It is said that you should look for reviews from people that reside within your local geography. For instance, someone in Europe may give a hotel a spectacular rating versus someone from New Jersey. As such, let me start by saying that I'm from New York City and while I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination, I don't let money be an object during my vacations and expect to get only the best.

For our first time (and probably last) in Key West my wife and I stayed at the Dewey House. Let me start by saying that if you're a couple going to Key West, this is the place to be, with a few caveats.

- Reservations was friendly, accurate, and check in was a breeze. The first thing you will notice when opening the door at the Dewey House is the beautiful ocean view in the back of the house. The hallway leads to the downstairs rooms, a stairway to the upstairs, a small parlor and then the breakfast/patio; which is right on the beach.
- After walking through the breakfast/patio area you can walk through the gate and be on the beach. Even though the beach is right outside your back door; it is a public beach and there is a $5 charge to rent each chair. Also, the hotel assures that beach towels are always available and plentiful.
- I've read some bad reviews about the beach restaurant. However, I found it fine for breakfast and lunch. It is your typical beach front type place where you eat more for the laid back atmosphere than the food. Although I found the food to acceptable also. The drinks are also very reasonable (I got a Corona and a Cape Codder for only $6; most resorts I go to would have charged about $10 for each).
- If you've never been to Key West before, you should know that the island is not known; nor revered for its beaches. The beaches (outside the hotel and everywhere else) are all coral and covered by man-made sand, so it is very rocky. The water is also very stagnant and often smells less than pleasant.
- Although it is no fault of the hotel, the public beach in the back is not well kept. The shore, and water, is full of seaweed (not a little of the green type, but a lot of the black stringy type). One morning, while setting up our chairs, I saw a stray dog urinating on the beach. The other beach is better kept, but not much better. So if your looking for a pristine beach with crystal clear water Key West is not the place to be.
- The Dewey, La Mar Houses and Southernmost on the Beach Hotels are basically the same community and only a few feet apart. As such, the bed and breakfast atmosphere is great, but you also have all the amenities of a full service hotel. These include, full use of the Southernmost on the Beach Pool (huge, clean, wonderfully kept pool), laundry facilities, and bars, as well as the parking facilities at the Southernmost Hotel across the street (however there are no excercise facilities). Since the beach water is so bad, we spent our time at the hotel sunning on the beach and swimming in the pool.
- Our room at the Dewey House (414) was pleasant and cozy, but small, with a huge modern, double-sink bathroom. It was immaculately clean, with a refrigerator, and the maid service is excellent (constantly replacing towels throughout the day). That said, the bed could have used a new comforter and mattress. The mattress was sunken in the middle and the comforter was worn and torn. The bathroom also had a Jacuzzi tub, but it was pitted with gouges (probably from an inconsiderate guest). The fist day we checked in the water pump was broken so there was no pluming (water or toilet). However, this is to be expected when staying at a B&B and it was quickly fixed early the next morning.
- The breakfast is ok (I've had much better when I stayed at other B&Bs). There is fresh fruit, yogurt, white breads, and sugary cereals and pastries (nothing whole grain). The waffles (made by John) are just as good as the other reviews say they are.
- The coffee is good also, and there is both a coffee machine in the room as well as a 24-hour cappuccino machine in the parlor.
There is also a fresh filtered water and ice machine on the side of the house (next to the fountain). Lastly, the parlor also has a bookcase with a number of paperbacks and board games.
None of the downstairs room terraces are private (with the exception of the waterfront rooms at the La Mar).
- The best thing about our stay was definitely the innkeeper; John Cline. John is a great guy and really goes out of his way to make you feel comfortable and welcome (as said earlier he also makes one heck of a waffle). I cannot say enough good things about John and he alone would make me come back to this property even if it was less than a perfect stay.
- Let me close this review by saying I loved the Dewey House (and am sure I would have loved the La Mar). However, I was less than thrilled with Key West. Having been there once before for a brief business trip, this was my first time there for pleasure. We stayed there a full week and quickly ran out of things to do (other than go to the beach, which as I said before, isn't Key West's best attribute). Also, while there are a lot of restaurants, you will quickly find that there is little variety as many of the menus are alike. I found Key West a dirty little town which, to its credit, is a place where people with alternate lifestyles can be without fear of being judged. However, to their discredit, I found many of those very people being judgmental of those with views different from their own. Lastly, the town is rife with alcohol and bars, and very little (to no) police presence. Nearly every evening, while walking outside the B&B, we would run into at least one drunk, disorderly, vulgar, and rowdy person cursing, screaming at the top of their lungs, or behaving in a violent manner (and we were staying on the quiet side of Duvall Street).

We stayed at La Mer for two nights in June whilst touring Florida, it was the perfect loaction. Our room was immaculate and looked onto the beach you cant get better than that! John the innkeeper was a fantastic host and made us feel very welcome. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will definitely return one day hopefully for longer!!

this is the 3 time we stayed at the Dewey House which is right next door to the Hotel. What a great place to stay the Staff is beyond wonderful, they make you feel like your family. We will never stay anywhere else. Can't wait to go back.....hopefully in November, June is a little warm for me. What is so wonderful beyond the staff is you have your beach and your pool whatever suits you that day.
Thanks Dewey House.

The Rooms are very nice and VERY CLEAN

We got married on South Beach (at the La Mer Hotel) this weekend. I am going to keep this short but it was pure perfection and John the innkeeper is the best! Best breakfast and 'tea time'. We had a blast and my family and friends stayed next door at the southernmost on the beach and though it was very nice, La Mer is well worth the price due to service, atmosphere, quality of the rooms, and the anemities. Five star stay guranteed!