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Key West for two days

Bill4728

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Hi all
We will be in southern Florida in early Dec and planning to visit the Keys for two nights and need advice.

As Marriott owners, we were looking to stay at a Marriott hotel but are not locked into it. We loooked at the Marriott hotels in Key West but the hotels were on the east side of the island and doesn't seem to be the best location. We may be open to staying in Marathon but think that Key West might be better. Should we consider one night in Key West and one in Marathon (or Key Largo)?

Any advice?
 

alexadeparis

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you could do one night and one night and split your time- if you have a car, then the Marriott being at the entrance to KW won't matter - can you find enough to do in Marathon to justify spending the night there is the real question to me. Key West you could spend two days in easily - Marathon, not so much.
 

pinetree1

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We usually stay at Hyatt Sunset Harbour or Hyatt Centric hotel. Both hotels locate in the old town. You can pretty much walk to all attractions and restaurants.
 

ScoopKona

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Key West is my hometown.

Where you stay is irrelevant. I'd PREFER to stay away from Old Town because I'll get a better night's sleep. Old Town is loud. And it's loud until 4am. That's why people go there.

The strategy for Key West is "take a cab/uber to Old town, walk around Key West all day and well into the night, and then take a cab back."

You really don't want a car in Key West -- makes everything more of a hassle. Parking is basically non-existent. And if you find a good spot, you're going to leave it there all day anyway.

As for "what to do," that's really up to you. There's the Hemingway House, Mel Fisher Museum, half a dozen places with great live music all day and all night, and just walking around Old Town and admiring the architecture.

If I were going to Key West for two days, I'd have a double-bucci and cheese toast on White Street every morning. And then lunch at El Siboney (both days). And then grab a box of Dion's chicken and take it to the Green Parrot.
 

alexadeparis

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Key West is my hometown.

Where you stay is irrelevant. I'd PREFER to stay away from Old Town because I'll get a better night's sleep. Old Town is loud. And it's loud until 4am. That's why people go there.

The strategy for Key West is "take a cab/uber to Old town, walk around Key West all day and well into the night, and then take a cab back."

You really don't want a car in Key West -- makes everything more of a hassle. Parking is basically non-existent. And if you find a good spot, you're going to leave it there all day anyway.

As for "what to do," that's really up to you. There's the Hemingway House, Mel Fisher Museum, half a dozen places with great live music all day and all night, and just walking around Old Town and admiring the architecture.

If I were going to Key West for two days, I'd have a double-bucci and cheese toast on White Street every morning. And then lunch at El Siboney (both days). And then grab a box of Dion's chicken and take it to the Green Parrot.
no Eaton St Market? That's a must do in my opinion
 

ScoopKona

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no Eaton St Market? That's a must do in my opinion

I get better fish sold out of the back of a truck here. Shrimp? OK. We don't have shrimp that good here. But I'm not going for tuna or mahi, because that's basically free here.

But having been away from home for a decade now, the only things I really crave are decent Cuban food and Dion's chicken. My last trip home was very likely my last trip ever. The saying "you can't go back" rings true for Key West like no other place.
 

AJCts411

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Two nights for sure. Where, depends on budget and room requirements. As mentioned above definitely old town. hotel type - La Concha, Pier house, Centric all good hotel types. L'Habatation is good B&B. West wind and Heron house also good locations. Doubt if you will find a 2 nite stay at Sunset or Banyan or Galleon. Seafood (royal reds) Mundy the pirate. Fresh or prepared and he delivers. Found at the Thursday waterfront market and on FB.
 

JanT

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Scoop, where is the best Cuban food in KW?
I get better fish sold out of the back of a truck here. Shrimp? OK. We don't have shrimp that good here. But I'm not going for tuna or mahi, because that's basically free here.

But having been away from home for a decade now, the only things I really crave are decent Cuban food and Dion's chicken. My last trip home was very likely my last trip ever. The saying "you can't go back" rings true for Key West like no other place.
 

ScoopKona

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Scoop, where is the best Cuban food in KW?

El Siboney. And then one of the White Street coffee shops for Cheese Toast and Bucchi. La Dichosa closed a long time ago. So the rest are all about the same. Pretty sure I went to Sandy's last time I was home. (And this is why staying in Old Town isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'd rather be a quick bicycle ride away from Cuban breakfast in the morning. When I lived there, I lived within walking distance of La Dichosa. I eventually had to get good at making my own espresso -- because coffee was taking up too much of my monthly budget.)

As far as I'm concerned, the only question is whether to eat at El Siboney for lunch, or for both lunch and dinner. Inexpensive, solid Cuban recipes. Decor hasn't changed in my lifetime. And it's not the place for a "fancy celebration." But I had four meals there last time I was home and it was like I never left. There are only a handful of places I can describe that way -- "like I never left." That's why I probably won't be back.

Unless I'm cooking seafood that I just hauled over the gunwale that afternoon, the only thing I really want from Key West comes from either El Siboney or Dion's Quik Mart. People who don't have access to great seafood will have different calculus. Key West shrimp really is the best on Earth. But if I want a change of scenery in my seafood diet, I want Tokyo or Monterey. Not Key West.

Friends visited me last month. And I had them bring two boxes of Dion's to Hawaii -- frozen solid in a cooler.
 

JanT

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Thanks, Scoop. I knew you could give me the lowdown. Always appreciate your expertise on KW. Checked out the menu at El Siboney and it looks fantastic.

El Siboney. And then one of the White Street coffee shops for Cheese Toast and Bucchi. La Dichosa closed a long time ago. So the rest are all about the same. Pretty sure I went to Sandy's last time I was home. (And this is why staying in Old Town isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'd rather be a quick bicycle ride away from Cuban breakfast in the morning. When I lived there, I lived within walking distance of La Dichosa. I eventually had to get good at making my own espresso -- because coffee was taking up too much of my monthly budget.)

As far as I'm concerned, the only question is whether to eat at El Siboney for lunch, or for both lunch and dinner. Inexpensive, solid Cuban recipes. Decor hasn't changed in my lifetime. And it's not the place for a "fancy celebration." But I had four meals there last time I was home and it was like I never left. There are only a handful of places I can describe that way -- "like I never left." That's why I probably won't be back.

Unless I'm cooking seafood that I just hauled over the gunwale that afternoon, the only thing I really want from Key West comes from either El Siboney or Dion's Quik Mart. People who don't have access to great seafood will have different calculus. Key West shrimp really is the best on Earth. But if I want a change of scenery in my seafood diet, I want Tokyo or Monterey. Not Key West.

Friends visited me last month. And I had them bring two boxes of Dion's to Hawaii -- frozen solid in a cooler.
 

SmithOp

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no Eaton St Market? That's a must do in my opinion
I agree, we had lunch at El Siboney then picked up some KW Pinks and dined back at the condo, we were staying at Hyatt Beach House. Then a nice Cuban cigar with an adult beverage to watch the sunset at the dock.

Someone on here gave us the recommendation for the Pinks from Eaton St Market.


Sent from my Lenovo 10e using Tapatalk
 

Laurie

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So fwiw, since I'm hunting for a similar short stay in Key West to replace my Sanibel plans, here's a newish hotel away from Old Town that looks good, so I just made ressies -- walking distance to one Cuban restaurant anyway -- if any TUGgers have stayed there I'd be interested in your experience:

 
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