For my wife’s birthday we decided to have a little weekend getaway in famed Key West, Florida. Known for Earnest Hemmingway, Truman’s Little White House, Fantasy Fest and the Southernmost Point of the United States (Stateside, I actually think Hawaii is closer to the equator) and only 90 miles from Cuba (There is a story of the mayor once waterskiing to Cuba to illustrate how close it is).
We made some new friends from Michigan who know way more about food and libations and they recommended we say more about the total experience so here goes.
We booked a room at the Waldorf Astoria’s Casa Marina for 3 days and away we went on a road trip adventure only 4 hours away from the Palm Beaches. We packed up the Ferrari (light packing since there is not much trunk space) and headed out with the top down in the beautiful sunshine. Ok, it was a bit ambitious to drive the whole way with the top down so we put it down once we were off the turnpike, and to be honest we had to put on sunscreen after we realized we were getting sunburns (Not a great way to start out a vacation). But, wow, what a view and beautiful drive! Tip: if your following the GPS you may want to ignore it as you get into Key West and the road forces you to turn left or right. Turn left to take the scenic way around the island and enjoy the view instead of heading through the center of the city residences and crowded streets.
I’ll take a moment to talk about the Casa Marina and what to expect there. They do have valet parking and their team is experienced with supercars so they knew exactly what to do without having to be taught (which we often have to do) but be aware that there is no covered parking and it tends to rain regularly in FL so when we got the car back 4 days later it was the dirtiest I had ever seen it (I am sure my wife was expecting me to freak out but it was fine).
The resort boasts the largest private beachfront in Key West and is a historic building (so don’t be expecting newly renovated, or even the most logical layout in the rooms) and is quite charming even though some of the room bathrooms are quite small. We would recommend you spring for the ocean view with a balcony on the 3rd floor (you can thank us later). The staff is warm and welcoming and if you are looking for a true Waldorf experience have a chat with Vincent out front. The pools (one for families and one adult only) and beach are the reason to head to this resort with an amazing waterfront experience but be careful if you want to go for a swim in the ocean and its probably best if you enter and exit down by the watersports rental area as we found the rocks to be quite tricky (my wife opted just to head to the pool instead).
We found ourselves renting the sundials (partially covered beach daybeds) each day (literally 30 feet from the water) and it really felt like you were in your own private oasis on the beach but with great service. They technically don’t serve food and drinks on the beach but they do at the pools and we found with a smile and a nice tip the staff were very willing to accommodate. We also enjoyed the nightly local bands and entertainment on the beach or around the bar area each evening.
This was a truly amazing experience and I can think of only a few places that offer this type of old school resort style experience (it reminded me of the resort in Dirty Dancing but I don’t think my wife was up to trying the water lift, LOL). If you plan on spending more time at the pool or on the beach then in the room we would recommend it. There is no shortage of things to do in Key West so have fun.
Stay tuned this week to hear about the food…….
Date Nights Palm Beach 