My husband and I live in Michigan, where our winters can be cold and long. We love to take a trip around February to somewhere warm to lift our spirits. One of our favorite getaways is to the Florida Keys. Usually, we split our stay between Key West and Key Largo. It is the best of both worlds. Key West is fun and lively, while Key Largo is laid back and relaxing.
We usually stay at the DoubleTree Resort when we are in Key West. It is about 15 minutes north of Duval Street. A friend had mentioned to us that they like the Hampton Inn Key West as well. On our recent trip to Key West, we spent our first 2 nights at the DoubleTree Resort before heading to Key Largo. Since we needed to book a one-night stay before our early flight home, I decided to give the Hampton a try. That would allow us to check it out and decide if we would like to stay there again in the future.
My Review and Side-by-Side Comparison
Both of these properties are in the Hilton portfolio, which is one of our preferred hotel programs. That means that I can book with points or cash and leverage my Diamond Status for extra perks and benefits.
Both hotels were available to book for 85,000 Hilton points and had similar cash prices. I was able to book a King room with a Balcony at The DoubleTree for 85,000 points, but could only get a Standard King room at the Hampton. The hotels were both very full, so we did not receive an upgrade at either property.
These properties are located close to one another, and both offer a complimentary airport shuttle and an hourly shuttle to downtown Key West. This is a key feature for us. To save money on car rental days, we rely on those shuttles to pick us up at the airport and then take us into town and back every day.
DoubleTree Key West
Pros
- The DoubleTree is only about 15 minutes North of Duval Street, and offers a complimentary shuttle to both the airport and downtown. It is a large shuttle that holds about 40 passengers and is available on a first-come, first-served basis with no registration required.
- The staff in the restaurant, the front desk, the bar, housekeeping, and the shuttle drivers are always very friendly and helpful.
- We love the “resort vibe” and the large pool area. It has an outdoor bar, a hot tub, lots of large fluffy pool towels and plenty of comfy lounge chairs and cabanas available. I could literally spend all day there!
- The DoubleTree falls under the Resort category with Hilton. That means Resort credits from the Hilton Aspire credit card work at this property. Hilton members are also eligible for a daily Food & Beverage Credit that can be used anywhere on the property for drinks, snacks, or dining. At the time of our stay, the credit was $18 per person per day. I refer to these credits as our “monopoly money,” and we always make sure to spend it all. The flexibility of this Food & Beverage Credit can be nice. If you don’t elect to eat breakfast at the hotel, you can use it toward drinks at the bar or grab-and-go items at the commissary.
- This property has an on-site restaurant where you can get a made-to-order breakfast or a buffet option. The full buffet offers several hot items, fresh fruit, pastries, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, and includes juice and coffee for around $20 per person.
- We often get an upgrade with my Hilton Diamond Status. I love the pool front balcony rooms! On our previous stay, we were upgraded to an extended suite with a huge kitchenette and a pool-view balcony. Those features make it perfect for enjoying an affordable lunch or some drinks and snacks in the room.
Cons
- Several years ago, Hilton moved away from Free Breakfast and adopted a Daily Food and Beverage Credit. The $18 Credit at this property (and most other properties) is not enough to cover the full cost of breakfast.
- The property doesn’t have an ocean view.
The Hampton Inn
Pros
- There is a view of the ocean from across the road at the pool and from some of the rooms.
- The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to the airport and downtown.
- The pool is large with space for guests to spread out.
- The pool bar offers daily Happy Hour drink specials. However, they end before the designated 4 pm check-in time.
Cons
- The level of Customer Service at this property was very low. Nobody was friendly, smiled, or was welcoming at any time during our stay. The Front Desk Agent was actually sleeping when we went to check out.
- The shuttle only holds 10 guests. We were informed at our 4 pm check-in that you have to sign up in advance to secure a spot on the shuttle into town. The next few shuttles were already full. Since we were without a car, we had to wait for a later shuttle to go into Key West for dinner. The shuttle to the airport does not start running until 8 am and we had a 7 am flight so we had to get an Uber instead.
- The room and furnishings were dark, dingy, and well past needing an update.
- The vibe at The Hampton Inn pool felt like a low-budget frat party. Adults congregated in the pool with their drinks and cell phones in hand. It was crowded and loud. The towels were small, rough, and thin. We needed to use 2-3 towels to dry off. Definitely not the relaxing vibe I was looking for, but it might be right for someone else.
Final Thoughts
Although both hotels are near one another and cost 85,000 points per night, our stays were VERY different. Frankly, I can’t understand why Hilton is pricing this sad Hampton Inn at the same price as the much nicer DoubleTree Resort.
I know I talked a lot about the shuttle, but it’s an essential part of our stays in Key West. We plan our trip without renting a car because the shuttle picks us up and takes us back to the airport. We also use the shuttle schedule to plan our excursions downtown and back. This saves us a significant amount of money on car rentals, insurance, gas, and hotel parking fees. Plus, finding parking in Key West can be quite tricky.
I definitely prefer the relaxing “resort vibe” offered by the DoubleTree, with its beautifully appointed rooms, excellent service, spacious shuttles, and the ability to use my Hilton credits. I’ll consider our stay at the Hampton Inn a fact-finding mission, and in the future, I will continue to book the DoubleTree when we visit Key West.
The World According to Dev 