Cedar Key Bed & Breakfast

Gorgeous, gorgeous property with beautiful people who run it! I’m usually not one for B&Bs, but since my 11-​yr-​old son had never stayed at one, I wanted him to get an idea of what they were all about & chose his Spring Break to do it. What an awesome experience! From making my reservations from Los Angeles w Sandy, to checking in w her and Alice, they were such genuine, sweet ladies who took a shine to my little guy & weren’t shy about wanting to treat him like a king. They generously showed him the bottomless homemade cookie jar (whose cookies very much resembled my own grandmother’s secret recipe & helped me reminisce & remember her) & they showed him the hot chocolate/​tea/​coffee station as well as palming him some Andes chocolate mints with a wink and a pat on the head.
We rented a golf cart for the duration of our stay and were run down the rules/​given the agreement to sign by Alice, the proprietress. She explained the driver must be at least 21 & have a valid driver’s license in order to operate the cart around the island. However, she kept speaking as if my son would drive it (which was absolutely what he wanted to do!) but then corrected herself as she nudged him. I myself learned to drive on my grandfather’s golf cart, so I thought it an appropriate family tradition to allow him the same freedom. We found an empty parking lot & I instructed him the same way my father had instructed me: Automatic transmissions are ONLY to be driven w the RIGHT foot, always keep your eyes scanning the road & around you, & slowly curl your toes on the accelerator to begin moving. Oh, & don’t panic; stay calm.
We stayed in the «Treehouse Suite» for the first 2 nights, then in «Jack’s Room» for the third, bc Treehouse was already reserved for what’d be our final night. When we go back someday, we’ll definitely stay in the Treehouse again. It has a small balcony overlooking the 700-​yr-​old tree & its swing, plus the well-​manicured courtyard which has a koi pond & butterfly garden. The Treehouse also has a kitchen with full-​size refrigerator that contains water & soda you may purchase for $ 1/​ea by leaving your offerings to the beverage gods in the provided container. They use the honor system here :) There’s what’s referred to as a «water closet» in the Treehouse bathroom — that’s a walk-​in shower stall; no bathtub. Jack’s Room, above the kitchen & at the top of the spiral staircase, has both a water closet & claw-​footed bathtub.
Each room has maybe 10 – 15 satellite TV channels & a DVD player so you can play movies borrowed from the downstairs library. The library also contains books (duh) & many board games. The Treehouse also features a selection of board games. Our only complaint was the fact that the wifi in both rooms was spotty & weak at best and that the satellite TV reception was pretty snowy. However, I suspect this is simply due to the remote location of the island and is no fault of the management. So if you’re hoping to binge-​watch Hulu or Netflix & Chill, Cedar Key may not be the place for you. Conversely, if you want to explore the shore at low tide, or exercise some brain cells by reading, or want quality time playing checkers or cards — do not pass Go; this is where you belong.
The kind but shy maintenance man lives on the property in the shack-​style room called the «Ritz Cracker.» You can probably already get the pun. There’s also the friendly House Cat, «BB» (which stands for, you guessed it, Bed & Breakfast). It was explained to us that he was a feral cat rescue, which made perfect sense after we explored the island a little & came upon many ferals on the island.
Each room contained the «Room Bible» which contained a detailed history of the property, its owners, old photos & anecdotes relating to their families, the island & the property. The «Bible» also has menus for pretty much every restaurant in town, as well as important phone numbers & operating hours of local businesses.
Continental-​style breakfast is set out at 7 & breakfast served at 9, but seating can be limited. Either get there a bit early or make a special request of the ladies preparing the meals for u to take your breakfast to your room. They kindly obliged us twice when we requested the latter, telling us to simply leave the dirty dishes in our room and they’d collect them later.
The first day of our visit was sunny, but turned to intermittent thunderstorms for the next several days. This made activity planning difficult, so we explored the grounds of the property more than a few times. During one of our expeditions, we spotted a croquet & bocce set, which we put to use during a break in the weather. Everywhere u look, there’s attention to detail; from the garden accoutrements, to the shortcut paths, to the manicured lawn & garden. Everything is well-​maintained and the ladies seem to think of everything. They genuinely care abt their guests. We got big hugs upon check-​in and check-​out :)

From the easy on-​line reservation system to the beautiful grounds of the main house and the wonderful staff, this is as good as it gets! Thank you for a FANTASTIC experience! Perfection!

Absolutely amazing here… My husband and I are enjoying every moment of our stay. The owners are very pleasant and attentive. Will be back

Amazingly well kept and clean for an historic building. The treehouse suite was like living on a hobbit house, in a good way! Wonderful hospitality. Truly magnificent love oaks and cozy porch overlooking the gardens. Well be back.

This is my favorite place other than my own home. Not only does the B&B have the most incredible property on the entire island, but the experience is unmatched. I have never felt like a guest here; only as though I had been welcomed home after a long journey away.
Each room is sweetly decorated with old Florida history and whimsey provided by «Miss Alice.» While there are certain creature comforts in every room, you’d be amiss to turn that television on instead of sitting on the porch with a fresh cup of coffee or tea, a good book, and the cat who lounges around with guests.
Breakfast is incredible every single morning and the hospitality of the staff is equally a blessing. Alice Phillips is one of the kindest, most joyful and authentic ladies you will ever encounter. She’s been on the island for quite some time, knows everyone, and is known by all. She always makes perfect recommendations for day trips and excursions based on your likes and interests.
The B&B has golf carts and bicycles for rent and I strongly encourage you to go out and explore. Dock Street is fun, but it’s not everything the island has to offer.
Truly, I will never stay anywhere else if I am visiting Cedar Key. It has become my «home away from home» and I have truly felt that way with every stay.

This was my first stay at a bed and breakfast and i loved it! Highly recommended for a relaxing weekend getaway — Perfect for couples! We stayed at the Sunrise suite but I would recommend staying at the main house. The breakfast was yummy and the endless cookies are fantastic! The staff was soooooo sweet!

My guy and I spent a delicious weekend at this heavenly place. If you crave quiet, a sea side ambience, and a bit of vintage Americana – I think this is the place for you. The B & B itself is charming and quaint, pristinely clean. In between our lazy naps on the king sized bed and relaxing bath in the claw footed tub, we counted at least 10 doilies adorning our room. The atmosphere will remind you of summers at grandma’s house, including the mouth watering pancakes and breakfast pizzas served on tables overlooking the garden. And, oh, the garden! Lush ferns, Saw Palmettos, and an ancient live oak tree providing shade and endless topics of conversation between the guests. One of the staff members even got married under that live oak the weekend we were there… talk about magical! By far, the best part of the B & B were Alice, Gail, and the rest of the staff. Their laid back, easy going attitudes and friendliness reminded me so much of hanging out at a loved one’s home. I’d definitely go back there again! (And, I’d send all of my friends there too!)

This is a classic B&B in the best tradition. Our room was large, quiet, and had an amazing bath — modern shower in addition to the usual claw-​footed tub. Usually I feel like a bull in a china shop in B&Bs, but here there was real room for all our gear. I was with a kayak group. Breakfast was moved up an hour early so we could leave on schedule. The innkeepers, Alice and Bill, did everything you expect of experienced B&B hosts — they made us feel at home. Beds are large, the Internet WiFi is free — important because cell phone coverage in Cedar Key spotty.
Breakfast pleased both husbands (enough of it) and wives (gourmet quality).
Cedar Key is still a sleepy old coastal town. Go to kayak, fish, or simply relax — but by all means, stay at the Cedar Key B&B.

The hotel itself is not too bad… original flooring and plumbing… Some of the rooms have balconies. The real treat is the food. The dinners are amazing (some great crab and pasta dishes). The breakfast was the real treat, with the best french toast I’ve ever had. The batter was like a funnel cake coating on thick cut french toast.