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The Mermaid & The Alligator

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Traveller (1074)
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Panoramas (5)
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Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#9 of 28 B&Bs in Key West
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Travellers' Choice
Surround yourself with the casual elegance and style of a more relaxed age at The Mermaid & The Alligator, an intimate adults-only bed and breakfast with nine unique rooms in a Victorian Home tucked away in the heart of Old Town Key West, Florida.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Free breakfast
Bicycle rental
Board games / puzzles
Couples massage
Adults only
Street parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Adult pool
Outdoor pool
Breakfast available
Happy hour
Outdoor dining area
Special diet menus
Massage
Baggage storage
Concierge
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shared lounge / TV area
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
Private check-in / check-out
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Room features
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Safe
Iron
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Hair dryer
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.5 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Hotel links
Special Offer:Book Direct on Hotel Website
1,170Review22Q+A100Room tips
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William wrote a review 11 Mar
Bel Air, Maryland1 contribution
+1
Absolutely beautiful place! The staff is personable and professional. Breakfast was sumptuous. The grounds were a tropical paradise, and the room was very spacious and comfortable. Great location for visiting Key West by foot, or using the complimentary bicycles.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Parking is available off the street, but it is tight. Easy walk to all the sites and places in...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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LowCountryGal_16 wrote a review Jan 2023
Savannah, Georgia40 contributions7 helpful votes
Property's Favourite Review
The friendliness of Diana the Innkeeper and her thoughtfulness to our needs is unparalleled in my lodging experience! We feel like we have known her for years and years! She made us feel SO welcome! She knows Key West very well and steers you to activities and dining to suit your preferences. We just loved all of her recommendations! The property is 118 years old and very well maintained! We rented two rooms: The Royal Poinciana Suite (loved the balcony!) and TreeTop Suite (large soaking tub and beamed ceiling) for my son and his girlfriend (mid-late 20's) joined us. It was a first visit to Key West for my son and his girlfriend and actually their first visit to a B&B type property and they too loved this property. Mermaid and Alligator is a very cozy, quiet property that is impeccably clean. It was so beautifully decorated for Christmas and the week prior to our visit, it was one of 3 Inns featured in a Holiday Tour of Inns. The kitchen was stocked with various items all day long for guest's comfort: Coffees, Teas, Snacks, variety of cold drinks, and a Wine / Snack Happy Hour every afternoon and cookies later in the day. You will enjoy a wide assortment of continental breakfast items and a cook is there each morning to prepare the featured hot breakfast item should that be your desire. So many thoughtful touches throughout the property some of which included: beach towels, coolers, and on site bicycle rental. (Bike rental is an extra fee and very competitively priced not to mention convenient!!) The dining room table displayed books, brochures, coupons, etc to assist in planning your activities and dining. It even had a touchscreen computer to help book activities. The plunge pool was kept comfortably warm and had spa jets on a timer for your use. The lush gardens are so serene for breakfast or just relaxing and the gardens offer such a special atmosphere at night. Housekeeping services were performed daily and very thorough. This Mermaid and Alligator experience has certainly set a very high bar for all four of us, and to which we will always compare. We hope to return soon and can't help but offer glowing word of mouth recommendations to our friends and family! Thank you Diana and all the Mermaid staff! You made our stay so very special!
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Date of stay: December 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: If budget allows, choose a room with a balcony. Caribbean Queen Suite has L shaped balcony.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 14 Feb 2023
Thank you for the complimentary review and 5-bubble rating. We are so glad that you and your family had such a nice time staying with us. Thank you for the positive and kind feedback. Our team strives to provide an exceptional experience for all guests and it's always so nice when we hear what a great job they are doing! Please come back and see us again and thank you for choosing The Mermaid & The Alligator!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Philip N wrote a review Feb 2024
3 contributions
Premium price ($400/night) for a charming inn with beautiful grounds. Small but comfortable room, excellent mattress, nice shower although no bathroom fan or window for ventilation. The front desk and staff were very pleasant and helpful. The breakfast was good enough for a moderately priced chain hotel or a Denny’s or Waffle House, but disappointing for a nice B&B. The cook was accommodating and friendly, and did well with what she had to work with, but the quality of many of the ingredients was lacking. Generic, grocery store bread for the avocado toast and egg entree, frozen bagels, “pancake syrup” instead of real maple syrup for the waffles, weak although freshly brewed coffee, tea but no lemon. All these issues are easily addressed by the owner showing greater focus on a first class experience instead of cost engineering in the kitchen.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Sandbridgers wrote a review Dec 2023
Virginia Beach VA45 contributions43 helpful votes
+1
This was a return visit to the M&A after several years. The management/ownership has changed since our initial visit but the reviews were still glowing and we booked without trepidation. I’ll start by stating that this is an exquisite property. Sparkling clean, well appointed rooms, a convenient location, super amenities- bikes, maps, yummy rotating breakfasts, a modest daily happy hour, and beautiful outdoor spaces. None of that changed with the new management (well, perhaps the happy hour is a little less carefully attended). Our room this time, the Caribbean King suite, was beyond reproach. Spacious, clean, a large private bathroom, and a glorious wraparound porch. Very comfy bed, nice sitting area. The outdoor shared patio area where breakfast and happy hour are served is a true oasis in a busy town. We loved spending time there. If this had been our first visit I’d say it was nice, perhaps a bit less “hosted” than other B&B’s we’ve visited where the host/owner/manger is more assertive in helping your experience be five star. Example: our first time at M&A, the concierge arranged all of our dining reservations for us and provided an itinerary so we knew where/when we would dine on the dates we had provided. It was really helpful to have experienced recommendations and not to have to fumble through on our own. When we inquired for this trip we were sent a list of restaurants and phone numbers and were kindof left to our own devices. We did the heavy lifting, but it felt like a diminished experience. We simply didn’t feel like we were dealing with established members of the local community, which is a plus for us. The staff is kind, but rather disinterested unless we reached out. We’d recommend it but would advise visitors to be prepared to manage their own restaurant reservations and other experiences.
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Jodie S wrote a review Aug 2023
Marrickville, Australia3 contributions
+1
A truly special and unique stay. Diana and the staff were fantastic and so professional. Our room was so clean and comfortable and had absolutely anything we could have needed for a wonderful stay. The plunge pool was perfect for cooling off after a day exploring and the ease of having the bikes at the property ready on arrival was much appreciated. The gardens are simply stunning and breakfast under the tree canopy was a beautifully relaxing start to each day. We won't hesitate to stay again next time we are in Key West. The location was perfect and close to all old town has to offer. Thank you staff for the most wonderful time.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Thank you for your kind review and rating. We are so glad that you had a nice stay and that everything met your expectations. Please come back and see us again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Gail A wrote a review Aug 2023
Murphy, North Carolina234 contributions9 helpful votes
Beautiful setting, landscape was amazing the staff prepared Beautiful scrumptious dishes each morning..a piece of paradise waiting for us to celebrate our 11th anniversary! Romantic and serene we can't wait to be back!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Congratulations on your 11-year anniversary! Thank you for making us part of the celebration. We appreciate your feedback very much and hope to see you again at The Mermaid & The Alligator!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Beth C wrote a review Aug 2023
Rochester, New York601 contributions69 helpful votes
+1
For our first trip to Key West, we knew we wanted to stay somewhere smaller, preferably adults-only, and with breakfast included. The Mermaid and The Alligator perfectly fit the bill. Although the setup is similar to a B&B, this is actually a "boutique hotel" - that means that it's owned by a company, not people who live there overnight (but a property manager is present every day during the day, including weekends). There are 9 rooms, 6 in the main house (it's spacious, although calling it a "mansion" is a bit of a stretch) and 3 more in the cottage on the grounds. It's beautifully and lusciously landscaped. We stayed in the Royal Poinciana, on the second floor of the main house. It's a spacious room with a large private balcony, and it looked just like the website, with one exception - the bathroom pictured on their website NOT correct (see my photos). We loved the décor of the room, which included a beautiful bureau and secretary-type desk, plus the balcony features both a small table/chairs and two lounge chairs. We would have preferred to have a bit less stuff - e.g., the huge plant and large candle arrangements were pretty, but they got in the way. Overall, however, we loved the room. The bed and pillows were extremely comfortable (I rarely say that about hotels). We enjoyed having a ceiling fan as well as being able to set the AC to our preferred temperature. Although our bathroom was a little on the small side, there was a generous selection of products that were replenished every day when the room was made up - the daily servicing of the room was always excellent. Breakfast was served 8-10:30 am daily. There was a hot entrée item featured daily, I believe on the same rotating weekly schedule. The cook prepared meals fresh as each guest showed up. She always asked us if we were okay with what she was serving, including the fruit on the side, and she generously made minor changes (e.g., no cheese or meat, a side of pineapple instead of watermelon, etc.). We helped ourselves to coffee and sat outside at one of the patio tables, and the cook brough us our entrees when they were ready. Additional items available included bagels/toast, a pastry item (usually just one per day, such as banana bread), individual boxed cereals, yogurt, and fresh fruit (pre-chopped and pre-mixed, so no choice available there). We found the breakfasts to be excellent, and we were grateful we didn't have to worry about our first meal of the day. In addition to breakfast, there was a "Happy Hour" 4-5 pm daily. During this time, the property manager would set out 2 bottles of wine (red/white) for guests to stop by and enjoy if they chose; on some days there were grapes, cheese, and crackers as well. There were numerous free food and drink items available 24/7 in the kitchen, including coffee (Keurig) and tea, bottled water and soft drinks, infused water, iced tea, microwavable popcorn, and various individually packaged snacks such as chips, peanuts, and Oreos. As noted above, the grounds were beautiful and also spacious. There was a covered outdoor porch just outside the kitchen offering a couch, chairs, and a guest refrigerator. The "plunge" pool was 5 feet deep all around, not overly large but perfect for cooling off any time of day - we were told that the dawn to dusk rule was not enforced, although no using of the jets after 10 pm. There were plenty of lounge chairs and other places to sit. Both the outdoors and the shared main rooms inside the house felt very private - other than at breakfast, we barely encountered the other guests. There are no TVs in the rooms, which we were a little worried about (we enjoy relaxing with TV when on vacation), but there is a large TV in the living that we used a few times (although it was a little weird to do so during the day, as the living room also houses the property manger's desk). Both our after-hours check in process and our check-out process were smooth and simple. Last but not least, the hotel is in a great location, only 2 blocks from Duval (the main strip with shops/restaurants) and right in the center of the island, making it very easy to walk everywhere (which we did!). In summary, we greatly enjoyed our stay here - we would recommend M&A as an ideal location for couples who middle-aged (we are in our 50s, and most of the other guests were 40s-60s range) and who prefer a pretty, quiet, private location that's still centrally located in Key West.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Thank you for your thorough review and rating. We are delighted that you had a nice time. We appreciate you choosing The Mermaid & The Alligator for your travels to Key West. Please come back and see us again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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B M wrote a review Aug 2023
1 contribution
This was the perfect getaway for my husband and I. It was so nice and tranquil! Beautiful place and staff were very friendly and welcoming! This is now our new favorite getaway spot:)…looks just like the photos:) The fruit infused water was refreshing. The bed was comfortable and the jacuzzi tub was nice. The place was spotless clean.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Thank you for your kind review and rating. We are so glad that you had a nice stay. Please come back and see us again and thank you for choosing The Mermaid & The Alligator!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Frank Torres wrote a review Jul 2023
Miami, Florida2 contributions
Went with my fiancé and what an incredible experience. This is the only place I will stay when I travel to Key West. The ladies that work there are on top of everything. Breakfast was delicious and I enjoyed the happy hour by the jacuzzi
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Thank you for your kind review and rating. We are so glad that you had a nice stay and that everything met your expectations. Please come back and see us again!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Lisa D wrote a review Jul 2023
1 contribution
Beautiful house, gardens and location! Having the plunge pool there to cool down in after walking around the town was perfect and having the wine and chees hour didn't hurt either. Diana was a wonderful host. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
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Response from Lisa Zifer, Owner at The Mermaid & The Alligator
Responded 22 Aug 2023
Thank you for your kind review and rating. We are delighted that you had a nice stay and hope to see you again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
₹32,001 - ₹42,447 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
the mermaid & the alligator hotel key west, the mermaid and the alligator
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaFlorida KeysKey West
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.
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THE MERMAID & THE ALLIGATOR (Key West) - B&B Reviews, Photos, Rate Comparison - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Mermaid & The Alligator
Which popular attractions are close to The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Nearby attractions include Key West Firehouse Museum (0.3 km), Saint Mary Star of the Sea (0.10 km), and Key West Cemetery (0.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
What food & drink options are available at The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and an outdoor dining area during their stay.
Is parking available at The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Yes, free parking and street parking are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Conveniently located restaurants include Key West Cuban Coffee shop, Better Than Sex - A Dessert Restaurant Key West, and El Siboney Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Is The Mermaid & The Alligator located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.5 km away from the centre of Key West.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at The Mermaid & The Alligator?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Are there any historical sites close to The Mermaid & The Alligator?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Truman Little White House (1.2 km), Key West Garden Club (1.3 km), and West Martello Tower (1.1 km).