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Key West · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels in the business district, Key West

Daniel Kovac

Daniel Kovac Central Europe

Updated 1 September 2026 · 14 Key West hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Key West, out of the 14 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.6.

H2O Suites Hotel is the one I would book myself.

H2O Suites Hotel

Highest rated of the five

H2O Suites Hotel

★★★★★4.7 from 432 reviews

H2O Suites Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 432 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 5 star property, found under city centre and around $441 a night on the dates we checked.

14 hotels in Key West qualified for this list and five made it. Simonton Court Hotel Key West is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. H2O Suites Hotel1

    H2O Suites Hotel

    ★★★★★4.7 from 432 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Simonton Court Hotel Key West2

    Simonton Court Hotel Key West

    ★★★★★4.8 from 558 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  3. The Bartlum - Steps to Duval Street3

    The Bartlum - Steps to Duval Street

    ★★★★★4.867783 from 627 reviews

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    • Exceptional Home with Pool, Dock, Prime Location Key West4

      Exceptional Home with Pool, Dock, Prime Location Key West

      ★★★★★4.917778 from 181 reviews

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      • Ocean Key Resort & Spa5

        Ocean Key Resort & Spa

        ★★★★★4.6 from 2,449 reviews

        • Pool
        • Spa
        • Gym
        • Restaurant
        • Bar
        • Parking

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      How this list was put together

      14 Key West hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

      Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

      The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

      What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

      Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

      Daniel Kovac

      Daniel Kovac Central Europe

      Takes the same two weeks every August and drives somewhere far with his wife and daughter. Twelve countries, all by road, all in one battered estate car. Plans routes on paper maps.

      Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.