We stayed at The Gardens from 4/18/08 - 4/21/08. We found it very easy to locate - literally right off Duval Street. It was very close to everything (but not so close that you were kept awake all night). We drove in from Ft. Lauderdale and they even offered us free parking right at the hotel - hard to come by in Key West, especially at a smaller hotel.

We were greeted with an offer of champagne or mimosas (we picked mimosas - yum) - and it just got better from there!

We stayed in a Garden Room - #7. We had a king bed, a desk and a small seating area with 2 chairs. (One very minor complaint was that the bed is that it had a "hump" in the middle - basically it felt like 2 twin beds had been joined somehow. It certainly didn't ruin our stay - but it did make cuddling somewhat challenging.)
We also had our own porch area outside with 2 additional chairs.

There was definitely plenty of room. We were there for our wedding, so we even had enough room for a hairdresser/makeup artist to come to the room and do my hair and makeup.

One thing I was really impressed by was all of the amenities provided in the bathroom. The hotel provides (free of charge):
-sunscreen (spf 30)
-lotion
-hand soap
-shampoo
-conditioner
-bath gel
-loofas
-makeup remover towelettes
-shower cap
-small kit with a few Q-tips, cotton balls and mini nail file.

Another favorite was the grounds. Once you walk around a bit, you see that the hotel is aptly named. There's lush greenery, flowers and fun garden art/sculptures all over the place. And it the middle of it all is a gorgeous pool (lounging chairs and beach towels included!). After walking on Duval for a few hours each day, it was a welcome oasis to come sit by the pool for a couple of hours and have a drink or two. (Yes -there's even a bar by the pool - open for a few hours each afternoon.)

The breakfast each morning was also very good. There was plenty to choose from - cereal, toast, bagels, hard boiled eggs, pastries, yogurt, fresh fruit, etc.

And equally impressive was the staff. They always had a friendly smile for us and wanted to know if there was anything we needed. And they were also very gracious in letting our family members (who were staying a different hotel) visit us and enjoy their gardens.

Overall, this is one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at - and I definitely plan to be back!

We have vacationed in Key West for many years and this hotel by far has been our best experience.
We were greeted by a girl named Nancy. You will get to know many of the staff's first names because of their genuine friendliness. Nancy offered us champagne and gave us a tour of this charming, most beautiful delightful place. Our building, one of only four had a porch with wickers chairs surrounded by palms. We found our room having all the conveniences of living there. It was immaculate. I would say they paint any scuff marks on the porch after you leave the property.
The pool is lovely, the breakfast is included which has a variety of cheeses, fresh fruit, eggs, pastries, bagels and newspapers of your choice. The living room is comfortable if you prefer sitting indoors on a sofa rather then the gardens.
We went to the tiki bar, which is along side the pool , every night before dinner. How could anyone not go back after meeting Billy. Billy has what it takes to make you smile. He has knowledge of the island, what to see, places to eat, etc. He will be your guide for as long as you stay. Billy has a "great personality" The bar is stocked well but just in case there is something missing, Billy will see that it's there the next evening. You will leave there remembering how warm and loving he is. This is the feeling you get at THE GARDENS HOTEL.
Thank you Billy, Cindy, Alesha and Nancy. We will be back.

We stayed from 18 April to 25 April on a trip to Key West for my wifes 60th birthday and our Ruby Wedding year so we wanted something a little special. The Gardens fitted the bill for us. I have little if anything to add to previous positive reviews. We found the beautiful gardens, peace and helpful staff that many have mentioned. We were in an upper Coutyard room and found it clean, comfortable, well furnished and spacious enough with good facilities. We had the welcome champagne and were shown round.
I cannot understand the review re never any work done at the pool. EVERY morning ALL week as we passed, the staff (Alex and the girls) were cleaning, removing leaves, refreshing towels etc. so that one has me puzzled. As for leaving a coke by the pool all afternoon for someone else to clean up, what can I say? I guess some of us look for different things for our money.
I agree that in our experience we found no issue with noise, even the planes which fly over are past soon and not really overly noisy.
I also agree the place isn't perfect but then what is in life? Maybe a large establishmenty would have left a chocolate on the pillows for the birthday, something like that, but its a small comment. I actually prefer a little humanity and reality rather than only a cool professionalism, no matter how efficient, but thats just me. The staff helped with no problem when I asked, with reservations, info etc, and were pleasant without intruding. Billy was great company as a bartender as well as efficient and was prepared to chat genuinely (as was Joel) while maintaining excellent service. That was refreshing, rather than the oft found over-enthusiastic but shallow interaction in customer relations. The jazz Sunday was busy but excellent in a beautiful environment.
The Gardens may be a little pricey for not being a full service hotel (I have nothing in KW to compare) but it does have an exclusive feel to it and is good for occasional chat with other nice guests if you choose (A lovely couple even gave my wife a little gift as we were leaving, thanks, you know who you are, we will be in touch :). We met several who return time and again and we loved it also. We would opt to stay there again if we return to Key West.

We just returned from our third trip to Key West, and our third stay at The Gardens Hotel. My husband and I absolutely love Key West, and we wouldn't stay anywhere else! The staff is very friendly and accommodating, and the property itself is so lush, beautiful, private and peaceful (which is hard to believe since you are only a 1/2 block from Duval Street). Key West is such a wonderful place to visit, and we highly recommend that you stay at The Gardens Hotel ~ you won't be disappointed! Both the island and the hotel have become a favorite annual destination for us, and we can't wait to go back again next year!