Priceless gems found in Key West, Florida: "The Southermost Hotel Collection"

by Louis S. Luzzo, Sr.
(SW Florida)

I have had the good fortune to have traveled my entire life. I've visited exquisite locations, stayed at fine resorts & hotels, enjoyed many fabulous gourmet meals, and well, to put it bluntly, have become intolerant to the mediocre and insistent on quality, stellar accommodations and service. I will easily admit being a food and travel snob.

Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not talking about a "Can't wait to visit with Biff & Buffy in the Hamptons... dahling" type of snob. I mean that when I travel, spending hard earned money, I'm looking for those hotels and restaurants that "do it right," taking the time to provide the best of accommodations, service and experience. There is nothing worse than booking a vacation, traveling 1000's of miles, only to find that the hype of the brochures and resorts website that determined your decision, must have been describing some "other" resort or locale. I'm sure at least once in your life you have had that experience. I know I have. So, as I have been wont to do with GGM, when I find a resort that hits all the marks, consistently, at the top of it's game, I write about it.

The Southernmost Hotel Collection, located in Historic Old Town, at the end of famed Duval Street, at the very tip of Key West, Florida, (yup, the same place you've taken all those pics if you've ever visited Key West) is one of those resorts.

When most think of Key West, they think of all crazy and wonderful things available, from the eclectic to the bizarre. From the Hemmingway House, to the restaurants like Jimmy Buffet's Margharitaville, or the famed bars such as Sloppy Joes, to the dozens of fine art galleries along Duval Street, it's beaches, or it's fishing and boating activities in crystalline tropical waters, Key West has it all.

Smack dab in the middle of all this is The Southernmost Collection. My recent stay was everything I could have hoped for and more from a trip to this tropical paradise. The collection, consisting of The Southernmost Hotel, Southernmost on the Beach and Key West's only award winning, luxury oceanfront bed and breakfasts, The La Mer Hotel & Dewey House, meets the expectations of any and all travelers, whatever their budget. The B&B's are quaint, luxurious and quiet, just like you would expect. The Hotel, right smack dab in the heart of Old Town is a great home base while you explore all Key West has to offer, and Southernmost on the Beach rivals any Caribbean resort I have ever been to.

I stayed at Southernmost on the Beach, on the edge of the Atlantic. My accommodations were immaculate, the service made me feel like a VIP, and in a location that, well, once ensconced in my room with it's huge veranda and views overlooking the water, made it hard to fathom I was still in the States. This resort has it all and does it right my friends. I had a wonderful time in what the resort describes as 'oceanfront elegance meets Old Key West charm'. I would have to agree.

Waking each day to a Key West Sunrise, having coffee on the veranda, while listening to the gentle caresses of the waves, set the tone each and every morning for a true tropical vacation. This particular resort was voted one of Trip Advisor's Best of the 2010 and was voted one of its 10 Best Romantic Hotel destinations. With its own beach, ocean side pool, this my friends was fantastic place to stay and I highly recommend it.

One of the great things about the resort, is the Southernmost Beach Cafe' Restaurant, located on South Beach, surrounded by the Southernmost Hotel Collection properties, offering oceanfront dining. While keeping the casual atmosphere of a 'beach restaurant,' there is nothing casual about the quality fare coming out of the kitchen. Led by Executive Chef Ben, from breakfast to dinner, this eatery is putting out gourmet food at it's best.

For me, once I find a place I can count on for all the things I look for in a vacation and stay, they are rewarded with my loyalty. To that end, if you find yourself in Key West, you cannot go wrong with any of the Southernmost Collection's properties. And when you get to this little spot of paradise, stop by the poolside Shores Bar. You never know, you just might see me there...

By Louis S. Luzzo, Sr.
Gourmet Guy Magazine
Follow Louis on Twitter: @GourmetGuyMag