Margaritaville Beach House Key West

"Note: This review is for the now-closed Barbary Beach House Key West. Why did this hotel catch your attention? This 184-room hotel right across from Smathers Beach, one of Key West's only and best beaches, just opened in June. It used to be a Sheraton, which you'd never guess thanks to its refreshed renaissance. The front entrance has been made grand with a sculpture-like, metal awning-style feature that you pull your car up under to check in. There's a street running between the hotel and the beach. What's the backstory? Barbary Beach House is owned by Diamondrock Hospitality, which owns another Key West property, Havana Cabana, as well as popular hotels in Colorado and elsewhere (for example, they own the L'Auberge de Sedona). Tell us all about the accommodations. Any tips on what to book? All rooms are suites with separate bedrooms and living areas with mini-fridges and microwaves and the decor aesthetic is salvage-chic, with worn wood and neutral tones. Definitely a place to hole up and relax in the comfort of plush pillow top beds and cool AC after a hot day exploring Key West town or playing on the beach. The rooms have a very cooling and refreshing feel, with neutral colors that calm and lots of natural light. Is there a charge for Wi-Fi? It's fast and included in the daily resort fee of $48. Drinking and dining—what are we looking at? Drifter's Cove Restaurant is the place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is a good spot for things like acai smoothies, Cuban sandwiches, tuna poke, shrimp ceviche, and surf and turf items like steaks and lobster quesadillas. They have indoor and outdoor dining with tables on a shaded balcony overlooking the resort pool. It's all very Key West, which is to say: tropical, bright, and inviting. Shipwreckers Bar is a round open-air bar by the pool where the blender is usually whirring and frozen concoctions spiked with rum, passionfruit, and mango are on the menu. And the service? The concierge is there to make all your "when-in-Key West" fantasies come true, whether that's a flight-seeing tour around the island or to the Dry Tortugas or a Hemingway-style fishing charter offshore. What type of travelers will you find here? They're wearing pink shorts with whale belts as much as board shorts—Hawaiian shirts and Lily Pulitzer floral dresses, too. They came for vacation and to party. What about the neighborhood? Does the hotel fit in, make itself part of the scene? The hotel is very much a part of the neighborhood and resort area surrounding Smathers Beach, which is one of the more local beaches on Key West. The hotel offers a free shuttle for guests to Duval Street and to the Downtown Seaport Harbor, and you can easily bike there, too. You're right near Key West High School and residential neighborhoods of the interior, a bit removed from the overtly touristy part of the island. Not everyone comes to Key West to spend time on the beach (the island is known for bars and boats more than beaches), but if you want some beach time during your vacation here, it's one of the best properties for easy access to the sand. Is there anything you'd change? The $48 daily resort fee is steep but it does get you some things in addition to Wi-Fi, including poolside popsicles, free lobby coffee, and kayak and paddelboard use on the beach (bikes are extra to rent). Any other hotel features worth noting? There's one pool with a waterfall feature, pretty landscaping and hammocks strung around the resort to add to the on-vacation vibe. Bottom line: Worth it? Why? Worth it for the great beach access and comfortable rooms and grounds." - Terry Ward