The Best Western Hibiscus in Key West, Florida
Posted August 7, 2009 , add a comment
Best Western Hibiscus Key West
This is my third installment about Key West, Florida hotels. And, believe it or not, I am writing very positive things about a Best Western! From my experience, Best Westerns are usually cheaply appointed hotels that are good for nothing else for a bed to sleep in at night. I’ve had some bad experiences at Best Westerns in the past - so many, in fact, that I completely swore off the hotel chain about 4 years ago.
To my pleasant surprise, the Best Western Hibiscus in Key West, Florida is a completely different bird. It’s new-looking, has a large pool that’s a common social gathering (think people sipping drinks poolside), has very large, bright and exceptionally clean rooms, and it’s within walking distance to fun Duval Street. There’s a good, free Continental breakfast too. Honestly, when I first walked in my first thought was “This is a Best Western?”
Here’s the thing. The hotel staff is not enormously helpful. You’ll probably come across an older gentleman at the front desk, with a beard, sort of looks like a sailor, who’s pretty grumpy and not at all forthcoming. That aside, though, our experience was excellent.
Prices are anywhere from $85-$199 a night (really!!), depending on the time of year you book. Definitely not your run of the mill Best Western, and I will for sure be back.
NOTE: Don’t confuse this hotel with the Best Western Key Ambassador, which is farther away from town. That one is nice as well, but a bit more expensive I think, and the rooms aren’t as nicely appointed.
Photo Credit: Best Western Hibiscus website
Sunset Beach at Treasure Island, Florida - Part 2
Posted , add a commentWhile the main beach parks in the center of Treasure Island, Florida may be the ideal family environment (read part one of my Treasure Island Beach review here), residents are complaining that the island’s smaller Sunset Beach is quickly gaining the community a reputation as “Trash Island” rather than Treasure Island.
Located on the far southern tip of the small Gulf Coast community, Sunset Beach has always been a popular party destination, but lately the partying seems to have gotten out of hand; some community members are describing the situation as an unending Spring Break. During a recent meeting of city commissioners, residents bellyached about piles of beer cans left on the sand, overflowing trash bins, public drunkenness, illegally parked cars, and disrespectful tourists who trespass on private property to get to the beach rather than using the public accesses. One woman even claimed that she must keep her children indoors during the weekend, when the crowds are the largest, because visitors constantly urinate in her front yard, right out in the open.
A rare deserted day on Sunset Beach - the way it used to be before being discovered by hordes of partiers
Commissioners are considering a list of suggested remedies provided by residents, among them a ban on alcohol during certain hours of the day. Other ideas include residential parking permits, banning kegs and even breathalyzers in parking lots. But the local police are not waiting for a final plan to be put into place; there are now five officers patrolling Sunset Beach on a regular basis, ticketing people for indecent behavior and towing illegally parked cars.
Beach-goers who want to experience the eye candy of the party scene may still want to head for Sunset Beach, but families would be well advised to stick to the main Treasure Island Beach Parks at 104th and 112th Avenues on Gulf Boulevard.
Article and photos by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels
Sheraton Suites in Key West, Florida
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Sheraton Suites Key West
I was super impressed by my stay at the Sheraton Suites in Key West, Florida this past weekend. First of all, the hotel is being completely remodeled, and they’ve done a really nice job. As soon as you walk in, it feels more like a W hotel than a Sheraton. You’re greeted by refreshing greens and blues, a waterfall wall and orchids placed throughout the lobby. The furniture is dark with clean lines, and the lobby is open and sunny.
The pool area was fine - the pool was a decent size, but there were lots of kids in it. It’s summer, and since the entire property is an all-suite hotel, the rooms are very popular with families.
Now, the best part: the rooms. I couldn’t believe how nice they were! I stayed in a room that had a King bed in one part and an L-shaped couch that pulled out into a Queen bed in the living room. Count them - there were TWO flat screen tv’s, a fridge, a microwave, Starbucks coffee in the room, a laundry basket in the bathroom, what appeared to be granite counter tops in the bathroom and a very large and comfortable common area.
I got a great deal and only paid $139/night, but you can snag rooms here year-round for $169 usually. Some of the rooms have two Queen beds in them, and with the pull-out couch in the living room, you could easily fit six people in there.
There’s a bar by the pool, where mixed drinks are $6-$8. Food by the pool (chicken tenders, salads and such) are a bit pricey, but that’s to be expected. There’s often live entertainment by the pool, too.
Mallory Square in Key West
One of the best parts about this hotel is that it’s right across the street from Smather’s Beach. There’s a free shuttle, too, that leaves every hour for downtown. It drops you off not far from Mallory Square.
I’d definitely stay here again. I’m having a hard time coming up with things to complain about. The only thing is perhaps the pool - I wish there were more than one and that there weren’t so many kids. But, what can you do.
**Please know that for some reason, the pictures on the Sheraton Suites Key West website have not yet been updated to reflect the new renovations. The hotel is now a very modern-looking, fresh hotel with none of those “Key Westy” colors. ***
Photo Credits: Sheraton Suites Key West Website and SwiatekJ
Three of the World’s Most Shark Infested Beaches
Posted , add a commentI tried to learn how to surf once. My boyfriend (who is now my husband) bought me a longboard for my birthday and took me out surfing in Cayucos. It was almost impossible to paddle out–me with my noodle arms that earned me the childhood nickname “T-Rex.” But I did it and there we were, bobbing in the ocean that suddenly seemed so much bigger than it ever had from the sand. “Look!” my boyfriend said, “Dolphins!” And then he took the next wave in and left me there to wonder how he was so sure those fins were that of dolphins smiling smart and not those of sharks most certainly out to eat me. I never did surf again, my arms too skinny and my imagination too fat, and my boyfriend eventually commandeered my birthday present longboard as his own, which I somehow think was the plan all along.
I don’t know how surfers do it–bob out there with nothing but a board and their thoughts. I am too macabre, too weak, too yellow maybe, my toes tingling with the maybe of it all. So what if more people die from car crashes, wasps, from snakes and bees, from drowning? There is just something about a shark that holds a special place primal cold in my nightmares. So in honor of Shark Week, I give you three of the World’s Sharkiest Beaches (based on nothing but my own research of the www):
Catch of the day. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zainedriscoll/3623710592/
New Smyrna Beach, Florida holds the dubious honor of being called The Shark Attack Capital of the World. Surrounded on all sides by water–the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River–New Smyrna Beach boasts subtropical weather ideal not only for tourists and beach-goers, but also attractive to sharks: tiger sharks, blacktips, spinners and more. Given the large shark population and the increasing amount of people swmming and surfing in the waters just off the coastline, it is no wonder New Smyrna Beach holds the title of Shark Capital of the World.
Cape of Good Hope. http://www.flickr.com/photos/haakon/10398408/
Of course no discussion of shark attacks would be complete without mention of the coastline of South Africa. Here there has been documented footage of Great Whites leaping from the water to feast on seals, a watery ballet of grisy proportion. And it doesn’t even truly matter which particular beach you choose on South Africa’s eastern coastline—from Cape Town, up the Garden Route, and beyond to Durban. The entire area is famously shark infested. The fishing village of Gansbaai near Cape Town, for example, is known as Shark Alley for its unrivaled density of great whites. And the mouth of Kosi Bay in KwaZulu Natal, is known for its aggressive Zambezi, or bull sharks. Something tells me that it is of little solace to know that most shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity, a shark’s way of poking at something to see what it is. When the poke in question produces a deep gash down the side of one’s innards, it is of no matter that you are not a sea lion but a surfer.
How it got its name. http://www.flickr.com/photos/89044634@N00/24548709/
And then there is the poetically named Red Triangle, that is if the poet were Edgar Allen Poe and the subject the tell-tale shark attack. The Red Triangle is the name given to the roughly triangle-shaped area off the coast of Northern California extending from Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco, out to the Farallon Islands and down to Big Sur. The waters here are snack-rich, full of marine life such as elephant seals, harbor seals, sea otters and sea lions, favorite cuisine of the Great White Shark. Around thirty-eight percent of recorded Great White Shark attacks on humans in the United States have occurred within the Red Triangle - eleven percent of the worldwide total. And it just so happens that the Red Triangle includes my hometown beaches of Stinson, Bolinas, Tomales Bay where the sharks mate, and Ocean Beach where my husband now surfs sheathed in a black wet suit looking for all the world like a seal, a little gamey but good. Here the Great White rides at the tippy top of the food chain, fish and seals at the bottom, and surfers and swimmers only a half notch up from that.
So there you go. From my primal fear to yours, keep your toes tingling and stay dry–Happy Shark Week!
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts Offer $99 Labor Day Deal
Posted , add a commentThinking about taking the family to Walt Disney World for a last legs of summer getaway? Then you’ll definitely want to take advantage of this great deal.
For the week of September 1 through September 9, 2009, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts are offering rooms for only $99 a night. That is a phenomenal deal for these luxury properties where rooms usually start at twice that rate.
Walt Disney World Dolphin
The two resorts are located next to each other, on the waterway that connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. This provides easy access to both parks via the water ferry that also services Disney’s luxury properties the Yacht and Beach Club, and the Boardwalk Inn and Villas.
Between the two properties, there are five pools, a white sand beach, two health clubs and seventeen restaurants and lounges, ranging from quick counter service to more upscale options like Shula’s Steakhouse and the absolutely gorgeous Todd English’s BlueZoo.
As an added bonus, since the Swan and Dolphin are on Disney property, guests staying at the resort can take advantage of special Disney benefits like Extra Magic hours (where the parks open early or stay open later just for Disney resort guests). And since both properties are owned by the Starwood Group, you can also earn points via the Starwood loyalty program.
To reserve the “$99 in 09″ Labor Day deal, call 800-227-1500. A three-night minimum stay is required and rooms may be on a limited availability.
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Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin
1500 Epcot Resorts Blvd
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 800-227-1500
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[photo: Michelle Snow]
