Staying at the Crowne Plaza La Concha, in Key West, Florida

The Crowne Plaza La Concha, in Key West, Florida. Photo / Supplied

Andrew Parsons checks into the Crowne Plaza La Concha, in Key West, Florida.

Location: Bang in the centre of the old town of Key West. Perfect.

The building: A modern Spanish-style six-storey residence. So not big — although this is the largest building in Old Town, Key West. It's also the original Old Town hotel.

Check-in experience: Fast and friendly — they explained the hotel clearly and arranged some excursions as well. There's valet parking.

Room: We were in 313. on the third floor overlooking the carpark. There were two large double beds, a sofa but no desk. The bathroom was stylish with a marble benchtop and filter coffee machine and a metre-long bath/shower unit.

Price: We paid $832 for two nights.

Noise: There was low-level air-conditioning plant noise, which wasn't a problem.

What's in the neighbourhood: It's 10 minutes to wharf, and right outside is Key West's Main St with loads of shops and eateries, including a good cafe four blocks away and (unfortunately) a Starbucks underneath. There's a supermarket across the road.

Fellow guests: It was hard to tell where foreign visitors might have been from, as they were quiet.

We just heard Americans.

Facilities: A small swimming pool with spa and gym and an on-site restaurant.

Wi-Fi: Fast and secured although it can occasionally drop out for short periods due to the mains power dropping (the island's power comes from 200km of overhead, overwater lines from the mainland) until the hotel's generator kicks in and the Wi-Fi reboots.

Online: duvalcollection.com

Perfect for: Exploring Key West, taking tours of the town, and eating out.

Would I stay again? Definitely — it's what I wanted from a Key West hotel.