Watch the Masquerade March on Friday from the front garden at Chelsea House.

Wednesday, October 28  – Mid-way thru Fantasy Fest 2009

I can already tell you Fantasy Fest 2009 will be one of the best.  All the inns are full at this point for the remainder of the festival…more visitors are arriving in town each day.  The weather is fantastic.

Its great to see our guests rolling in with their latest costume creations in tow.  For those that packed light, there are many places to get a last minute costume (or not) or find some beads to throw around your neck.  Parties are happening every day all around Old Town.

The body paint shops have become one of the big attractions during Fantasy Fest, as many people choose to have their “costume” sprayed on, as opposed to, well, wearing a costume.  Key West has many talented artists that set up temporary “paint shops” for Fantesy Fest with air-brush guns and body paint.  Hanging out to watch these artists in action and to watch their subjects bare their canvas has become a popular activity during the festival.  For anyone that wants to do this I would recommend setting up an appointment with the artist.  The artists tend to be very busy.  They can paint subjects for 18 hours a day, if they have the stamina, during the last three days of FF.

The Masquerade March is coming up on Friday, and we are busy getting ready at Merlin Guesthouse and Chelsea House.  Both inns are on the parade route and are official stopovers.  We have DJ’s that will be playing tunes for the event, and Andy (our manager at Chelsea House) will be grilling hotdogs this year.  But, the main attraction at our Stopover Parties is our Rum Punch, which we will be serving to all who stop by.  We have named this year’s recipe our Fang Banger.  It’s all free, so stop by and have a drink with us.

I promise to take some pictures and videos on Friday during the Masquerade March.  I will post some here, so stop by later and check it out.

Julie

Last Minute Availability (As of October 14)

As of this writing we have only a few rooms left for this year’s Fantasy Fest. Call our Reservations Desk at 800-549-4430.

All Historic Key West Inns still have availability for the early event dates that start with Goombay Festival over the weekend of Oct 23 and 24. There are also great events on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Fantasy Fest week, when rooms are plentiful and rates are low.

One of our favorite events is the Headdress Ball on Tuesday night, Oct 27. It is a costume party of headgear only, but you won’t believe what some creative folks come up with. This party is hosted by the Key West Business Guild. The event is known for it’s talented performers, outlandish costumes, and a good dose of very gay entertainment. You can view the entire party schedule at the official Fantasy Fest website: www.FantasyFest.net.

All of the Historic Key West Inns are located within walking distance of the Fantasy Zone.  Come and have fun in our beautiful island paradise. See you then!

Powerboat Racing in Key West – November 8th to 15th

The 29th Annual Key West World Championship Race takes place in Key West in November.   If you haven’t seen powerboat racing before, you will not believe the excitement from the roar of these boats racing through the harbor.  The viewing stands are right in front of the action.  The Key West race is the culmination of a year of racing for the teams.  You will see the biggest, the fastest, and the best.

Race Village, with the Wet Pits, Dry Pits, and race viewing, is at the Truman Waterfront on the western shore of Key West.  All of the Historic Key West Inns are located within walking distance of Race Village. Race week begins with a parade of Superboats down Duval Street on Sunday, Nov 8.  Race days are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, Nov 11, 13, and 15.

Albury Court and Lighthouse Court offer a 5 Night Superboat Race Package that covers all the race days.   The package includes lodging (Wednesday thru Sunday), entry to Race Village for the 5 days, daily continental breakfast, and 2 complimentary “Wet Pit” cocktails from the Lighthouse Court pool bar (a short stroll from Race Village).

5 Night Superboat Race Package
Lighthouse Court $875                    Albury Court $797

Lodging is available at all of the Historic Key West Inns for Powerboat Racing.  Key Lime Inn and Lighthouse Court require a minimum 4 night stay during the event. Chelsea House, Albury Court, and Merlin Guesthouse require a 3 night stay during the event.  Reservations for the Race Package should be made by calling the hotel.  All other bookings can be made on-line, by phone or email to the hotel, or with your travel agent.

Reservations: Call 800.403.2866 or visit our Reservations page

Parrot Heads – Meeting of the Minds, November 4th – 8th

Join us for our free (and unofficial) Parrothead Event at Lighthouse Court:
Our 4th Annual
Daily Jam with Kelly McGuire & Friends
every afternoon at Lighthouse Court 2 to 5pm. Come relax around the pool, sip on a Key Lime Margarita, and listen to the best new songwriters.

Hotel Availability for MOTM

We are very close to fully booked for the main dates of MOTM.  We have a few rooms available at Albury Court Hotel, where rates start at only $137 per night.  We occasionally have some cancellations too, so don’t hesitate to call the hotels to check on last minute availability.

For reservations and information please call 800.549.4430

Fantasy Fest, October 23 – 31

Our biggest party of the year in Key West is Fantay Fest. This year’s event takes place over 10 days from October 23 through October 31, 2009. We have many repeat guests that come every year for this event, and we hope to meet some new visitors this year too. It’s only a few weeks away now, so most of our rooms are already reserved for the end of the week. A few rooms are re-opening when we receive a cancellation. As of this writing (Sept 21) we have 2 rooms open at Chelsea House and 2 rooms open at Lighthouse Court for the final days that include Parade Night on Saturday, Oct 31. Both hotels require a 4 night stay for any reservations that include Parade Night.

All inns still have availability for the early event dates that start with Goombay Festival over the weekend of Oct 23 and 24. There are also great events on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Fantasy Fest week, when rooms are plentiful and rates are low.

One of our favorite events is the Headdress Ball on Tuesday night, Oct 27. It is a costume party of headgear only, but you won’t believe what some creative folks come up with. This party is hosted by the Key West Business Guild. The event is known for it’s talented performers, outlandish costumes, and a good dose of very gay entertainment. You can view the entire party schedule at the official Fantasy Fest website.

All of the Historic Key West Inns are located within walking distance of the Fantasy Zone.

So come stay with us and have a great time at these events!

In today’s post we thought we would highlight two weddings of guests who stayed with us at Key Lime Inn and Lighthouse Court. Denice Suriner is our sales agent dedicated to helping with wedding arrangements at any of our hotels. You can contact her directly here: denicesurnier@historickeywestinns.com   On our weddings page you can get information on license requirements, florists  and  local caterers. We are always happy when guests choose us for their special day!

The first wedding we want to showcase is that of Lisa Grass and Robert Geoffrion who held both their ceremony and reception at our Lighthouse Court Hotel.

Lisa and Robert Geoffrion in front of Lighthouse Court

Here are their comments about their wedding experience with us:

Dear Andy and Julie:

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!! It was a great idea to have our wedding at Lighthouse Court! Your staff was amazing! Every time I went in to see Andy with another; “I just thought of this” request, he always said, “yes, no problem!” He was terrific. Thanks to him, his quick thinking helped our party escape a torrential downpour which threatened to ruin our meal…hehehe…but alas, the show went on and I can truly say that we had the best time of our lives! All of our guests commented on how beautiful the property was and how great an atmosphere it provided. For one long weekend, people from all across the country (and the world for that matter), got to hang out and chill and enjoy one another like we all lived on the same block at home! It was fantastic and we will be back next July to celebrate our one year anniversary! Oh, by the way…if I can mention the really great folks who run the Eat-n-Grin restaurant on Truman…they were great! They made us breakfast for 11 people, to go, with no notice and even gave us a ride back to the court! We went back three times and some of our guests did too! They are a wonderful couple who run that place!

Cheers!
Robert and Lisa Geoffrion

Our second couple are Ricardo and Ingrid who stayed at Key Lime Inn.

Ricardo and Ingrid's Wedding

Here are their comments:

Thank you Denice:

This past weekend was the best we have ever experienced, and we owe much of that to you. Our guests LOVED the Key Lime Inn! I look back on the day Ingrid and I were searching for hotels and we are so glad we found you. You did everything you could to accommodate us and our guests including finding us last minute rooms, contacting the scooter company, giving us advice on planning, making sure our guests were taken care of…the list could go on and on.

We never knew how difficult it would be to plan a wedding, and we also realize how much more difficult it would have been if it weren’t for you and the staff at the Key Lime.

We want you to know from the bottom of our hearts that we will never forget how helpful you were and how thoughtful you were to us for the most important day of our life. Thank you so much for everything and we hope to see you again whenever we go down to Key West!

Sincerely,

Ricardo & Ingrid

In this post we would like to highlight some of the great summer events going on in Key West in July. We have also included a summer menu special from our July ‘fave’ restaurant, Nine One Five, on Duval Street.

Fireworks in Key West

We like to start our holiday weekend off July 2nd with the First Thursday Art Walk. The Caroline Street Art & Design District is a neighborhood of galleries, shops and design studios in the historic Key West Bight community. They are presenting an evening of open houses from 6-9 p.m. with art, coffee shops and restaurants. This walk is held the first Thursday of each month and the admission is free. For more information contact (305) 296-9100.

Our Key West 4th of July celebration is always magical and there are two events that we like to do most. The first is the performance of the 13th Army Band, Florida Army National Guard.  These citizen-soldiers of the 13th Army Band play patriotic and concert band music  for the Fourth of July celebration. Concert begins at 4 p.m. at White Street Pier and goes through the night. All band events are free and open to the public.  For more information just call SSG Ralph Morales at 954-893-5070.

The other July 4th event we attend is the picnic hosted by the Visiting Nurses Association.  This 25th anniversary celebration is a fundraiser that is both delicious and beautiful. You can donate $100.00 per person and see the fireworks in their ‘Best Seats on the Beach’  while munching on a special buffet; donate $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for kids to  get a picnic buffet or donate $10.00 for general admission which includes free watermelon, soda and popcorn. Either choice it’s a fun way to spend a summer evening.

Each year from July 16th -to July 20th, Mel Fisher’s family and friends celebrate the legendary treasure hunter’s  accomplishments, unquenchable optimism and exuberant zest for life with a festival events. You can contact them at (305) 296-6534 or email them at skwiley@melfisher.com

Look-alike 'Hemingways'

The always zany and somewhat serious Hemingway Days are held this year from July 21st  – 26th .  Scheduled events include a look-alike contest for stocky white-bearded men resembling Hemingway, readings and book signings by nationally acclaimed authors, an awards ceremony for the renowned literary competition directed by author and Hemingway granddaughter Lorian Hemingway, a commemoration of the 110th anniversary of Ernest’s July 21 birth, a one-man play about Hemingway’s life and motivations, an exhibition of rare Hemingway memorabilia, a maniacal  “Running of the Bulls” and a three-day marlin tournament ( July 22nd – 25th) celebrating Hemingway’s devotion to the sport. Other information can be found at (305) 296-2388 (Look-Alike); 294-0320 (literary).

Our July restaurant ‘fave’ Nine One Five

Summer specials at Nine One Five, a bistro with an upstairs wine lounge on Duval Street, is always a real treat. This year’s theme is called:   Party Like It’s 1929! 3 Courses – $29-includes 1 free glass of champagne.  Some of the ‘Starters’ include: Devils on Horseback, Chipotle Conch Chowder or Flash Fried Calamari with fresh aioli. The ‘Mains’ include Sizzling Thai Yellowtail Snapper, Steak Bruscetta on Toasted Ciabatta or Free Range Chicken with a mustard seed Potato Salad. They always have a dessert of the day so make sure you ask about that. Yummy! Contact them for further info and reservations at (305) 296-0669.

You can find this ’specials’ menu here. Just cut-and-paste this address into a new address bar field:  http://mail.google.com/mail/?attid=0.1.0.1&disp=attd&view=att&th=12231f8819871aaa

Looking ahead to August, we always await Lobsterfest August 7th – 9th. Festivities include Friday’s Lobsterfest Duval Crawl, a Street Fair featuring art, crafts, merchandise and of course, lots of lobster, and a free concert at the corner of Duval and Green Streets  on Saturday.  You can find more information by contacting (305) 294-2000.

Our beaches await you!

So come join us this summer at any of our Historic Key West Inns hotels. As we like to say:   Arrive.    Relax.   Be local.