The Casablanca Hotel

The music from local musicians in the afternoon was nice, and I expected more noise at night than there actually was. The restaurant downstairs is good, too. Our room was clean and the bed super comfortable, and the staff were lovely. I was a little disappointed that the pool barely got used, but the weather was colder than expected and it wasn't swimming weather for much of our vacation. Great location. We'd definitely come back to Key West.

The noise made it hard to sleep. Bottles were being dumped outside the room at all hours until after 2 am, then the morning crew arrived loudly at 6 am to clean things up. I can't call this romantic or relaxing, and earplugs being supplied by the hotel says a lot. Our room opened to the outside, and the bathroom window was right in the middle of the Irish bar patio. We could hear every conversation as if people were in the bathroom with us. The hotel sits amid a bar and restaurant that doesn't close until 2 am, something I hadn't picked up from the reviews or website. The location is great if you want to be in the middle of Duval, which we did, but in hindsight I should have paid more for a nicer hotel. At least the place was clean, pest free, and had good daily maid service. The women working at the hotel was nice. Breakfast was fine, but after the first day we got coffee and breakfast sandwiches elsewhere. The bathroom was a wet room with no shower curb to contain water, and the toilet needed instructions posted to keep it from malfunctioning. The pillows were the worst I've ever had, so bring your own. There were no smoking signs on the rooms, but an ashtray sat on my patio. During the half hour I spent out there, someone I believe was a restaurant worker came out, stood less than five feet away, and started smoking. I didn't like having someone take a smoke break right next to me, with the employee break area apparently beside the room and people able to watch patio users through the wide slats. I was chased back inside. The hotel needs better pillows and could put a white noise machine in each room. Better insulation, sound dampening windows, and heavier window coverings would help too. The current blinds and curtains are thin.

Before my flight home, I had a very enjoyable one-night stay. The property felt really unique, my room was incredibly clean, and the staff were very helpful. Its location worked perfectly for my travel needs. Thanks for a great experience. I'll recommend the hotel to others visiting the area.

I've stayed in thousands of rooms all over the world, across four or five continents, and this is one of the best places I've ever been. Such a great place to enjoy life. We'll be back.