The Palace of an Empress In Biarritz

In the heart of Key West, two hotels stand out for their luxury and elegance. They are old houses that have been renovated to invite guests to feel like true Conchs (the name given to residents of the city). The tropical architecture and the gardens of these buildings maintain their special charm.

The Gardens Hotel used to be owned by Peggy Mills, who, from when she acquired it, in 1930, right up to her death, in 1979, dedicated her life to creating a wonderful tropical garden with a wide variety of orchids, trees and plants. Now it is a small and luxurious hotel that brings together elegance, refinement and the taste       of the past. It seems that its rooms come straight out of     a novel and that the ghosts of famous Conchs transmit a wonderful feeling to these walls surrounded by a strange jungle. It is a genuine oasis of peace and luxury with a swimming pool, jacuzzi and bar. In particular, its suites invite guests to take life easy and to be swept up by the sweetness of the air that surrounds them.

 

 

Ambrosia House is an old Conch house and is typical of Key West. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century by a sea captain and captures the romance, the tropical flavor and the luxury of the colorful past of the garden city. Its spacious suites furnished like a by-gone age, its swimming pools and gardens turn this charming building into a luxury hotel in the center of Key West just a stone’s throw from the famous Duval Street. This small hotel conserves the authentic flavor of the life of the place and invites you to feel like a true resident of the USA’s most southerly city, so Latin and so Saxon at the same time.

The Gardens Hotel and Ambrosia House, two of the gems of Key West, one of the most extravagant places in the United States.    

 

 

 

 

Text: Patrick Monney ± Photo: Patrick Monney.