My husband and I decided to stay at the Merlin Guesthouse for one night upon arriving at Key West. We chose it based on Trip Advisor reviews and thought the price right for a less expensive place to stay to start our vacation.

The pros: the staff was very accommodating - we checked in late (about 9:30 p.m.) and fortunately, the check-in person was still on duty. She said she sent an email detailing how to get into our room after hours, but since we were in flight from Cleveland and without a laptop or smartphone, I wouldn't have gotten that message. However, a note with a phone number to a person after hours was posted. Glad I didn't need to go through that.

The room is clean and fairly comfortable, though a bit small. It's not the sort of room you'd camp out in for an extended stay, but if it's just a place to crash for the night, it's fine. The mattress was firmer than we like, and the bathroom is older and small, though very clean. I was surprised how thick the towels were.

The continental breakfast I would consider "upgraded." There is the usual bread for toasting, English muffins, a variety of muffins, yogurt, juices, and some tasty spinach/feta croissants. Coffee and tea, of course. It's served by the small Zen pool area.

The cons: We were in Room 5, which was along a long porch facing the street. It wasn't too busy when we stayed, but again, I wouldn't want to spend a long vacation in the room right on the street. There are other rooms in the back of the property that are off the street.

Parking is on a side street, if you can find it - no parking lot. That is typical in Key West, though.

The biggest "con" to me was the smell of mildew. We thought with the fan and air conditioning going, it would dissapte the smell, but it lasted throughout the night into the next day.