Thinking about staying at the Southernmost Point Guest House in Key West? We recently spent a few nights there and wanted to share the full scoop — the pros, the cons, and whether we’d stay again. From a killer location at the quiet end of Duval Street to that dreamy balcony (and a few little quirks), here’s everything you should know before you book.
What's in this Article? (Jump ahead here.)
The Property & Location
Southernmost Point Guest House is a small, quaint hotel – perfectly positioned at the corner of Duval Street and South Street. It’s a prime location at the south end of the island – just steps away from the famous Southernmost Point buoy and right next door to Key West’s famous Butterfly Garden.
Don’t confuse it with the Southernmost Beach Resort next door — that’s its much larger (and less charming) neighbor. This guest house offers a quieter, more intimate vibe, ideal for a family vacation.
Located at the southernmost end of Duval Street, it’s removed from the wild bar scene you’ll find near Mallory Square, but still easy to access just about everything. We loved this end of town — peaceful, near the water, and still super convenient to downtown (especially with the golf cart we rented!).
Ready to book? Be sure to check the rates with the hotel directly here, as well as with Booking.com here. I prefer to book with Booking.com when the rates are comparable, as I find their customer service helpful and they make it very easy to cancel when needed.
Our Room – The Duval Suite (Room 5)
We stayed in The Duval Suite (room number 5), and I’m pretty sure it’s the nicest room on the property. It’s basically a full apartment, complete with a separate bedroom, full kitchen, and a living room with a pull-out sofa — which was perfect for my son. There was plenty of space for our family of three!
Note: If you are booking the hotel through Booking.com, which is my preferred hotel platform, the Duval Suite is labeled as the “King Suite with Ocean View”.
But the best part of the suite? The corner balcony overlooking Duval Street. It had a little table and chairs, two armchairs, and a cozy swing where we spent a lot of time soaking in the sights and sounds of Key West.
The full kitchen was stocked with everything you’d need for an extended stay: dishes, pots and pans, silverware, glasses. There was even a drip coffee maker with ground coffee and filters ready to go. The only thing I didn’t find was a corkscrew – good thing I always have one in my toiletry bag. ;)
I know you guys need all the details – so here’s a picture of what’s in all the kitchen cabinets.
There’s a microwave (hint – it’s hidden in the cabinet above the fridge). No dishwasher or garbage disposal – but who’s cooking enough on vacation to really need those anyway? ;) Having the fridge for leftovers (and cocktail supplies!) was a huge plus. And it was also great to have a proper freezer to keep our ice cold for the cooler.
The bathroom was small but very functional. There were LOTS of towels, which I appreciate. I hate when hotels skimp on the towels! And even one of those black makeup towels. Oh, and there were four pool towels as well. Plus, decent toiletries and a full-size hair dryer were provided. (Crappy hotel hair dryers are another pet peeve of mine!)
All The Other Rooms!
Every room on the property is unique – with different configurations and bedding arrangements. So you’ll need to pay close attention when booking to make sure you choose something that works for your family and has the correct room occupancy.
I found the room descriptions on the hotel’s website to be great regarding the rooms themselves, but weak in regards to the locations on property. So let me solve that problem for you. Here’s a quick overhead view of the hotel property, so you can see exactly where each room is located!
Note that some work has clearly been done on the property since this satellite image was taken – namely the new driveway location and addition of the food truck (which is permanently parked there). I’ve gone ahead and marked those for you on the map. And I’ve included some photos of the entrances to each room below!
Room 5 – Again, this is the room we stayed in and I think it was the best of the lot. Room had a full kitchen and separate bedroom, with a pull out sofa in the living room. The balcony has a view of Duval Street and across South Street towards the public beach area.
Room 6 – Another excellent choice with balcony views of South Street and a glimpse of the ocean down at the Southernmost Point marker. The balcony is directly above the bar, which could be a bonus or a deterrent, depending on how you feel about the music. This is the only other room with a full kitchen, but doesn’t have the separate bedroom.
Rooms 4A & 4B – This was a really nice spot, on the second floor overlooking the pool. Very quiet and cozy with a nice seating area on the porch.
Rooms 1A, 1B, 3B – First-floor pool-facing rooms. Great if you want easy access and a view of the pool area. It’s nice and quiet back here. There was some cute seating on the porch areas in front of all these rooms.
Rooms 6A & 6B – These rooms are on the second floor of an outbuilding behind the parking lot. While there’s less ambiance than the main building, they actually seemed pretty quiet being removed from the bar area. And definitely feel private. Not bad.
Room 7 – This one is on the upper floor of another outbuilding, adjacent to the pool and parking. Again, this one feels private and is fairly quiet because it’s a bit further from the bar. There were a lot of staff going in and out of the lower level, which looked to be used my housekeeping and the food truck. So that might be annoying.
Room 2 – Entrance is adjacent to the office and bar area. I personally would find the noise and foot traffic bothersome here. But faster to get your drinks, I suppose!
Room 3A – Entrance to the room is directly adjacent to the food truck and parking lot. There is a small private porch, but I don’t know who would want to sit behind the food truck fumes and look at the parking lot. I personally wouldn’t choose this one.
Room 8 – I realized upon returning home that there is also a Room 8 that I completely missed. So it’s not on my map. Apparently, it’s in the fourth building on the back of the property, which I never did see. So probably not a prime location – haha. But they do bill it as their “most economical” room, so may be a great deal for someone.
Ready to book? Be sure to check the rates with the hotel directly here, as well as with Booking.com here. I prefer to book with Booking.com when the rates are comparable, as I find their customer service helpful and they make it very easy to cancel when needed.
The Bar & Food Truck
The property is also home to the Southernmost Bar, which is a happening little spot during the day with live music and drinks. The bartender was friendly and we enjoyed the musicians. Guests get a free drink each day, which is a fun bonus.
You do have to pick up your free drink tickets from the hotel reception each day, rather than just being given them at check in, which is a bit silly and inconvenient. But perhaps some guests were getting a little too loaded on day one?
In addition to the bar, there is a food truck set up adjacent to the patio, Sandy’s Food Truck, which you may have heard about due to the legal battle over the brand name that made it all the way to federal court. (That’s big drama for a small town.) It had perfectly average tacos and fried food, and was very convenient to have on site for afternoon snacks.
The bar closes up around 7pm, so there’s no issue with noise at night. We actually found the area to be very quiet at night considering the prime Duval St location. The music is very loud during the day, so some might find that bothersome, depending on the location of your room. It was no issue for us.
The Pool
There is a small pool in the back of the hotel. And I do mean very small. But it is also very cute, with cushioned chairs and landscaping. We didn’t get a chance to hang out there and didn’t see anyone else there either. But it’s a great spot for a quick dip or to relax with a drink. We just had a very busy itinerary on this trip!
The Service
Service at the Southernmost Point Guest House was a bit of a mixed bag — not bad, but not particularly warm or polished either. We arrived one hour before check-in time (which is 3 PM), and our room wasn’t ready yet. Not a huge surprise at a smaller property like this with limited staff. We grabbed some drinks and a seat on the cute patio.
What stood out more was just the vibe — the front desk staff wasn’t particularly welcoming. When one staff member left and another came on, the first didn’t bother telling her replacement that we were on the patio waiting. When we parked in the lot, someone rushed out to ask if we were staying there, despite the parking decal in the window. Nothing rude, just all kind of… awkward.
It was a busy holiday weekend, so maybe they were just having a rough day. :-D
If you also arrive early, be aware that there aren’t any indoor common areas. No changing room, no lobby, and the only restroom is the single-stall bar bathroom — which had a line of day drinkers. That said, they were happy to hold our bags while we waited, which was helpful. So you can plan to drop your bags, and go explore until the room is ready.
Also, the office closes at 7 PM — if you’re arriving later than that, make sure you arrange it in advance. We saw one couple show up after hours looking very confused. Don’t be those people.
In general, this is a low-touch service kind of place — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your travel style. No one’s going to assist with your bags, hand you a helpful map, or make restaurant recommendations. Honestly, the golf cart rental guy was more helpful than anyone at the hotel. That said, for a laid-back trip where you don’t need much hand-holding, it worked out just fine for us.
Housekeeping
On the flip side — housekeeping was excellent. We didn’t expect daily service in an apartment-style room, so it was a pleasant surprise to come back to fresh towels and a tidy space each day. That’s especially nice when you’re doing beachy things that involve lots of sand and salt water! The housekeeping lady was also super friendly and helpful when we ran into her.
Parking
Dedicated parking is a major win in Key West, and they offer one free spot per room. That alone saves you a headache – and a lot of parking fees.
Just a heads-up: when we pulled into the lot later, someone ran out asking if we were staying there — despite the bright yellow parking decal in the window. (Again, it just seemed like staff weren’t paying much attention to the goings-on, since there are only a handful of rooms.) But make sure you have that decal up so you don’t get towed!
The Breakfast
There was quite a substantial breakfast spread. Again, much more than I expected. They even had hot items like eggs and bacon! We didn’t end up eating breakfast there at all though, because it starts at 8am and we are out and about much earlier than that. I guess people move more slowly down in The Keys. ;) Plan accordingly if you want to check out the breakfast spread.
Tip: If you’re also early risers, go check out La Grignote for breakfast! Great coffee drinks and pastries, and they open at 7AM.
Would I stay here again?
Yes, I would — but only if I could get the same room. The location was excellent, and the Duval Suite was spacious, well-appointed, and had that incredible corner balcony overlooking Duval Street, which really made the trip for us.
If you’re heading to Key West for more of a party vibe, you might want to stay closer to the action near Mallory Square and the cruise port. And if you’re looking for high-touch, concierge-style service, this probably won’t be your scene. But if your priorities are location, charm, and having a comfortable, cozy place to relax, this guest house could be a great fit.
For reference, we paid about $550/night for the Duval Suite. At that price, there are definitely other options in the area — both guest houses and traditional hotels — but overall, I was happy with our choice and would stay here again (Duval balcony or bust!).
Ready to book? Be sure to check the rates with the hotel directly here, as well as with Booking.com here. I prefer to book with Booking.com when the rates are comparable, as I find their customer service helpful and they make it very easy to cancel when needed.
More Key West Trip Planning Tips
If you’re planning a trip to Key West, be sure to check out these other helpful articles: