The rooms are very pleasant and comfortable. The location is awesome and easy to find. The breakfast is nothing to brag about as there is not a very good selection. We ended up going down the road to Denny's. The beds are typical Marriott beds and are very comfortable. There is a very good restaurant across the road. I would recommend this hotel to anyone going to Key West.

Key West – August 14 -22, 2011 9 days

We visited Key West from August 14 to August 28, 2011. We expected the town to be all party and not adaptive to a family style vacation but found otherwise much to our satisfaction. Duval Street is certainly a party capital but there is plenty for families to do.

We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard Waterfront. Don’t let the waterfront fool you. Yes it is on the waterfront (bay side of the Keys) but there is not much to do at this “waterfront.” It is mostly mangrove and turtle grass which, while essential to the ecosystem, is not good for sunbathing and swimming. Of course this is typical in the Keys.

The benefits of staying at this location are that it is handy to the shopping centers across the street with a K Mart, Albertsons Groceries and many restaurants. There is an hourly shuttle to Old Town. You could walk to old town but it is quite a hike. It is quieter at this end of the island in comparison to staying in Old Town.

The hotel is not up to the usual Courtyard standards (we stay at Courtyards frequently) and from what I understand is a conversion from another brand. The pool is adequate. The room was serviceable. We were on the ground floor of a two story hotel so had easy access to the pool through the sliding door.

We asked for a refrigerator early in the week and were promised one as soon as one became available but it never showed up.

We were going to stay at the Key West Marriott but they only had king beds and that would not have worked for our party of three. An alternative to the Courtyard may be the Fairfield Inn a couple of blocks away. I viewed the hotel from the outside and it looked good. You usually get a free breakfast at Fairfields. There is no shuttle to Old Town.

We would consider staying here again. It is not a resort experience (not too many places are in Key West) but still provided sufficient comforts for our five days on the island.

Key West is a charming town. Be sure to visit Mallory Square at sundown for all types of eclectic entertainment. You have to have you photo taken at the Southernmost Point in the U.S. if only to say that you been there and done that. It is a short walk from southern end of Duval Street.

I had an interesting tour of Ernest Hemmingway’s House.

We beached at Fort Zachary State Park. There is an admission fee and some interesting snorkeling off shore. Be sure to bring water shoes since it is a rocky beach. The highlight was a manatee that surprised us in about eight feet of water. It caused quite a commotion on shore much to the consternation of my wife.

I highly recommend the Yankee Freedom ferry trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park. The crew was great. The Dry Tortugas are truly a gem at sea and the snorkeling exceptional. The trip is expensive at $160 a person, but a must see experience.

We use Jan and Michael’s Stern book, 500 Things to Eat Before It’s Too Late as our gastro-entertainment guide when traveling. It has not guided us to indigestion yet. So we ate at Louie’s Backyard. The location is postcard perfect on the ocean side of the Key. The food is expensive ($150 for three, food only) but exceptional.

Don’t miss Blue Heaven Pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The pancakes are heavenly. And don’t be afraid to ask for Key Lime Pie for breakfast dessert. The meringue crowns out at 4 inches and is like eating clouds. Prices are reasonable (between $40 - $60 for three). Don’t let the roosters distract you. We ended up there three times and the taste buds never tired.

A&B Lobster House was excellent. It is expensive but the service is impeccable and food well worth the price.

The Half Shell Raw Bar was great. Too bad they can’t keep the pigeons out of the eating area.

Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe was nifty. The frozen Key Lime Pie on a stick was a tourist magnet but quite tasty.

Parking is very limited in Old Town. Duval Street is an impossible drive in the evening. There is a public garage on the corner of Grinnell and Caroline. We parked there for the all day ferry trip. It is four blocks from Duval Street.

We stayed here for a weekend getaway and were really surprised to find a truly beautiful landscape, on the inlet water, great staff and clean rooms.

We did not have reservations since it was a was a last minute getaway but were pleasently surprised for this hotel to have an available room on Labor Day weekend. It was very clean and close to a supermarket and liquor store. Loved the rooster and iguanas running around. We did have a room off the main street but could not here the traffic but looking at the courtyard on the other side of the room. The lobby was very nice and had a Starbucks Shop. Overall, a very nice hotel for the price and staff was friendly. Will recommend to family and friends but not to smokers.