Tag: Key West

Key West has some lovely guest houses and hotels, but for my first trip to Key West, I had to stay at the historic Casa Marina.

Recently celebrating 100 years, the Casa Marina Key West Resort opened on New Years’ Eve in 1920. The hotel was the vision of Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil. In 1912, Flagler’s Overseas Railroad, connecting the Florida mainland to Key West, was completed, and Key West needed a grand hotel to accommodate the affluent passengers who would make the long journey.

Flagler would not see his vision come to life as he passed away in 1913, five years before construction began. The hotel was designed by Thomas Hastings and John Carrere, architects of New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House and the New York Public Library. The hotel lived up to the vision, with Florida pine hardwood interiors, grand archways, and magnificent high ceilings.

The hotel was purchased by the United States Navy in 1942 and was used as officers’ quarters during World War II. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the resort served as quarters for the men of the U.S. Army’s Sixth Missile Battalion, 65th Artillery, bringing four HAWK missile batteries to the beach, where they remained until 1979.

The hotel is within walking distance of many of the famous sites of Key West, but is located on the far south end of island, where things are a bit more quiet. The hotel boasts the largest private beach on Key West.

Stay tuned for our next post, where we walk the streets of Key West! If you missed some of our previous posts on the road trip from Miami Beach, check out the following links to our posts on Miami Beach, Miami’s Historic Art Deco District, and The Confidante Miami Beach.