fitness center, and relaxation-focused vacationers will enjoy 10% off select SpaTerre services.
They’re in the same building, about 12 minutes from the hotel, right by the water. Grab a complimentary bike from the hotel, and you can make it there in 5.
All of this can be set up by a 24-hour concierge, both dedicated and capable of making your visit to the Keys the best it can be.
How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?
- Central spot: Just off Duval Street, close to Key West nightlife.
- Walkable: Mallory Square, Aquarium, and Fort Zachary Taylor all nearby.
- Day trips: Easy access to Bahia Honda and Marathon by car.
If you’re determined to stay by the seaside, you’ll want to find another spot.
We ourselves think anyone who wants to stay in Key West will appreciate the centrality of The Marquesa.
The hotel sits right next to Duval Street, which means you will be able to navigate the area almost exclusively with bikes and ride shares.
It’s also the heart of the area’s ‘nightlife’ and the best place to get your day drink on.
Even alcohol-free visitors and locals can enjoy wandering, grabbing a cold beverage of any sort, and watching the revelers enjoy themselves.
For some seaside action, walk to Mallory Square or the Aquarium in about 15 minutes.
Fort Zachary Taylor State Park is a 20-minute walk, one of the best places in the Keys to enjoy some ‘beachside.’
If you really want some sand time, though, we recommend chartering a boat (we could recommend chartering a boat for a number of reasons), which the hotel can absolutely take care of.
Marathon or Bahia Honda are both interesting day trips, roughly an hour’s drive away, that get you some nice glimpses of paradise.
And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?
“Immediately after we first entered the Marquesa Hotel, my fiancé and I started laughing at our sheer joy of the elegance, artistry, and superb joy of the Marquesa Hotel. The paintings, the furnishings, the lovely detail of the lobby was as welcoming as the staff, who immediately offered us a sangria for our arrival. We were led to a simply beautiful room which was also appointed with period furniture and great decor and an extremely comfortable pillow top queen bed. The inner courtyard was an enchanted getaway with two gorgeous pools and great plantings. The Marquesa is well-known in Key West for it’s simple elegance. We shall return!…”
“This was a lovely boutique hotel in a fabulous location in Key West. We felt so relaxed and comfortable, and the staff were awesome – they could not have done more for us. The plantings around the pools are amazing….”
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