Avalon Bed and Breakfast

The Avalon Bed and Breakfast was built in the 1800s and was first used as a school house. It later became a Cuban Club and then was a hospital. In 1926, it became the Ocean View Hotel. After its deterioration and closure in the late 1980s, the current owners bought and restored it. Today, it's a charming Victorian B&B with a white picket fence out front and a green-and-white striped awning. The lovely wide front porch with white seating provides a great spot for eating breakfast and watching the foot traffic on Duval Street. There's another porch on the second floor, with white wicker seating. Inside, the lobby is cozy and welcoming, with a high-backed settee and a 24/7 coffee bar with fresh fruit. Iced tea and cookies are put out in the afternoon. A collection of colorful tea pots are displayed on book shelves, and black-and-white photographs from the hotel's earlier days hang on the walls. The ambiance is friendly and relaxed. Only children older than 7 are allowed, so there are no young kids running around. Guests are mostly couples, with some families who have older children. 

The Avalon Bed and Breakfast is situated on the quieter end of Duval Street directly across from the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory and a block from the famed tourist spot the Southernmost Point. Duval Street, Key West's main street, is packed with bars, shops, restaurants and other bed-and-breakfasts. Most everything can be reached on foot or bicycle, including the Hemingway House and Museum, which is less than 10 minutes away on foot. Mallory Square -- and its spectacular sunsets -- is just a little over a mile away. Key West International Airport is a 10-minute drive from the hotel, and Miami International Airport is about three and a half hours away. 

Rooms are charming, fresh, and elegant, with shiny hardwood floors, over-the-bed canopy nets, ceiling fans, and dark wood furnishings. Decor features crisp white in the bed coverings, walls, window coverings, and canopies, with tropical and floral artwork and sculptures adding splashes of vivid color. All rooms include wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, ceiling fans, air-conditioning, mini-fridges, free Wi-Fi, and hairdryers. Fresh flowers are a nice touch. Bathrooms are small and slightly less fresh looking than the main room, but feature period details such as antique fixtures and pedestal sinks. We did spot some discolored grout in the showers, though this can be common in tropical climates. A cottage is available behind the main house, and its front porch is right by the pool.

A free continental breakfast is served on the lovely front porch each morning with ceiling fans twirling under a traditional blue ceiling. Hanging baskets add to the southern charm. The breakfast includes typical cold items like hard boiled eggs and pastries. In the afternoon, iced tea or lemonade and cookies are laid out in the lobby, and a coffee station is stocked around-the-clock. A desk in the lobby provides a computer and printer for guests to use. The small outdoor pool is more of a dipping pool, but it's a tranquil spot and there are lounge chairs for relaxing poolside. There is no on-site parking and Wi-Fi is free throughout. The hotel can also host larger scale events like weddings.