The Consulate is like a home away from home. Beautiful well appointed apartment type accommodations. Very clean and great ai conditioning. It’s a short walk to most restaurants and bars but very quiet. Would definitely stay again.

Imagine yourself in the sitting on a porch overlooking the water as a riverboat slipped into port carrying exotic foods from a place far beyond your imagination. In the general store below you, the faint jingle of a doorbell announces another customers arrival to the local Grady Market. You might think yourself in another time but as a visitor to the Consulate Hotel in Apalachicola, it is 2018.

Having traveled around the globe, I delight in finding and reviewing the lesser known specialty hotels that bring more to the table than just a night's stay. I love the architecture and history that brings a night's stay to life. Being an ordinary worker, I look at the worth of the place I spend my hard earned dollars and when both fit my expectations I take the time to review the place and then make sure I return again and again. The Consulate fits all of my criteria.

The Consulate Riverview Suites is a real find in this darling little town on Florida's Forgotten Coast. My husband and I ride our Indian motorcycle to Apalachicola several times a year just to enjoy a weekend away from our daily lives. It was this past week when we really "discovered" The Consulate Suites.

Having just come out of the Grady Market, an upscale "general" store where lovely clerks cashed out buyer's goods on the original display counters. Curious about the upstairs accommodations, I found myself peeking into a window to see if I might get a glimpse of what lay behind the glass door. From behind me came a woman's voice. "Would you like to see the rooms?" Her voice was pleasant and her eyes shone with excitement that was palpable.

Once inside we treated to four unexpectedly large suites, each decorated with lovely furnishings that made us want to sink right in. Fully furnished kitchens with every possible amenity, (no breakfast served) large bedrooms and baths, roomy sitting areas complete with vintage touches and washers and dryers made The Consulate our new favorite place to return to! There are two 1-bedroom suites and two 2-bedroom suites. All suites accommodate up to four people.

Our delightful host, Shari Teeters, not only gave us a wonderful tour, pointing out the small touches this boutique hotel is noted for, she gave us a wonderful history of the hotel. Her added love for the property reflected the caring attitude of everyone we met connected with the Grady Market and Consulate Suites. I, for one, form attachments to hotels and buildings that have rich histories, as they make the stays so much richer.

One cannot come to Apalachicola without experiencing the feeling of a time gone by. Small retail stores that refer their neighbors when they don't have what you want communicate to the traveler that you are somewhere special. So it goes with the Consulate.

Within easy walking distance are coffee shops, restaurants, local bars with music, retail shops and oyster bars. Rates run from approximately $205-$325 in low season to $225-$345 in high season, but after the first night rates reduce by around $20 pr. night making it a reasonable stay for two couples sharing a suite or a family. What I loved about this concept is the fact that once you return to the suites, you have plenty of room to enjoy good conversation, play games, read, write that next novel, put out snacks, etc. You never have to feel rushed here. The owners even have a photo album in every room of the way it looked years ago, as well as the reconstruction of the property that brought it to its full capacity today.

From the well-appointed rooms to the class act of the staff, this place is one that is sure to please everyone. Whether a couple seeking a romantic getaway, two couples sharing a suite, a girlfriend's getaway, a corporate retreat, or an adult family reunion, The Consulate is sure to deliver on a very upscale and delightful weekend!

So, for those wanting something special, something that gives you more than just a hotel stay, The Consulate is a value in history and experience that is hard to come by!

We returned here recently, this time to the “Attaché” unit where we have stayed before. As had been our prior experience, the suite was thoughtfully prepared and immaculately clean. The location for visiting Apalachicola is ideal; a quick trip down the back stairs and you’re downtown; you can walk pretty much everywhere. The unit itself has everything you'd want, and the high ceilings make it seem especially spacious. Note, though, that all of the accommodations in the building are on the second floor, up a long flight of stairs, so carrying luggage in and out is not particularly easy. We will be back next year.