The first time you arrive to Key West everything indicates that you’ve reached the last tropical island in the Florida Keys. Mile Marker 0 verifies you’ve reached the end-of-the-road, and the southernmost city welcomes you with a variety of beautiful places to stay. But when you go to Mallory Square for the famous sunset celebration, take a second and look beyond the dock out to sea. 400 yards off-shore, you'll notice a tiny island dotted with luxury residences. You’ve now discovered the private paradise of Sunset Key!

Turns out that where the road ends, an immaculate ferry picks you up, and in a 5-minute boat ride, from the  dock on Key West, you’re on a private island where you find this beautiful villa, Sunset Serenade. While you’re in residence on Sunset Key, life becomes even a little more relaxing, and evening sunsets take a different direction. Here you’re softly serenaded with the sounds of the surrounding sea and rustling fronds of the palm trees, while you chill-out on your own private rooftop deck to enjoy the changing colors of the tropical sky.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in Key West for a month or more, you’ve experienced how renewing it can be. An American Caribbean island paradise where you disconnect from the daily routine, suspending the hum-drum of the ordinary. Interesting people, whimsical sights abound, turquoise waters, and landmark historic architecture. International cuisine, and more bars and musical entertainment per capita than most vacation paradise island destinations. With all of this, making your home base at Sunset Serenade vacation rental, on exclusive Sunset Key, can take your trip over the top.   

Getting There: ‘Exclusive is never ordinary,’ and in this case it’s the unique way you arrive to this unique island destination. A 500-yard ferry ride on an immaculate boat from the dock on Key West, reserved for guests only, transports you just far enough away from the ‘best of the bustle’ of Old Town, to the dock at Sunset Key. The short-but-sweet 5-minute boat ride transports you every 30 minutes and it places this private island in a caliber of preeminence.

We begin our tour arriving on the dock on Sunset Key. From the moment you step off the boat, you feel an air of elegance, with a scene reminiscent of classic estates I’ve visited in The Bahamas. An iconic landing dock, private white sandy beaches with coconut palms along the warm turquoise water create an entry point of distinction at the island shore. A landscaped pathway leads you to an island colonial mansion-style building, where you find reception, and the restaurant, bar, and resort amenities.

To reach the Sunset Serenade house, we continue past the resort reception, and follow a walkway a short distance, just past the tennis courts. There are no cars allowed on Sunset Key, which adds exclusivity and quiet to the island's ambience.

The Grounds:

A meandering path from the reception building leads you to your home through beautiful manicured grounds. You’ll pass the tennis courts as you near the property, and when you arrive to the house there is the option of entering from two different directions. In this tour, we take you to the front entrance through a gated garden arbor. As you step up on the porch at the front entrance, notice the expansive outdoor Caribbean style living spaces created by 1^st and 2^nd floor covered porches. The porches wrap around from the front of the house to one side, and multiple sets of French doors on both levels. Adirondack chairs and outdoor furnishings make it comfortable to relax outside and look out over the lush gardens and the swimming pool. A covered roof top viewing tower is the pinnacle, stylized in homage to the traditional ‘widows walk’ found on historic Key West homes. From this spot, you’ll enjoy many evenings of famous Key West sunsets.

Sunset Serenade vacation rental, is nestled around an oasis style swimming pool, with lavish tropical gardens, one of only eleven uniquely designed private homes. While in the privacy of your own home, enjoy 5-star hotel amenities offering tennis courts and resort amenities living the dream in your own private custom home. At your service is a central concierge and security program on a private 27-acre tropical resort island, which includes the award-winning ocean-side restaurant and full bar, Latitudes, offering order-in service to your home.

Interior Layout:

We begin our tour at the front porch entrance through a double set of French doors. The interior designer created a cheerful Caribbean ambiance filled with upscale furnishings and colorful whimsical and nautical art. Throughout the interior, the spaces invite you to kick-back, unwind, and get ready to have fun. Evoking a playful feel, furnishings throughout are done Caribbean-coastal style with wicker, wood, and bamboo. Wall colors of soft sunshine yellow and custom tropical print full length curtains on the windows add to the island style. 

Downstairs: The front entrance leads directly into the spacious open-concept great-room. Immediately to your right, you find the inviting living room area. Furnished with a cushy Key-lime grouping that includes a green queen size sleeper sofa and love seat, matching rocking recliner, you’re sure to share special moments together right here. A flat screen TV is prominently placed on a colorful distressed entertainment cabinet so it’s easy to view from anywhere in the living room. Three sets of sliding glass doors connect with the 1^st floor porch for easy indoor-outdoor living.

The custom designed U-shaped kitchen is on the opposite side of the 1^st floor from the living room, and in clear view of the action. Cream-tone cottage style wood cabinets are topped with earth-tone granite counter tops. A deep apron farm-style sink is set in the center of the exterior wall, which is painted with wide whimsical stripes of crackled coral and white. A wooden ceiling fan and stainless-steel appliances complete the elegant cottage-style kitchen. Just past the cabinet with the microwave, a roomy walk-in pantry and laundry center provides plenty of storage and a stacking washer/dryer. The breakfast bar / cocktail counter with wooden back counter height chairs, make it easy to serve and entertain. When you want to sit down and dine, a round glass-top dining table with 4 upholstered wooden sleigh-back chairs, is conveniently placed in the great room between the kitchen and the living room.

Before going upstairs, there are two more spaces to check out on the 1^st floor. Immediately to the right of the breakfast bar / cocktail counter, is a conveniently located half-bathroom with a free-standing sink and commode. Walls are whimsically decorated with seashells and starfish. The artist faux painted the lower part of the wall to create the illusion of wainscoting. Step back into the great-room, and at the wall near the stair landing, notice the executive office space with large counter-top desk. This added feature is ideal for those who plan to work remotely during their Key West stay.

Upstairs: The wooden staircase to the 2^nd floor is a more modern interpretation of a traditional Key West switch-back. Flat wide hand railings and trim boards painted bright white accentuate the lines, and the pale-yellow walls make a great backdrop for displaying playful art by Key West’s Mario Sanchez and a nautical map of Key West and The Bahamas. At the top of the stairs, a hallway leads to the two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, one on each side of the hall. Both bedrooms are finished with hard wood flooring and have multiple windows for viewing the garden and pool scene below.

Guest Bedroom and En-Suite Bathroom - When you reach the top of the stair landing, turn right to find the guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Bedroom walls are decorated in dark khaki and burlap wallpaper, beach-theme curtains, and artwork. Bright white cottage style furnishings are in nice contrast to the darker walls and hardwood floors. A flat-screen TV is placed on the dresser for easy viewing from the beds. When you want to step outside, a single French door leads to the 2^nd floor covered porch where you have a great view of the grounds below.

Back inside, we view the en-suite bathroom for the guest bedroom. Bright white bathroom fixtures are set against a wall creatively painted with wide blue and yellow stripes. A large mirror over the bathroom vanity is framed with a white beach-theme, which is carried to the vanity with the starfish and sea horse cabinet knobs below. The shower, set in the corner, is tiled in white and has clear glass and chrome frame doors.

Master Bedroom and En-Suite Bathroom – Back into the hallway, at the opposite end from the guest bedroom, we find the spacious master bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Taking a tropical garden theme, bedroom walls are painted in light sage and full-length draperies have a vintage palm tree print. Furnished with a matching white cottage-style bedroom set, this room offers a king size bed. A built-in entertainment armoire, on the wall opposite from the bed, provides a flat screen TV plus extra cupboard and shelf space. Double sliding glass doors lead to the 2^nd floor covered porch. From here you have a command view of the swimming pool from a wicker and glass café table and matching chairs, the perfect place to enjoy morning coffee or that evening glass of wine.

The pretty en-suite bathroom takes an elegant tropical theme with beautiful bamboo framed mirrors. The white bathtub with in-tub shower and double size vanity with single sink are offset with black fixtures. There is also a large walk-in linen closet.

Rooftop Deck: A spiral staircase, just outside the door to the master bedroom, leads to the pinnacle of the house -  the covered rooftop deck. From here you’ll experience some sensational sunset colors that gave this private island its name - Sunset Key. Furnished with a bar height wooden table with four chair back stools, plus two comfortable arm chairs, here you can linger in comfort. From this magical place, you’ll most certainly experience many of your own private sunset serenades.

 Bedding Summary:

• Living room - Queen sleeper sofa
• Master Bedroom  – King size bed
• Guest Bedroom  – 2 Twin beds (can be converted to a king size bed)

Parking and Transportation: If you are driving to Key West, parking passes can be obtained at the covered hotel parking garage on Front Street. Steps from the garage you’ll find the private dock where you can catch the 24 hours a day ferry that runs to Sunset Key. The 5-minute, 500-yard boat ride gives the feeling of being transported to a glamorous far-away destination and once on the Sunset Key dock, the home is a short walk away.

House Amenities:  Covered roof-top deck (Widow’s Walk) viewing tower with private sunset view, covered wrap around verandah porches on the 1^st and 2^nd levels, mature tropical landscaping, shared oasis style swimming. Interior  amenities include full gourmet kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, central air conditioning, washer / dryer, office, Wi-Fi, large flat screen TV’s in the great-room and each bedroom.

Resident Guest Amenities and Activities:

Resident guests at Sunset Key have access to a nice array of amenities. Here the lifestyle is designed to provide ‘world-class luxuries’ that are usually only available at much larger luxury resorts including:  an award winning beachfront restaurant offering Continental and Island Cuisine; full bar; order-in dining service, full service Spa, white sand beaches, tennis courts, regularly scheduled ferry service (water taxi), and more.

Sunset Key Area:

Sunset Key is a gorgeous 27-acre private tropical island located approximately 500 yards off-shore from Key West, where the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico meet. Paradise grounds are perfectly manicured and lushly landscaped with palm trees, tropical flower gardens, white picket fences, winding walking paths, and narrow brick roads. From here you’ll experience some of the most stunning sunsets you’ll see anywhere in the world.

The Sunset Key neighborhood has a premier collection of luxury island villas and cottages built in classic Key West Victorian architectural style with wide sitting porches, tin roofs, wrap verandas, and white picket fences. Designed for the discerning traveler, Sunset Key is a relaxing and quiet resort island, offering 5 –hotel resort amenities. Staff are committed to preserving our fragile ecological environment and the property is a certified Green Lodging facility by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. They are committed to making efforts to reduce water and energy consumption and solid waste.

Key West Activities:

The ferry from Sunset Key takes you to the main island where you’re steps from Front Street, Mallory Square, and Duval Street. No need for a car, plan to walk around and discover what you love most about Key West within a few blocks walk. Choose from local and national and international cuisine, famous nightlife, craft breweries, wine tasting, homemade ice cream, boutique and souvenir shopping, art galleries, the Historic Seaport Harbor Walk, Custom House Museum, Lighthouse Museum, the Key West Aquarium, sunset sailing, reef snorkel and dive trips, Fort Zachary State Park Beach, and more. 

Take the time to explore beyond the blocks immediately around the dock. Downtown Old Town Key West and the surrounding waterfront area, is where the settlers of late 1800's built the first shipping docks, warehouses, grand wooden homes and shot gun cottages that stand side-by-side as one of the largest and most impressive collection of turn-of-the-century Victorian gingerbread architecture in the United States. Today, most of these alluring structures have been restored and renovated to their original gleaming glory.

Restrictions: This is a SMOKE FREE house. Absolutely no pets please! We do not accept guests less than 25 years of age unless accompanied by a family group or guardian.

Notes: If you are looking to stage an event such as a wedding or reunion, please contact our staff for further information on how Sunset Key can provide you with fact sheets on available gathering and meeting facilities. This home is intended for a family, professionals and executives who are looking for a private estate home with upscale Quality Amenities.