Situated in the heart of Key West’s Old Town, Marquesa is a boutique hotel set inside beautifully restored Victorian-style conch cottages. It’s home to charming courtyard swimming pools beneath lush foliage and one of the island’s best restaurants.
Location 9/10
Just a block off Duval Street and four blocks to the waterfront and Mallory Square, Marquesa is about as central as it gets in Old Town. Within about a block, you’ll reach some of the island’s top cultural destinations, including The Studios of Key West, Books & Books, the Key West Theater and Tropic Cinema. All of Duval Street’s restaurants, bars and shops are at your doorstep, and the island’s marinas and water sports are easily accessible.
Design 9/10
The 44-room hotel is situated inside restored cottages that date back to the late 1800s. It’s the epitome of Key West’s charming vernacular architecture, with tin roofs, pastel clapboard siding, and white wrap-around gingerbread porches and balconies, punctuated with lush tropical flora. The small lobby, with its hardwood floors, traditional furniture and local art, has a homey, bed and breakfast-like appeal.
Amenities & Hospitality 9/10
Three swimming pools are tucked into courtyards across the compound, making for a lowkey oasis from bustling Duval Street. Service is friendly and personalized with a concierge to assist travelers in reservations and recommendations.
Rooms 8/10
Each room at Marquesa is unique and most are spacious with high-gloss Brazilian cherry hardwood floors and an eclectic mélange of substantial, wooden furniture sourced from around the globe. Many have a separate seating areas and patios or balconies, making for an idyllic setting to romance a glass of wine. I was charmed by the subtle nautical motif in my room with a blue and white bedspread and area rug, accented by butterscotch leather furniture and drapery. It’s the kind of space where you want to curl up and nest.
Bathrooms are somewhat basic in predictable white tile, but they are updated, spacious and clean with luxurious bath products.
Food & Beverage 9/10
Marquesa’s eponymous café, with big picture windows overlooking the sidewalk, is reliably one of the island’s most sophisticated, often reserved by locals for special occasions or romantic dinners. Dishes highlight the water’s local bounty, often with a Creole accent. On my last visit, I was wowed by a delicate sous vide lobster tail with tarragon and preserved lemon butter over sweet potato gnocchi, as well as grilled oysters and an outrageous seared foie gras with bananas on French toast. For dessert, lighter-than-air beignets with crème anglaise would do any New Orleanian proud.
The restaurant’s bar is an intimate gathering place for a pre-dinner glass of wine or cocktail and makes one of the best martinis in town. Breakfast is also served at the cafe.
“Once when I was mortally depressed and thought about dying, Barry got a check for a thousand dollars and we spent the entire thing in one weekend on champagne cocktails. It seemed the only sensible thing to do.”
Eve Babitz, ‘Eve’s Hollywood,’ 1972
Value 9/10
Current rates from about $344.
The Bottom Line
Arguably Key West’s very best hotel, especially for experiencing the island like a local in an elevated setting in the heart of it all.
Contact
600 Fleming Street; 305 292 1919; marquesa.com
