After a fair amount of research & review reading, we selected the Merlin Guest House. Cut to the chase: at about 5:30 AM the first morning we were awakened to CLANG! BANG! BANG! That was the neighborhood garbage truck emptying a dumpster and then a glass recycling bin...TINK! TINK! TINK! TINK! The next morning, about 6:30 AM: a semi tractor trailer rig and then a motorcycle with megaphone exhaust pipes BAHROOOM! goes zooming past. The problem: the same location that makes it so convenient to old town Key West is also a main traffic artery: i.e. Simonton street. I would never again stay in any place that faces Simonton street. It's amazingly loud! AT ALL HOURS! You have been warned!

Ok, that being said......The staff is really friendly, welcoming & helpful. They recommended some great places to eat & see & fun watering holes. The courtyard & pool area are lush, green & well maintained. It was a pleasure to sit outside & enjoy it. The continental breakfast was great...I had yogurt & granola & real orange juice...fairly substantial for me. And a nice treat.... good coffee!
The room: clean & neat. But a funny smell that at first I thought smelled like at some point somebody pee'd on the wood floor & it soaked in. Then, I realized it was a peculiarly musty smell common to many of the areas of the old town. Just took a little getting used to. The four poster bed was cool looking, but had a mattress about 6 inches thick.....I'm not kidding. Not comfortable. We like to read in bed....the light above the bed was quite high & not accessible from a sitting position on the bed. The bathroom: close to spotlessly clean, but not a good setup. No counter top for your items. Most importantly: poor & potentially hazardous shower access. You have to squeeze past the toilet to get to the shower. But once you're in it's a good shower ;-) There was a roomy 6 drawer dresser with a mirror for clothes, but as another reviewer noted, no place to put your luggage, so it's hard to avoid tripping over it!
I just didn't feel like I got my money's worth.

If you want to stay in a prime location, it's always pricey. I understand that and in most cases I'll make the sacrifice. But.....I paid almost $200 bucks a night for a tiny room and couldn't even get a good night's sleep? No, not good. Sorry. I think next time (and I hope there is a next time!) I'd look for a less expensive place a little further out of the old town & travel by the convenient city bus, rent a bike or at the worst, drive & find someplace to park close in for the day.

We stayed at this property, after staying at a sister property, Lighthouse Court, during our last KW trip. Both offer great value in a town that is not inexpensive to stay in. Needed a separate bedroom b/c we have a baby, so the cottage was perfect. The cats and chicks kept our baby girl entertained, along with the pool Great location, two blocks off Duval. Convenient to several good restaurants (7Fish, Duffy's, DJ's Clam Shack), with many more in walking distance. Close to pretty much anything you want to do or see in KW. Don't miss the Butterfly & Nature Conservancy.

Queen economy was terrible. I booked thru a group and asked for a King room and I got a Queen economy. I asked to be moved and they said they were all booked. The room was so small. No where to put luggage and no closet. The shower pressure was so bad I couldn't shampoo my hair. The stand up shower floor was on a slant, there was no room to shave your legs. There was 1 small end table on 1 side of the bed. I had to put my phone and glasses on the floor under the bed. The bed was very uncomfortable. It was VERY, VERY small

our room (#12) had a tiny front room, skylight and was off the street. Room was clean and had the perfect "beachy" feel to it. great staff, nice breakfast every morning and extremely close to Duval, one block!!!

My only comment would be that the wifi should reach all the rooms. As of now, the wifi is only available near the pool. So your laptops and ipad will be useless on your stay, but not a huge deal.