Orchid Key Inn
Key West, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
Some motel signs become landmarks all by themselves. The oversized key outside Orchid Key Inn certainly qualifies, standing at the corner of Duval Street and Truman Avenue like a giant invitation to stay awhile. The property was still known as the Key Lodge Motel when this photograph was taken, giving the key-shaped marquee an especially fitting name to advertise. 01-05
The motel dates to the 1950s, when roadside lodging catered to vacationers arriving after the long drive down the Overseas Highway. A memorable sign helped distinguish one property from another, and the Key Lodge had an advantage. Its giant key worked as both an advertisement for a room and a playful reference to the Florida Keys.
Orchid Key Inn
Key West, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
An extensive renovation in 2008 brought a new identity as the Orchid Key Inn. Fortunately, the change didn’t mean starting over with an ordinary sign. The familiar key-shaped structure was retained and adapted to advertise the new name, preserving the feature that had made the corner recognizable for decades. It’s always nice when a makeover leaves room for a little roadside history.
UPDATE: Orchid Key Inn continues to welcome guests, and the landmark key-shaped sign remains part of the property’s identity. Although the lettering has changed since the Key Lodge days, the unmistakable silhouette still gives travelers something worth noticing along Duval Street. 07-26
Blue Marlin Motel
Key West, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
You don’t have to look very hard to find Blue Marlin Motel. The roadside marquee features a leaping marlin outlined in neon, while oversized blue letters stretch across the office roof. Either display would be worth a look, but together they make quite an introduction. There’s little doubt about the name of the place once those lights come on. 01-09
The motel dates to Key West’s mid-century lodging boom, when independent motor courts welcomed vacationers reaching the end of U.S. 1. Its courtyard pool and rooms arranged around the property recall the practical layout that made Florida motels popular with traveling families. Guests could settle in without losing the feeling that they were staying somewhere distinctly local.
Blue Marlin Motel
Key West, FL Photo courtesy Paul Bauke
The marlin was an appropriate choice for an island closely associated with sport fishing. Key West’s waters attracted anglers long before its streets filled with today’s vacation crowds, and fishing imagery became a natural part of local advertising. Here, the fish adds movement and personality to the marquee, giving the motel something more memorable than a name on a rectangular panel.
UPDATE: Blue Marlin Motel continues to welcome guests in Old Town Key West. Its fish-themed roadside marquee and rooftop lettering remain defining features of the property, carrying on the colorful look of an earlier generation of Florida motels. Good to see a place where the signs are still part of the attraction. 07-26
Orchid Key Inn
Orchid Key Inn
Blue Marlin Motel
Blue Marlin Motel
