Merlin Guesthouse- Key West

Key West, United States

4.5

Closed now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 305-296-3336
Website:
www.historickeywestinns.com
Address:
811 Simonton St, Key West, FL, 33040
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.6 miTrolley Stop #1
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Bussiness info

Dogs Allowed
No

Today

Today 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Key West) 3:16 AM Sunday, June 29, 2025

Business hours

Monday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday 7:00 am – 11:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Merlin Guesthouse is a 22 room boutique hotel in the heart of historic Old Town, Key West within a neighborhood and a short walk away from all the restaurants, attractions and nightlife on Duval street. It is also a nice bike ride away from the beaches and water sports of Key West. The hotel has a variety of guest rooms and suites located in a small grouping of cottages and buildings surrounded by lush landscaping and a private courtyard. The pool area provides a quiet and comfortable place to relax and unwind.

Free high-​speed Wifi in your room. Continental breakfast served poolside. Upscale amenities. Romantic and relaxing, unique and charming; where modern style & comfort meets a relaxed Key West vibe. Immerse yourself in the soul of Key West at Merlin Guesthouse.

Free High-​Speed Wifi In Room

Free Continental Breakfast

Upscale Amenities

Outdoor Heated Swimming Pool

Historic Landmark Guesthouse

Conveniently Located In Old Town Key West

Lovely Neighborhood Setting

Onsite and Street Parking Nearby

Walk To Duval Street, The Harbor & Beaches

History

Established in 1935.

The Merlin Guesthouse has a variety of guest rooms and suites located in a small grouping of cottages and buildings surrounded by lush landscaping and a private courtyard and pool. The main building was built in 1930 as a rooming house serving navy personnel stationed at Fort Zachary Taylor. The rooming house has been through many incarnations over the years, from gambling house to bordello, and is now back to offering respectable guest accommodations. Several adjacent buildings were added to the compound in the 1980’s that provide larger guest suites and cottages. Today the guesthouse includes ten original «rooming house» rooms and several king suites and cottages to comprise twenty guest units. Merlin is named after a local «conch» named Merlin Albury, who is now buried at the Key West Cemetery.

The rooms have been updated in 2014 and are surrounded by an inviting and relaxing landscaping surrounding

Meet the Business Owner

Julie F.

Business Owner

I purchased Merlin Guesthouse in 1997 and immediately undertook major renovations to bring this wonderful historic property fully up-​to-​date. My education and early career was in accounting, but I have been in the hotel business in South Florida for the last 26 years. I love preserving Key West’s historic buildings and creating memorable guest hotel accommodations.

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20 reviews of Merlin Guesthouse- Key West

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Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
Great place to stay at. 1 block off of Duval St. We had a beautiful cabin. 2 full sized bedrooms, a nice kitchen and living room. The staff was very friendly and helpful
Place rating: 5
Warwick, RI
Our room was adorable! AC kept us nice and cool. Great location, great price. When looking for a place we didn’t care much about the breakfast and parking but it made a HUGE difference! Laid on their hammock for a bit next to their cat taking a nap on the ground next to me :) check in and out was fast. Loved this place!
Place rating: 1
Clinton, MD
My last night in Key West has turned out to be pretty bad and it all started with checking into this place. If you’re familiar with the Martin Lawrence show, you’ll know what Chillagan’s Island is. It’s this hotel. When I arrived and tried to check in, the lady in the front was really rude and short with me. The pictures online look decent but it’s wack. The room was really small. Really small… So small that it didn’t have a closet, fridge or microwave. Now that I think about it, it didn’t even have a nightstand. I figured hey, I’m only staying here for one night so oh well. Well, I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom which by the way you had to squeeze past the toilet to get to the shower in which you couldn’t shower without the curtain being all on you and you bumping the wall. The shower was probably 3 feet wide… But back to the toilet. I discovered ants almost covering the toilet. Nowhere else but the toilet. It was too late/​early to call guest services that leaves after a while so I waited until the morning and called. The lady came out to my room with a towel and some spray and was ready to enter my room. I asked «what do you plan to do with THAT?» and she says «I’m just gonna spray the toilet down. It gets rid of the ants and the smell for a while.». I told her «no ma’am. That is not acceptable.». She said «they weren’t there when I checked in or when I went to sleep right? So you’re good.» I said «No! There needs to be some type of reimbursement. I couldn’t really sleep bc I kept itching and I couldn’t even use the toilet.». So she leaves and was supposedly contacting the manager and later came back and offered $ 25 off plus a refund on my $ 10 parking fee. Her explanation was its a tropical environment and an 100 year old dwelling, it’s to be expected. That’s bs. I’m sorry. If I was to break something it wouldn’t be expected. I’d say to stay away from this place. The front lady is really rude and the rooms are small and infested. It’s definitely not worth the $ 319.00 that I paid for that POS place for one nights stay.
Place rating: 4
Madison, WI
Nice, clean place. I think there are different types of rooms, but the one we stayed in faced Simonton. Basic room without a whole lot of extras.
First, the good. The room was comfortable and clean. You can’t get a much better location, too. It’s close to the Southernmost Point and only a block or two away from Duval Street. In Key West, everything of interest is easily within walking distance. The staff is friendly and they treat you like family breakfast is included in the price. Nothing fancy, but still good to get the day started right. The official greeter, Jordan Del Gato, is friendly, too.
The only real knock that I have on this place is that the room was a little cramped on one side of the bed. I’m not a big guy, and I had to shuffle sideways to get into bed.
Also, it’s not just Merlin, but the whole island is full of chickens. That meant daily 5:00 am wake up calls by roosters.
I’d stay here again if/​when we come back.
Place rating: 5
Alameda, CA
We miss the Merlin Guesthouse so much — including its staff — that we have reminisced about returning over a dozen times since we came home a week ago. The rooms are charming and comfortable, the breakfast is lovely, and the pool a wonderful addition, but the beauty of the hotel is hard to quantify and a bit more than the sum of its parts. We loved the historic preservation of the inn, the courtyard filled with an abundant garden, and spent quite a bit of time befriending its year round resident, Jordan the cat. Waking up to a porch and hammock in the back rooms made us feel like we saw the best of Key West: a location on a quiet street from the 19th century, abundant flora and fauna, and walking distance to Duval and the attractions. Simply put, we don’t intend to stay anywhere else and we will return. Thanks, Linda and Jordan!
Place rating: 4
Minneapolis, MN
We first stayed here on one of our first trips to Key West 15 years ago. Almost every room is different with the cottages serving up the most unique experience. The continental breakfast is solid saving us money every day. The staff is attentive and the rooms clean with newer furniture and great beds. There are a few small pools but no big pool. It is close enough to Duval Street and the nightlife to walk but far enough away that when its time for bed it’s nice and quiet.
Among Our top 3 favorite places to stay.
Place rating: 5
Saint Cloud, FL
Merlin Guesthouse is one of those places that you go to once, and you are a customer for life. The staff at Merlin are always so friendly and kind. You immediately feel welcome. My husband and I have stayed here many times, each time we have stayed in one of the smaller rooms on the front porch area. The rooms are great. Wood floors, Bahama shutters… it’s to the point and very «key west-​ey». Even though the rooms are tiny, they are spotless. The bathrooms are super clean and the linens are fresh and soft. In the morning, they have a delicious breakfast by the pool (it’s free!!). The pool area is covered with large trees and tropical plants. It is extremely relaxing. The house cat, Jordan, will come snuggle up next to you on the lounge chairs. The hotel is a block off of Duval, right next to 801 Duval (bar). Even though you are in the heart of it all… the hotel is very relaxing and quiet. If you are staying here, park your car and rent a bicycle! It’s the easiest way to get around the island as parking is atrocious! Plus, it’s so much fun to ride your bike all over the island! You can see so much more!
We will definitely be back! I can’t wait to book our next trip at Merlin Guesthouse!
Place rating: 5
Atlanta, GA
Staying at the Merlin Guesthouse was such a perfect decision! My friend and I stayed here for 5 nights last week and couldn’t have anything better to say about the experience. You can’t beat the location — one block from Duval and a 10 minute walk to either end of the island. The staff was extremely friendly and really helped us feel at home. The Queen room was just enough space for 2 people if all you plan on doing is sleeping there, the continental breakfast each morning was a great start to the day, the splash pool was welcoming and we had the opportunity to meet several other guests there which was very enjoyable. I also was a huge fan of the resident cat, Jordan Del Gato :) Park your car somewhere for your entire stay and walk everywhere! It was well worth it. I will definitely be staying here again in the future and would recommend it to friends or family.
Place rating: 5
Ferndale, MI
Getaway perfection! My wife and I vacationed at Merlin Guesthouse for our honeymoon and can’t wait to visit again ASAP! Merlin Guesthouse provides the ideal combination of comfort, privacy, and relaxation. The accommodating staff, tasty breakfast, perfectly-​temped pool, clean and spacious guesthouses, lush plants and flowers makes Merlin stand out from the rest. Book now!
Place rating: 5
Bradenton, FL
Excellent inn, would highly recommend! Nice, private rooms. Staff are all helpful and welcoming. The breakfast by the pool is a nice touch and sets a relaxing tone for the day. The Inn is in a good location, with walking distance to yummy restaurants and Duvall.
Place rating: 5
Milwaukee, WI
We had an amazing time at the Merlin. The rooms were very clean and the staff was very friendly. The location is perfect; close enough to walk everywhere, but set apart from all the noise and activity of the main drags, so it’s quiet at night. I will without question stay here again on my next trip to the Keys.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Great option for lodging in Key West. This is a B&B located on a quiet street and just one block off Duval street, where all the fun and craziness takes place. We stayed in a king room (#14) for one night and enjoyed our stay. For our rate ($ 269), I felt this was a fair price and great option. Not luxurious, but clean /​quaint and in an ideal location. Would definitely choose this place again on a return trip to Key West.
Place rating: 4
Crisfield, MD
Other guests have no doubt raved about the ideal location of this guest house, just a block off Duval at Simonton and Petronia. We stayed over New Years, and really enjoyed the proximity to festivities around the Bourbon Street Pub, where Sushi dropped in the giant red pump at midnight.
Would recommend room 15, one of the two 1-​bedroom cottages, if you’re staying for several days. We and family members have stayed in rooms 13 and 20 several years ago. We recall these were also nice comfortable rooms, but 15 is even better. We’re told the number 15 cottage is recently renovated, and this is evident by the nice tile through the bathroom and roomy shower, with clean white grout. The kitchen includes full sized fridge with freezer, microwave, and range top. Four settings of dishes, flatware, and glassware, along with pans and a generous selexpction of knives and cooking utensils. A leather sofa and chair in the living area are comfortable for lounging in the heat of the afternoon. The king sized bed is comfortable, and generously supplied with about six pillows. The only small watch out, if you are a light sleeper, which we are not, is that the room shares a building with the kitchen, and a porch area with the bike rack, resulting in a bit of chatter at early and late hours. The advantage of this location might also be that a mom can look directly out kitchen or living room windows to watch little ones at the pool. Speaking of children, we only saw one very we’ll behaved youngster all week. Perfect for peace and quiet.
The staff do a great job with breakfast in the pool courtyard, newspapers, books, pool towels, and iced tea in the shaded area in the afternoon. With only 22 rooms, the pool area never feels crowded, even though they were booked solid every night.
We will definitely return for another quiet get-​away, just a short walk from the huge party on Duval.
Place rating: 5
Miami Beach, FL
Linda at the front desk is amazing! The property is so beautiful and my room is perfect! I wish I could stay longer. Definitely coming back!
Place rating: 5
Annapolis, MD
I just returned from a weekend trip on Key West and loved this hotel! It’s perfectly
located about 2 blocks from Duval St, and it’s on Simonton St, which you can use as a less busy road to get to Mallory Sq. Since it’s not on the main road, it’s quiet, plus our room (#16 — great balcony!!) wasn’t facing the street so we didn’t hear anything at night.
The staff was really friendly and nice, I called a week before to add a third person to my reservation and they were really accommodating — making sure out room was large enough for us, etc. There’s a full breakfast served every morning of bagels, muffins, cereal, fruit, yogurt, coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, etc. There was also a Keurig & k-​cups in our room!
My only small complaint is that I was under the impression that there’s parking on the ground. There is street parking directly behind the hotel which worked for us, since we parked and never moved the car until we left. If that’s full though, you’re stuck with street parking in Simonton which is metered.
I would definitely stay here again, it was very clean, there was the nice sized pool, perfectly located to all the sights (half mile to southernmost point and the mile 0 marker, 2 blocks from Earnest Hemmingways house, etc) and the grounds were so pretty with the trees and flowers surrounding the property.
Place rating: 4
Livermore, CA
This review is a few months overdue, but hey, better late than never, right?
My boyfriend and I stayed two nights at the Merlin Guesthouse. A nice affordable option if you don’t need a lot of space, amenities, and would prefer to be close to the action without being TOO close. They get big props for their super friendly staff and their location, which really can’t be beat. It’s not closer to the south end or the north end of the island – it’s right in the middle, which makes it super convenient to get from one end to the other. And it is about two blocks in from Duval Street – still close, but far enough way for peace and quiet at the end of the night.
Yes, the rooms are small. But most importantly, they are CLEAN. We’re in Key West, anyway – we’re only in our room to crash at the end of the night!
My only one complaint was the bed. The mattress was thin and lumpy, and sat too low to the ground for my liking. I would have liked a more comfortable bed, since the main purpose of the room for us was to sleep.
All in all, a good deal for the price. You really can’t beat the location and the friendliness of the staff.
Place rating: 5
Sag Harbor, NY
I have stayed here 2 times and have had great experiences both times. The first time I stayed here was a year in a half ago and stayed in the 2 bedroom cottage, I think it was 19. The top was a loft and the bottom was an enclosed bedroom. It had a nice living room and comfy beds. Well worth the money. The second time which was this week, I stayed in a queen bedroom and it faced simonton street.
Noise: DO NOT stay in a bedroom on the porch rooms 1 – 7 if you are a light sleeper, heck if your not gunna be blackout drunk, these rooms suck! My wife is pregnant so we were not blackout drunks this trip! You can hear everything that happens outside! Drunks walking by on the sidewalk woke us up, the neighbors running on the porch at 2 am woke us up, and by far the most alarming were the garbage and recycling trucks at 5 am and again at 6 am (Monday’s)!! The other rooms are just fine and you shouldn’t have a problem. My other family didn’t hear a thing and they stayed towards the back.
Atmosphere: AMAZING!!! Nothing better for the price! Continental breakfast was pleasant and this is by far the nicest of the historic inn’s! I walked into each of them. It is nice and shaded, but has plenty of spots for sun and has a quaint pool.
Parking: NONE, lol you may be able to find some street parking or you can park at the Chelsea House about 2 blocks away, just let them know.
Staff: AMAZING! They were so nice and always helped us out. They explained everything and even gave my mom a birthday gift! Jordan the cat is cool and laid back.
Location: Can’t beat it for the price! Close to Duval and all the bars, which for us is a must!
Place rating: 5
San Diego, CA
SO SO SO Happy we selected Merlin Guesthouse! I located them just doing my standard Unilocal search. Their rates were affordable and all these great reviews sealed the deal for me.
As stated by others, they don’t have parking. However, don’t fret. There IS a street right next to the hotel that had parking. IF you happen to be here during the high season there is a parking structure just a couple blocks away that is for pay, but it will do in a pinch. They DO conveniently have 15 minute parking right out front so regardless you can stop and unload to check-​in.
When we arrived the young lady working the front desk greeted us with all of the details of the property. She was very friendly and even gave us recommendations on places to go and even gave us some coupons for local attractions. She directed us to the street next door to park and I was able to find parking right away. We didn’t move the car for the rest of the week.
We were in room #3 which is the basic room. As stated by some the rooms are definitely small, but not ridiculous small, they are comfortable. If I could complain about anything I would just say that the bathroom could use an upgrade, but honestly it was clean and did the trick so whatever. The room is equipped with free wifi and a comfy bed.
There is a nice small little pool available (really a giant jacuzzi) to take a dip. I had complimentary continental breakfast every morning. It included yogurt, cereal, muffins, bagels, OJ, coffee and tea. Some may complain that there isn’t more, but honestly I loved it and it did the trick.
Everyday our room was cleaned timely while we were out enjoying the dining room, it’s a quiet property that is conducive both relaxing and adventuring. It’s right off Duval street so you can walk anywhere in the main part of the island. I look forward to my next trip to Key West and will likely stay here at Merlin Guesthouse again!
Place rating: 4
Cleveland, OH
I definitely recommend staying here. I was visiting my sister in Miami from Ohio and my boyfriend and i decided to go down to Key West for a few days. The day before our reservation we needed to push back the dates a day and they were very accommodating. We needed to stay in a different room but they were able to move us. We stayed in 16 and it was beautiful. Huge king bed, a tv area with a couch to relax out of the sun and a private deck with some lounge furniture.
This includes a continental breakfast which was nice, including all the usual suspects. There’s a small pool that I soaked my feet in after a long day of walking that was incredibly refreshing.
We will stay here again.
Place rating: 5
Bradenton, FL
We decided to try something different this trip to Key west and stay somewhere different. We liked out usual place but were feeling in a rut. What a smart idea! We loved the Merlin guesthouse. I almost hate to review this place so I can get the same sweet room next time. The king room was spacious and private. There was that bit of funky old key west construction but when you consider this place used to be bordello and gambling house you can’t help but wonder. The grounds were nice and quiet, plenty of comfy chairs and a couple of hammocks. The staf was excellent and very helpful. It was a great place to relax.
I’ll admit that the rooms along Simonton are probably loud, especially when something wild is going on in town, but the rooms more in the middle were quiet and very pleasant. The location is great overall, down near the south end of town, away from the cruise ship blitz zone but still close enough to some great things to keep you out of trouble.
If you go during the first part of December the prices are very reasonable. And when you consider you get to visit with Jordan Del Gato while you eat breakfast by the pool and pond, then the price is a real steal. We’ll be back on our next visit to Key West.