Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Formerly known as The Avalon and Duval Gardens, these guesthouses blend history with contemporary coastal décor. Take in the magical atmosphere of Key West from the guest room of an elegantly restored, turn-of-the-century Victorian home. Located on Historic Duval Street, The Avalon is a historic 19 room home with origins dating back to 1885. All rooms are updated to provide modern amenities, while still maintaining the home’s colonial charm & ambiance. A plentiful continental breakfast buffet is served café style on the front porch each morning. Located just up the street also on Historic Duval Street, Duval Gardens is comprised of 12 beautifully appointed guest rooms with roots dating back to 1920. Enjoy breakfast on the front porch every morning and take in the Duval Street views poolside at the home’s private pool. All guests of The Guesthouses at Southernmost Beach Resort may access the Southernmost Beach Resort’s amenities such as the two private beaches, three resort pools (as well as the homes’ private pools that are only open to Guesthouse guests), daily resort activities, and more.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
City View
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
1319 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040
The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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The Guesthouses at Southernmost Beach Resort receive high marks for their immaculate rooms, complete with modern amenities and comfort, despite occasional remarks about the compact size and limited work areas. With a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere enhanced by live music and guesthouse charm, the resort feels like a home away from home. The staff's attentive service is frequently praised, while the prime location allows for easy exploration of Key West's attractions, albeit sometimes at the cost of peace and quiet.
While the amenities, including multiple pools, are generally appreciated, some guests point out the modest spa offerings and noise concerns. Cleanliness stands out at the resort, though minor details like missing towel racks have been noted. The resort's value is recognized for perks like happy hour specials, though the added costs for parking have drawn some criticism.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Well-appointed
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My college girlfriends and I take an annual trip every year and this year, we stayed at Duvall Gardens at the Southernmost Beach Resort.
Duvall Gardens is located about 4 blocks away from the Southernmost hotel's lobby. You check in at the lobby and a bellman with a golf cart drives you to the house. My room was great - well appointed, comfortable bed, nice sheets, lovely decor, had a refrigerator, a coffee maker, robes and safe. Basically every amenity you need in a hotel room. I saw a review wanting a microwave - I have never wanted or used a microwave on vacation. The room and bathroom are all recently renovated and everything was very clean.
The concierge was helpful in making reservations. She helped us book a sunset cruise and several good restaurants for dinners.
The location is perfect - everything was walkable. We took long walks each morning, walked to the pier for the cruise and to the restaurants each night. Don't miss the harbor walk. One downside of the location is that it can be a little noisy. Duvall is obviously a busy street and while Duvall Gardens is on the quiet end, the traffic with people blasting their music and the roosters can be noisy. The room does have a nice humidifier the doubles as a white noise machine - be sure to empty it before you go to bed so it doesn't stop in the middle of the night. Otherwise, be sure to wear earplugs.
I had a deep tissue massage at the spa and that was very good. The spa facility is pretty limited - just one treatment room so book early!
We had breakfast each morning and everything was excellent. Great selection and everything was fresh. The coffee could've been a tad stronger but I just threw in an extra shot from the coffee maker in the room. We had drinks and lunch at the pool a couple of times. I had a chicken wrap one day that was pretty good. I enjoyed the poolside entertainment. We sat out on the pier another day and the views were beautiful. There was a slight breeze and honesty the weather was perfect.
Overall, I would highly recommend this for a girls weekend. We had an amazing time and can't wait to return.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 7 Feb 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you and your girlfriends had such an enjoyable stay at Duval Gardens and our newly restored accommodations met your expectations. We're also glad that the concierge was able to assist with reservations, and that you enjoyed the relaxing massage at the spa. We do appreciate your feedback on the noise from Duval Street, as we're located in the Heart of Duval Street. We're so glad you enjoyed the poolside entertainment, the views from our newly restored tanning pier, and the delicious food. We truly look forward to welcoming you back for your next girls' weekend. Thank you again for your kind words!
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AMAZING time! We were greeted by Justin who offered a complimentary upgrade to a room in the Avalon House that came with daily breakfast and afternoon snacks at the Dewey House on the property. Thank you, Justin! Each morning at breakfast , Ophelia greeted us warmly and the woman making omelets always greeted us with a smile. We went in 3 of the 4 pools - all were great. The Pineapple pool had a DJ or other music. The Shores pool had music or a live guitar player. Both had full bar service with friendly staff. The beach right next to the Shores pool was never crowded with plenty of lounge chairs. Our room was beautiful and housekeeping was great. I’m usually one that winces at seeing resort fees, but the service and hospitality made it well worth it. Walking around Key West and seeing other options, we felt like we had the best location with the best amenities. We didn’t want to leave!
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 16 May 2024
WOW! Thank you for sharing your five-star experience. We are thrilled to hear you enjoyed our brand-new Avalon guesthouse, and our beachside Chef appointed breakfast where all menu items are freshly made to order. Pleased to hear you found value with our Resort activations that are second to none on the island. Our daily activations include Tequila Tasting, Conch Shell Blowing, Interactive Trivia, Champagne Sabering and more. Truly appreciate the kind words regarding Justin & Ophelia, our exceptional service makes SoMo stand out from the rest. We look forward to welcoming you back once again. Cheers!
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Room was well kept, clean and new. Breakfast was good, hot and cold options available with fruit and plenty of coffee and tea (though we would have loved some toast :-)). Marilyn was an excellent host, she rose to greet every guest each day when they came out for their breakfast, it was very kind. The room would be even better with a towel rack in the bathroom and a heavier curtain on the front door.
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Date of stay: March 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.
Response from Front Office, General Manager at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 24 Mar 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience! We are glad to know that Marilyn took good care of you. All your feedback is appreciated and will be communicated to the concerned departments to be addressed. Thank you for choosing The Guesthouses at SoMo!
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Beware that the resort charges $50/day as an amenity fee, whether you use the amenities (i.e. pool) or not. In addition, the resort charges (on top of the $50 amenity fee) $20/day to rent a bike. Within two blocks of the resort you can rent bicycles for $10/day.
If staying in the guesthouses, be prepared to prove that you get free breakfast as the front desk staff appears to have a canned response that breakfast is not included in their nightly rate. Only after I had them check my reservation in their system did the front desk staff actually acknowledge that breakfast was included. Then their directions to the location of breakfast were so inconsistent that we had to ask people on the street where the supposed breakfast was located. When we arrived for breakfast the first day there was no one available to check us in and confirm our free breakfast. The second morning of our stay went smoother due to our efforts the day before. In the end, we did enjoy a nice breakfast with eggs made to order.
If you are planning on storing your luggage at the hotel before checkin or after checkout, take the extra time to actually watch and ensure the staff actually tags each piece of your luggage. I made the mistake of not ensuring each of our 3 bags were tagged when I checked out of the resort and it literally took the front desk staff 20 minutes to retrieve our bags. After 10 minutes of their looking and us offering to help (to which the front desk staff twice declined our offer of assistance to help locate our bags in their storage area), the staff appeared with 2 of our 3 bags. Ten minutes later, a staff member finally confirmed my name and stated he had located my bag but that it was not tagged.
The attitude of the front desk staff was rather aloof and portrayed a hotel with little consideration for the actual comfort of their guests; just check the tourist in, check the tourist out, collect the money. In reference to our bags, the front desk staff portrayed an attitude that it was my fault that the bag had not been properly tagged. Like, hello, I believe it is the responsibility of the hotel staff to properly tag each bag.
In all my travels, to some of the busiest hotels and resorts in the world, I have never had to wait 20 minutes to retrieve my bags from the hotel staff. I have to wonder if the front desk staff is simply overworked because, as I was waiting 20 minutes to retrieve my bag, a line of over 10 guests were waiting to check-in, or maybe it's simply a potential staffing training issue.
Finally, the hotel walls are very thin and noise, talking, or sounds from the TV can easily be heard from the rooms next door. The location of the hotel is nice and away from the main bar area of Duval St. The resort and the rooms are also very nice.
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Date of stay: February 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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 11 Feb 2023
Thank you for sharing your detailed review. Prior to settling your reservation, there is notation to all reserving regarding our amenities and parking. Our resort is unique, we provide daily activities, featuring musicians, butterfly tours, trivia nights, haunted sip and tales, and more. I apologize for the transparency regarding breakfast. Guests of our resort may have breakfast included if it’s a package they chose for the Café. If staying at La Mer & Dewey or Avalon breakfast is featured on the Dewy deck featuring a Chef and a host. Exclusive for guesthouses, we also have refreshments in the afternoon. Gosh, we are sorry for the delay in receiving your stowed luggage, your time is precious and we understand your frustration. We truly are sorry your overall stay was not 100% and we would love the opportunity to welcome you back to make it right!
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My husband and I stayed in room 414 on the first floor of the Dewey House. We had arrived around 11:30 pm after a long travel day. Unfortunately the roosters crowing at 3:30 am woke me up and kept me up the rest of the night. Our room's headboard was against the wall that had the staircase on the opposite side, so we heard everyone's footsteps as they came down the stairs in the morning beginning the 8 am breakfast served in the dining area, which was also immediately outside our room. We heard talking and plates clinking loudly. Needless to say, when I went outside our room to get coffee/breakfast, I was very tired not happy. Marilyn, a lovely blond hostess helping the guests in the breakfast dining room, greeted me with a pleasant smile and asked how I was. I'm afraid I unloaded on her, explaining the noisy night we had. She couldn't have been more kind and concerned. Her interest in making our stay better was very evident; she also made an effort to cater to our every need during our breakfast. Needless to say, after securing "rooster canceling ear plugs", the rest of my nights were wonderfully quiet. Thanks to Marilyn, she turned what could have been a miserable stay into a wonderful stay; we saw her every morning and she was always so incredibly kind and helpful. The Southern Most Resort has a real treasure in Marilyn and I hope they treat her right and keep her for a very long time.
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Date of stay: January 2025
Value
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Location
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The roosters start crowing loudly anytime after 1:30 am; naval jets fly over the property...
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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 21 Jan 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. We’re truly sorry to hear about the disruptions you experienced during your first night, after a long journey to our little island, we understand how frustrating it can be when a noise disturbance interferes with your rest. As our guest you stayed in our newly restored Dewey House. I am sure you enjoyed being steps away from our special Chef prepared breakfast, exclusive for guests of La Mer, Dewey, and Avalon. We’re so happy to hear that Marilyn was able to turn your experience around with her warmth, kindness, and exceptional service. We’re also glad to hear that the earplugs helped make the rest of your stay more peaceful. As you navigate throughout Old Town, you will observe Key West Chickens roaming freely as they are protected. Guests and locals alike find them at times to be charming or a nuisance. We look forward to welcoming you back to Southernmost!
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My wife and I came down for our honeymoon, had never been to the Keys and had no idea what to expect. We have to say, even though we had some early maintenance issues with our room, we could not have had a better time!
The guest house across from the lobster shack had just reopened after renovation, and we were the first to use the room, which is very cool. We did have some issues with the plumbing and TV when we first got there, but it is a testament to the management/customer service there, as they were prompt, communicative, and one of the managers (Alexa) even stayed with maintenance to ensure the issues were fixed!
If you are considering going with the hotel versus the guest houses, don't skimp out on this! All in all the room (wish we would have taken some pictures) and building were gorgeous, the location is spectacular, we got to wake up every morning and have breakfast on the beach (included, and everything was delicious), and with the pools and activities and staff, it sometimes became hard to explore Key West when we just wanted to stay and enjoy the property!
Todd the property manager will routinely greet guests and is a lot of fun, Gabriel is one of the friendliest bartenders you will meet and really knows his stuff (I'm not a cocktail guy but he made me change my mind a bit, makes a heck of a mezcalita!) even Piotr attending the beach, everyone we met was very friendly and welcoming, and made Key West feel like a home away from home, and this is coming from people who love snow! We didn't want to leave!
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Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:The Guesthouses are pricy per night but for what is included, you can't beat the value. Also...
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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 6 Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience and being our first guest at our newly renovated La Mer & Dewey Guesthouses. Thank you for your patience regarding a few items that needed to be fine-tuned, however, your feedback is crucial. Appreciate the kind words regarding Alexa and the rest of the team. We wish you a lifetime of health and happiness, cheers!!!
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My husband and I recently stayed in the Duval Gardens Guesthouse for four nights and everything about it was exactly what we were looking for on our trip to Key West. It has the charm and intimacy of staying in a B&B, but all of the convenience of a large resort.
Our hostess for most of our stay was Marilyn, a 35+ year resident of Key West, and she was an absolute delight! Very professional, but also so warm and friendly, she truly elevated the experience from an impersonal stay at a hotel, to a genuinely welcoming experience. Over breakfast with the other guests on the porch, she shared her stories living on the Island, gave us great recommendations for local restaurants off the beaten path, and other places to visit during our stay.
The location is perfect for just about anything you want to do. You're only a short walk away from the action on Duval street, but it's quiet at the house when you're ready to turn in for the night. It's also within a few minutes bike ride from parks and beaches on other parts of the island. Even though you're a couple blocks away from the main resort, any help you might need is just a phone call away and they'll send someone over within minutes. I also got multiple texts during our stay checking on us to make sure we didn't need anything.
Next, the house itself is adorable and so charming. They had Christmas lights up, and while sitting on the porch, we saw so many people stop and take photos. The front porch at night under the lights was such a great atmosphere to hang out, and my husband and I brought dinner back a couple times to eat on the porch under the lights. We loved coming back in the evenings and just sitting out front on the ledge people-watching as folks walked, drove, biked, and scooter-ed up and down Duval.
We had a King room, towards the back of the house, up a flight of stairs. Our specific room wasn't next to any others, was quite large, comfortable bathroom with, a TV, dresser, mini fridge, and microwave. From our location, I never noticed any issues with other guests being too loud or disruptive.
Everything about our stay was so relaxing and wonderful, we can't wait to come back to Duval Gardens!
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Date of stay: December 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 19 Dec 2022
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are thrilled your time with us was enjoyable and we greatly appreciate the kind words regarding Marilyn. Thank you for being our guest and we look forward to welcoming you back to the Guesthouses at Southernmost Beach Resort!
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The Southernmost is a great location and the staff were largely very gracious and hospitable. Our room was so small that there was only one chair and no desk. There was no towel rack in the bathroom and no full length mirror. our room at the Avalon lacked the charm we thought we had booked. Everything was “fake old.” We loved the espresso machine in the room. There was a pile of cleaning supplies outside our room the entire time we were there. The tables by the pool had peeling paint that stuck to everything. Our breakfast hostess told us to get a poncho at the front desk the day it rained but the front desk didn’t have any and didn’t seemed concerned about that. Another guest asked for promised earplugs which they had also run out of. The lack of concern about customer needs was disappointing. The rest of the staff were delightful and helpful.
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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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 10 Feb 2024
Gosh, we humbly apologize our service did not meet your expectations. Our team traditionally praised for their exceptional service, and we are sorry this was not your experience. Please know we take your concerns very seriously and your feedback has been shared with our leadership team for review. We would love the opportunity to welcome you back to SoMo and make it right!
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For a relaxing, romantic getaway we couldn’t have wished for more! The location is perfect, the staff is warm and inviting, and the breakfast and afternoon “snacks” that come with the guest house experience at Southernmost Beach Resort are top notch! We are right on the beach, right on Duval Street (we do recommend taking advantage of the quiet rooster earplugs! Ask for them at check-in to ensure a quiet nights sleep!) and steps away from all the fun. Ophelia and her team are wonderful. We stayed at Dewey House, and enjoyed a little reprieve from the hustle and bustle of kids and life. This adults only accommodation allowed us to spend time enjoying the fun of resort life with the quiet and relaxation of a romantic Victorian inn.
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Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Be good to your people and they’ll be good to you! It’s been a tough few years for everyone. Be...
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.
Response from Timothy Matlock, Other at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 3 Jan 2023
Thank you for sharing your five-star experience and recognizing Ophelia and her amazing team. Thrilled you enjoyed breakfast and afternoon refreshments on our Dewey Deck. We look forward to welcoming you back!!
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We stayed the last week of May 2021 and had a fantastic experience. We arrived early and reserved a parking spot (I think they have 5 or 6 you can rent for $20/day) and then hit Duval for exploring. It is right across the street from one of the trolley stops, so that makes it a great first day to explore the key (getting on and off at the stops). When we got back, we were ready to clean up get ready for dinner. Check in was super easy and they were still following COVID protocols (if you are concerned) and everything is very hygienic. The room as so crisp and clean. The beautiful dark wood floors were perfectly polished and really illuminated the white clean bedding and décor. Bathroom is newly remodeled and modern sleek design. being an older building it is a little cozy.
Breakfast in the AM, pool available and helpful front desk - what else can you ask for?!
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Date of stay: May 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:Getting the Queen and twin was perfect for my husband and I - we didn't use the twin, but we...
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.
Response from Yvonne Sermak, General Manager at The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Responded 31 May 2021
Thank you so much for such a great review and sharing such good information for our future guests. We certainly appreciate it. Thank you for choosing us and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
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Both guesthouses have their own dedicated pool. You also have the opportunity to enjoy all of the resort amenities including the three pools at the main resort, daily activities, private cabanas, and more. We look forward to welcoming you to SoMo.
So sorry for the late response we did not see your question. Absolutely we have bike racks right on the property. Our staff can also assist with bike rentals if needed. We Cycle offer a drop off and pick up service that works out well.
There are more places to choose from in the Key West area.
PRICE RANGE
RM 1,779 - RM 2,981 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
avalon b&b, avalon hotel key west
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Avalon Bed and Breakfast
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaFlorida KeysKey West
NUMBER OF ROOMS
19
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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THE GUESTHOUSES AT SOUTHERNMOST BEACH RESORT: UPDATED 2025 B&B Reviews, Price Comparison and 1,342 Photos (Key West, FL) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort
Which popular attractions are close to The Guesthouses At Southernmost Beach Resort?
Nearby attractions include Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory (0.4 km), Alan S. Maltz Gallery (0.4 km), and Tipsy Rooster Liquor Store & Bar (0.2 km).
