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4.5
#8 of 56 hotels in Key West
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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Mansion on the Sea, formerly known as the Southernmost House, officially changed it's name on July 1, 2023. We are an historic, oceanfront property located at 1400 Duval Street, in Key West, Florida, and remain the Southernmost House in the continental United States. Operating since 2006 as an 18 room guesthouse, we offer 9 rooms in the Main house, 3 bungalows, a cottage and 4 rooms and full size apartment in the Lopez House, directly across the Pocket Park from the Mansion. Preserved to retain our original history, but updated to provide our guests with all the modern conveniences you'd expect to find in the most luxurious hotels available in an island paradise such as Key West, we are The Mansion on the Sea. We are an all-adult guesthouse, and require all hotel guests to be at least 18 years of age. Our front desk is available to take reservations 7 days a week from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Ocean View
Great View
Languages Spoken
English, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian
Location
1400 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040-3133
The Mansion on the Sea
1,405 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Nestled in a prime location with unbeatable ocean views, The Mansion on the Sea hotel garners acclaim from guests for its luxurious atmosphere, featuring clean, well-appointed rooms and a historic mansion that is kept in pristine condition. The beautiful pool and diverse dining options, including praised lobster pizza and Key Lime Pie, are particularly popular.
Service at the hotel is often celebrated for its friendliness and attentiveness. While opinions on value differ, the remarkable setting and quality amenities provide a memorable vacation experience for many travelers.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Luxurious
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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This B&B deserves 5 stars on every aspect of the stay. We stayed here for 4 nights. First, the location is excellent. The B&B is actually 2 houses with a street in between, I was confused before I stayed here so figured I would describe it for anyone else who was confused! There's the main mansion and the Lopez house. We stayed in the Lopez House. The main mansion has the pool, the sea wall and the southernmost cafe along with a bar and parking. The Lopez house has the beach in the front, it is not a large beach and it public but it's a beach and also has parking in the back. It is located at the end of Duval street on the quite side of Duval, so basically you have a pool, seawall, beach, restaurant, bar and parking all in one location! That's premium especially during Covid-19. There were 4 of us and my husband and I stayed in LH 205 and our friends stayed in LH 206. There's only 3 rooms on the top floor of LH. 205 and 206 are right next to each other and 207 is on the backside. We had our own private balcony which faced the ocean so the breeze was amazing! We would hang out there at night and avoid the crowds during this pandemic. The rooms were a nice space, character maintained with some modern touches. The bed was very comfortable and the bathroom was spacious. It was our birthdays and they even delivered a complimentary bottle of champagne to us! To access the pool it was just across the street, the pool hardly had anyone there and had great views of the ocean. The location is premium because it's a short drive or uber to the bars or you can even walk. The one thing that is lacking is the breakfast, it's not the best so one day we just ate at the cafe in front of LH house for breakfast. I would definitely recommend this B&B if you're looking for a quiet stay with everything you need in one place.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:LH house rooms 205 & 206 had the private shared balcony and ocean front view.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love the Southernmost House and the restaurant on the property. The location is amazing and convenient but what really makes this place special is the people that work there. Michael is the owner, he is friendly and very attentive making sure our time there was extra special. We had some amazing mojitos at the bar from bartender Mac and enjoyed delicious coconut shrimps with homemade Pina Colada sauce, pizza, and conch fritters while we admired the sunset from the restaurant. Andy and Rafe from the restaurant were very attentive, brought the food out quickly, and checked up on us to make sure we were enjoying our experience. I highly recommend staying at the Southernmost house and enjoying everything it has to offer from the great location to the amazing property, food, drinks, and the friendly staff that are so friendly you immediately feel like family. Thank you so much for the exceptional Key West experience Southernmost House!
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Date of stay: June 2020
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Recently, a group of local businessmen met at the Southernmost House for a scheduled meeting. Having grown up in Key West it is often easy to overlook the not so hidden gems that this island has to offer. The Mansion is one of those gems. We met there shortly before sunset, it provided us a tranquil spot to gather away from the hustle and bustle Duval St. is so well known for. Despite it being peak season, and the hotel being full, we were attended to by staff as though we were thier highest paying guest. The food and spirits provided were absolutely delicious and the atmosphere was second to none. Although the restaurant closed at 7 p.m we stayed until past 10 pm enjoying the beautiful Key West evening and of course the well manicured grounds of the historic property. In my opinion a must do experience when you visit our wonderful city.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As mentioned in many other reviews, this hotel is on a stunning property and the location is ideal. The hotel itself is a beautiful historic house. One of our main issues regarding our stay was that there is a food truck on the property that takes away from the tranquility of the ocean views and the pool area of the hotel. People are having lunch right beside you as you are trying to enjoy the pool or the ocean. Although there is a sign that says the pool area is for guests of the hotel only, we were joined by many peope who had bought a drink at the bar and sat enjoying the view that we were overpaying for. Management came down once to ask people to leave, but they were no sooner gone then another group took their place. I can imagine how peaceful sitting on the hotel's porch and taking in the beautiful view must have been before the foodtruck was put on the property. As if the constant stream of people from the restaurant using the washroom in the pool area isn't enough, there was also construction taking place on the property. I can appreciate that an old building like this needs to have work done on it, but the banging could be heard all day and our morning coffee on the porch was interrupted by workmen setting up ladders. We would have appreciated some indication that work was being done on site when we booked our stay. Although our room was large and clean the bathroom ceiling was water stained and clearly needed to be repaired. I you decided to say here be sure to do your research on which room you are staying in. Our room shared a wndow with the balcony next door. We were kept up at night with their conversations while they sat on the balcony. We also had to keep the blinds down on that window for two reasons. First our neighbours could see right into our room and they thought it would be a good idea to hang their underwear to dry on the railing! For the most part we enjoyed our stay at this hotel, but we felt that our experience was not worth the money we paid. This hotel misses the mark on the little things that make a place special. Fluffy towels, afternoon wine hour, offices out of sight and not behind a curtain, coffee ready in the lobby before 8:00 and welcoming staff would go a long way to making us feel like got value for our money. My advice to you is to find another place to stay and go to this hotel for a visit, there will be no one to stop you from buying a drink and enjoying the beautiful view.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Do your research. All the rooms are different. Some are not in the main building, some have...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We enjoyed our daylight hours but sleep was hard to get without air for 3 days and bright light 24 hours a day. The staff was friendly, location great and setting beautiful however communication and service regarding our maintenance issues soured our experience. We knew the place was older and planning renovations but at $400 a night we expect things to be clean and working. Our AC in room 103 had an issue (leaking Freon) as evident by the prior water damage and towels under the air handler. It froze up and our items got wet but we just went to the laundromat and thankfully nothing was damaged. Our air was iffy to start with but finally went out Saturday. We had to wait until Monday for the repair vendor to come. They stated they charged it with Freon but we were left a fan in case. When we returned 8 hours later no one had checked our room or communicated that there was still an issue. After inquiring, yet again, we appreciate that we were offered another room but on our last night we decided to fight the windows open and stick it out. At least we got a fan this night. Another issue is the bright porch light that can not be turned off or blocked out. There are not any black out curtains or shades. We wake up each night to what looks like sunlight but it’s just the lighting. We asked for help but they couldn’t do anything. Again, we enjoyed the pool and area but wished we could sleep in a cool dark room.
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After taking a drive from Miami for a few days in Key West. We decided to stay at the Southernmost House due to the historical significance more than anything. After all, how cool would it be to stay where Kings, presidents & gangsters have been before us.
The hotel is very colourful and reminiscent of the house from Disneys UP! Which is very charming. Inside it is furnished with antiques, complimentary to the hotels rich history and the walls are filled with memorabilia linked to the hotel and its famous guests. The staff throughout were a credit to the hotel, as well as the resident bunny rabbit, who would come out to greet you from time to time.
We ended up with an accessible room by the swimming pool which was quite small but well appointed with king bed, good storage, shower room and a kitchenette. The benefits of the room location was you could walk straight out onto the patio and bar area, and if you came in late from a night on Duval St. you wouldn't disturb any other guests. One flaw was the patio outside our room flooded up to our ankles through the night and there was insufficient drainage after waves had came over the breaker. That said no water got in the room itself.
The hotel is right at the bottom of Duval St where most of the bars & restaurants are situated. It is also ideally situated for the Southernmost marker, Ernest Hemingway's house and just about everything else Key West has to offer.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We biked the nearly 11 miles around the Key and can't imagine a better place to stay on the entire island. First, the building has historical charm (built in 1897), and the high ceilings and classy furnishings make it quite elegant. Second, the pool is private and immaculate, Anne Marie is a delightful conversationalist in serving the poolside guests, and the waters of the Atlantic abut the property. You cannot beat the view. Third, situated at the end of Duvall Street, it's easy walking distance to lots (including the Southernmost Buoy - go in the morning when there's no line), and an easy jog or bike ride from Mallory Square on the other end (1.2 miles), where folks gather to watch the gorgeous sunset. Bikes are cheap ($15/day) and the grounds have places to lock them up. Synopsis: close to everything, but separate enough to be quiet and private. Like everyone's said, the breakfast provided is quite nice (esp when enjoyed outside on the patio tables), and the next door Seaside Cafe (same ownership) has quick and tasty eats (the lobster pizza was fantastic). We were in room 202 and had access to 2 common balconies, which was also great (201 has its own). Bottom line: you will have a great stay here, as it was probably the best part of our wonderful 3 days on the Key.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:201 has its own balcony, but all 2nd floor rooms share access to 2 others.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Julia Stephenson, Marketing at The Mansion on the Sea
Responded 1 Mar 2022
Thank you for your review, especially for the included shout out to Annmarie and the Seaside Cafe! We hope to host you again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I’m giving this place 2 stars for the beautiful location and charm. We stayed Sunday, Feb 28-Friday, March 5. When we arrived we were greeted nicely by the GM Nina. She was a sweetheart, but we never saw her again for our entire trip. We were told we’d get to check in early, but that wasn’t the case. Our room was tiny and in need of a better cleaning. There was black mold in the shower and the fridge had rust all over it. The floor was gritty and I found a pair of glasses behind the bedside table, so therefore not cleaned thoroughly. We also had to ask for fresh linens and toiletries daily. There wasn’t enough room for our clothes. The TV needed to be mounted on the wall, but just sat on the small dresser. There was a constant light shining in our room all night. Our outdoor patio had 2 nice chairs for us to use, but on several occasions, we had non guests using them. We had to call the front office to ask them to leave. The noise from the storage room connected to our room woke us up many times. They were slamming doors constantly. I even had a noise machine because I knew ahead of time about the roosters that start crowing @ 4am. Not blaming the hotel for them though. They really didn’t bother us. The food manager was very nice to us as well. There was also a really nice guy that worked the front who wore glasses and is the one who asked a rude man to please not sit in our chairs. The bar and restaurant were good, but extremely noisy. Many non hotel guests were all over the property to use the outdoor restroom. They would hog the porch chairs and gather around the pool gates while waiting for a table at the restaurant. The hotel has become over commercialized and lost much of its original charm. We asked the owner on 2 occasions to give us a tour and he said he’d love to but the first time we met him he took off with another family, so we just went back to our room, then the next night he said he would meet us at 7:45, but he never showed and as we were walking to our room we turned around and said “oh hey there you are” and he ignored us and went on by. Anytime you asked anyone else about the history of the hotel they always said to ask him and when we tried he was not available. Overall you are paying for the location and views. Just disappointed, based on the money spent, in the quality and lack of service provided.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nina Powers, General Manager at The Mansion on the Sea
Responded 10 Apr 2021
Dear Kenaestes, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience at the Southernmost House. We are saddened to hear that it wasn't the experience we hoped you would have. You mentioned several items that I assure you have since been addressed. I remember meeting you upon your arrival. I apologize that you didn't see me after the first day. I actually left the next morning for a trip with my daughter to find the "perfect" wedding dress for her upcoming wedding, and I was gone for four days. Meeting our guests is my favorite part of being General Manager at the iconic Mansion. I don't know if I mentioned that I have only been GM for the Southernmost House since January 19th, 2021, so, many changes have been underway since my arrival. Everyone knows and expects changes when new managers arrive; however, no one ever knows how long the "vision" for how our property looks and feels to each guest will be realized. Of course, ensuring the bungalow was deep cleaned and sanitized was our first priority. We do apologize for what you witnessed. This is NEVER acceptable. We appreciate you taking the time to tell us, so that the situation can be corrected. I only wish I had been on property at the time to speak to you personally. We always want to know about any issue that arises. Our goal is to correct those issues before you leave. Since your departure, a larger tv has been installed on the wall above the dresser. Additional furnishings have also been placed in the room to make it more functional and comfortable for our guests. Having the #1 Restaurant on the island located on our property, The Seaside Cafe, is a huge attraction, not only for our guests, but for all visitors, as well as locals. We are making every effort to distinguish the difference between the amenities available only to our registered guests, and those available to our restaurant guests. I believe we are making great strides in this area. We want every guest to feel welcome. I spoke with our owner regarding your disappointment about the tour. I assure you he was just as disappointed, as he loves to share the history of the house, and makes every effort to do it several times a day, every day. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed our location and the views, and some interactions with our staff. I hope we will have another opportunity to serve you in the future. We would love to have another chance to show you around and share the changes that have been made in the past couple of months.
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We stayed in the cottage number 104. Extremely private with your own front porch and view of the pool and the ocean. The cottage has two rooms and a king bed that is very comfortable, a kitchenette and a spacious bathroom with super water pressure in the shower! The infinity pool is amazing and the hotel grounds are beautiful.
The outdoor restaurant and bar is a great place to relax and enjoy some unbelievably great food! The Street corn pizza baked in a wood fired oven and the honey butter biscuits with Maine lobster are reason enough to visit this wonderful property! Great drinks and great service made this one of the best restaurants in Key West.
The staff at this hotel is undoubtedly the best we have ever encountered and we travel a lot! We first met Julia the manager who went out of her way to show us the cottage when we dropped in unannounced. During our stay Julia seemed to be everywhere, I think they cloned her :-) While we were at the pool Anne Marie was amazing at making sure we always had our favorite frozen margarita or mojito. The rest of the restaurant staff and hotel staff were always friendly and very attentive. We tend to stay out late and we ran into security a few times and they were fabulous as well! And we can’t forget Michael the owner of the property. He is a gracious host who takes great pride in his property and his people. Michael makes you feel like you are the most important person staying at the hotel. He seems to be always around with a smile and interesting conversation. Michael sets the example for the rest of his staff.
This is simply an amazing property in Key West. We will definitely be back again real soon!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am motivated to write this review, because the property DID NOT disclose of major repairs that were in progress and which negatively affected our stay there. We were downgraded to a dark 'cabana' room in an unattractive, relatively new addition that was not part of the historic house and with little privacy, from an oceanview king room in the main house. We were told that this was because of repairs being made to the originally booked room, but at breakfast it looked like we could see guests occupying the room that we had booked. Meanwhile, many areas of the property were filled with the odds and ends (tools, saws, piled up lumber, old doors, etc.) of a (SORELY NEEDED) re-construction that prospective guests should be advised of. This property has the potential to be amazing, at this time it is not. Besides the room downgrade, another disappointment was an additional 'resort fee' (to cover wifi, soap, and two little bottles of welcome water); given the poor condition of the building and property overall, there seemed to be no justification for doing that.
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Date of stay: June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Key West area.
PRICE RANGE
HK$3,392 - HK$4,937 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
southernmost house hotel key west
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
The Southernmost House
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaFlorida KeysKey West
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about The Mansion on the Sea
Which popular attractions are close to The Mansion on the Sea?
Nearby attractions include Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory (0.09 km), Alan S. Maltz Gallery (0.3 km), and Tipsy Rooster Liquor Store & Bar (0.2 km).
