Love on the Beach

We agree! Grab your special someone and spend the Valentine’s Day weekend with us here in Key West February 12 -14th

Does anyone have any sweet, funny or silly Valentine’s Day stories they want to share?
One our faves was when Dave and Elena  got engaged at Lighthouse Court. Elena came with her friend Brittany and checked into a cute, private cottage. Brittany said she wanted to go see the pool and told Elena to meet her upstairs by the Hemingway Suite because she wanted to show her the view of the Lighthouse from the porch. Dave was hiding around the corner in the Suite on the front porch. When Elena got to the landing she saw that the door to the Suite was open, candles lit, flowers were arranged and the door was open across the room to the porch. She looked in and thought “it was really beautiful but why did someone leave the doors open?”  When her Navy man stepped through the porch door we could all hear her screams of joy!! Dave proposed and they spent the weekend in the Suite. Oh, she did say yes and they got married eight months later.

We still have some beautiful rooms left. It’s one of our busiest holidays of the year so book your reservations soon!

Also upcoming January 28th at Fort Zachary Taylor is Cuba’s World Renowned Dance Band Los Van Van.

Los Van Van appearing in Key West Janaury 28th

This band is HOT and will get you off your feet. Tickets are expected to sell out fast! Get them at www.keystix.com

Our Beautiful Sunset

Happy 2010! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season. We definitely did and are looking forward to all of the fun things to do that are upcoming. Here are some of our favorites.

January 16th

Florida Keys Seafood Festival

You can bicycle to this event at Bayview Park.  This is a family-friendly event that starts at 11:00 and includes local fresh Keys seafood, drinks, marine-related crafts, kids activities, and live music. Free admission makes it a must-do.

January 18 – 22

Key West Race Week 2010

Nearly 300 racing yachts compete for class championships in this international sailboat regatta. It’s really exciting to watch aboard a boat. There are many charters that will be going out.

Come Bike on Our Beaches

January 28-31

Key West Food and Wine Festival

This movable feast is a delicious gourmet experience. Our Key West chefs use indigenous ingredients to create sparkling dishes that you will definitely enjoy. The event starts with the beachfront Kick-off your-Flip-Flops-Barefoot-Beach Party.  Here you can enjoy island seafood, margaritas and jazz. It’s a fun time.

Another favorite is ‘Duval Uncorked’ on Saturday night, Jan. 30th. This is a mile-long wine tasting and food sampling party  accompanied by the Caribbean Queen Junkanoos.

January 30-31

Juried artisans and crafters display their talents on lower Whitehead and Caroline Streets in historic Old Town. For more info please call 305-294-1241.

Civil War Re-Enactors in Key West

February 25-28

Civil War Days Re-enactment Days

This event takes place at Fort Zachary Taylor, a National Historic Landmark which was on active duty status from 1861-1947. You can participate in the artillery, infantry, cavalry, navel and marine units. There will also be military parades, sea battles with schooner ships, and other interesting things to do during this unique historical event.

February 27- 28

Old Island Days Art Festival

The 45th annual juried fine art show is set on lower Whitehead Street in historic Old Town. The highly acclaimed show features oil paintings, watercolors, sculpture, photography and other offerings by artists from around the country. There are usually many things here that we want to buy and we usually go home with at least one new piece!

Looks like we’re going to be busy in the next few weeks. What fun! Come join us soon. We look forward to having you stay with us.

Albury Court was recently featured on the cable channel Home & Garden TV, on their program National Open House.  The program examines “what you can get for your money”  when buying real estate in different cities around the country.  The producers of National Open House selected a condominium at Albury Court to showcase what you get for $250,000 in Key West, Florida.  The program also featured Key West homes that were valued at $500,000 and $750,000.

The condo unit featured on National Open House is owned by Albury Court Hotel owner, Julia Fondriest.  The Albury Court complex, at the corner of Eaton and Frances Streets in Old Town Key West,  includes 38 hotel rooms, plus 4 privately-owned, residential condominiums.  Julie’s condo is a “studio” with 450 square feet of space.  Its a second floor unit, tucked into the roof-line behind the lobby of Albury Court.

Julie reflects are her new stardom:

“I am a big fan of HGTV.  It was a treat to participate in the National Open House program.  The crew took a lot of time to shoot video around the hotel and inside my condo.  They did a great job of making my 450 square feet look very spacious!”

Albury Court Condo featured on HGTV

The first showing of the program aired on Nov 14.  There will likely be several repeat runs of the episode in the coming months.

Fall in Key West on the Beach

What’s Happening in Key West for November and December

Now is the best time to plan your next visit to Key West.  Here is a calendar for upcoming events.

Thanksgiving in Key West  -  November 26, 2009

A nice long weekend in Key West is really a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving 2009.  Most of the local restaurants will have a special Thanksgiving menu with traditional fixin’s in addition to their regular menu offerings.  So don’t worry about missing out on turkey and pumpkin pie, if that’s what your personal tradition includes. Bring your family and/or friends and start a new Thanksgiving tradition in Key West.

Pirates in Paradise 2009 – November 29 – December 06

This festival celebrates the rich maritime history of Key West complete with tall-ships, pirate attacks and sunset sails. It all takes place at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park and on the waterfront. Bring your pirate costumes (or not) and revel in the buccaneer adventures. For more info on this event call 305-296-9694.

Key West Holiday Parade — December 5th

Our annual Holiday Parade is small-town charm at it’s best.  Come enjoy our high school marching band, civic and social clubs, local politicians, veterans, and community volunteers as they show off their Key West pride and holiday spirit.  The parade route follows Truman Avenue past  Key Lime Inn and  Chelsea House and then makes the turn down Duval Street.  The best viewing is from the sidewalk along Truman Avenue in front of our inns.  We will be serving spiced cider at Chelsea House during the parade.  The public is invited and it’s all free.

Decking the Hulls in Style

Key West Lighted Boat Parade – December 12th

Deck the hulls with festively decorated boats as they cruise through Key West Harbor and the Historic Seaport. This magical movement of color through the waters is a wonderful tribute to Key West’s maritime history, and its a lot of fun too.  There is good parade viewing all along the waterfront at the Seaport, Simonton Street beach, and Mallory Square.  You can walk to good viewing from all of the Historic Key West Inns.  This is a free event.

Last Days of 2009 Super Travel Values, thru December 23rd

At Historic Key West Inns, we responded to the 2009 recession with a five year rate roll-back.  The lowest rates of all, our “fall rates” have been extended through December 23.  This is the last great opportunity to visit Key West on a frugalista budget before winter season and holiday rates take effect, and 2009 becomes history.

Key Lime Inn at Christmastime

Christmas in Key West — December 24th to 26th

Key West is absolutely charming at Christmas time, with tropical holiday decorations, Christmas concerts, and special menus at local restaurants. All of our hotels will serve our special Chelsea’s eggnog with the breakfast on Christmas Day.  You can even ride your bicycle or walk to one of the many local churches and parishes for services. Our reduced holiday rates apply with no minimum stays over Christmas.

New Year's Eve on Duval Street

New Year’s Eve in Key West — December 31

New Year’s is a great celebration every year in Key West, but this year, saying a hearty goodbye to 2009 will be especially sweet.  There are several midnight countdowns on Duval Street as well as parties at restaurants and bars all around town.  Our favorite place to be at midnight is in the 800 block of Duval Street to watch Sushi, a famous local drag queen, descend in a giant version of Dorothy’s red slipper (think: Wizard of Oz) for the midnight countdown.

CNN is usually here to cover all the action with a live feed to their New Year’s Eve coverage at Times Square…..Hey, would you rather be freezing your booty off in Times Square, or be down in Key West in 72 degree tropical weather?

If you stay at any of the Historic Key West Inns for New Year’s you will be a short stroll from all the countdowns on Duval Street.

When it comes time to plan your next trip to Key West, Historic Key West Inns is here for you!  You can check availability and rates for all the inns 24/7 on our website, or call our reservations desk at 800-549-4430.

I hope to see you soon.

Julie

Solomon's Busy At Work...

Solomon is the newest addition to our Historic Key West Inns family, arriving today from All Animal Clinic.  He is a four week old puppy, a mix of  Labradoodle (mom) and Australian Shepherd (dad), which means those big paws are going to come in handy!  The mother died giving birth, leaving Solomon an orphan.  His new Dad is our Director of Operations,  Marlon Garnett, who received a call from the vet’s office requesting he provide a new home for the puppy.  Solomon is still being bottle fed, and is a bit woozy today from his first shot. Everyone here is excited about the new arrival.  We will all see  him most days as he accompanies Marlon to work.

It is time to change the name of Chelsea House?

Chelsea House Pool & Gardens, one of the five Historic Key West Inns, was named over 30 years ago for one of the owners cats, who was a British Shorthair named Chelsea.  Now that Chelsea is no longer with us…..is it time for an update of the name to our latest furry friend?  Well, we have many furry friends around here and they are all special to us……so I think we will stay with tradition and keep the Chelsea name.

If you have a beloved pet that you like to travel with,  Chelsea House is our pet friendly hotel in Key West.  We have designated  13 of the 34 guest rooms as pet friendly.  These rooms all open directly to the outside and have hardwood or tile flooring.  There is plenty of room around the Chelsea grounds for walking your pet, and we’ve placed doggie “convenience stations” with plastic bags and waste disposal around the property.  Chelsea accepts most varieties of pets, including cats, dogs, birds, and goldfish (does anyone travel with their goldfish?)…..  When planning a trip to Key West with your pet please call the hotel directly at 800-845-8859 to check availability of the pet friendly rooms, and to answer all your questions about house rules and accommodations.

Our Other Key Lime Inn Office Friend, Lucky Dog