KEY WEST, Fla.—The Gates Hotel Key West, a new independent hotel with 100 rooms, will open on the island of Key West, Fla., in fall 2014. The boutique address under new ownership of Highgate Hotels will combine refined luxury, modern design, organic touches, and Floridian flare to recreate the verve of Hemingway’s “old school Key West.”
Inspired by the Prohibition era, Rum Row will be The Gates’ contemporary rum bar and small plates café serving creative craft cocktails and tapas-style entrees. Located adjacent to the hotel pool deck, Rum Row will celebrate the rum-running romance of the Prohibition era through partnerships with local Key West First Legal Rum Distillery and family-owned Rodriguez Cigar Factory, offering guests special on-property events and exclusive experiences off-site.
A spacious deck with the adjacent long-boarded bar of Rum Row will surround the hotel’s swimming pool. Poolside cabanas and daybeds will be available to rent by the day and evening with varying levels of VIP service.
Important to the vision behind The Gates is interior designer Andrea Henzlik of AHD in Atlanta, Ga. With her extensive experience designing interiors for private residences, Henzlik’s eye for personalized spaces resulted in a minimalist-yet-convivial property that is culturally connected to the island.
“I was challenged to create a functional space inspired by the vibrant yet relaxed lifestyle of Key West,” Henzlik said. “I started with monochromatic minimalism and infused it with splashes of color and texture to create interiors that feel like an ocean home rather than a traditional hotel.”
The Gates’ common areas and guestrooms will showcase original photography by award-winning local photographer Jorge de la Torriente of De La Gallery. A wall of pecky cypress and a 10-foot community table will dress the lobby, along with a variety of textural elements. The guestrooms will display a modern yet rustic vibe with exposed whitewashed beams, custom platform beds of hand-washed cypress, petrified wood tables imported from Bali, and hand-selected rugs.
Each stay comes complete with complimentary WiFi access, a welcome cocktail, and locally-inspired gifts and programs. In addition to the lunch and dinner fare served at Rum Row, traditional Key West breakfast items and Cuban coffee will also be offered daily.
The Gates’ location at the point of entry of Key West on North Roosevelt Boulevard will afford easy access to area attractions, including Duval Street, Mallory Square, and Old Town.
