The Key West hotel most people mean when they ask this—La Concha—used to be called the La Concha Hotel when it opened in 1926, and later operated under names like La Concha Hotel & Spa, Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel , and briefly Crowne Plaza La Concha before becoming La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection (and sometimes marketed as Autograph La Concha) in recent years.

Quick answer

  • Original name (1926): La Concha Hotel
  • Mid‑20th/late‑20th century: La Concha Hotel & Spa
  • After a brand change: Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel (often shortened to Crowne Plaza La Concha)
  • After 2024 conversion: La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection (sometimes called Autograph La Concha).

If you’re thinking of a different, local “Key West Hotel” (there have been several small properties over time), the exact previous name depends on which building you’re referring to—but the grand, historic one is almost always the La Concha.

Why people keep asking this

The La Concha is famous, not just for being old, but because:

  • It opened in 1926 as Key West’s first upscale holiday hotel.
  • It hosted literary figures like Ernest Hemingway , Tennessee Williams (who wrote parts of A Streetcar Named Desire while staying there), and even President Harry S. Truman.

Because the building has changed ownership and branding several times, locals and visitors often remember it by different names from different eras, which fuels questions like “what did the Key West hotel used to be called?”

Timeline of the La Concha’s name changes

Here’s a compact rundown of how the name evolved:

  1. 1926 : Opened as the La Concha Hotel
    • Built by Carl Aubuchon with Jefferson B. Browne’s Florida Keys Realty Company.
    • Spanish Colonial style, six stories, marble floors, electric elevator, and about 100 rooms.
  1. Post‑WWII through late 20th century : La Concha Hotel & Spa
    • After recovering from the Depression and the 1935 hurricane, it again became a top resort.
    • Marketing emphasized its spa and historic status; it joined Historic Hotels of America in 1991.
  1. Later years (pre‑2024) : Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel / Crowne Plaza La Concha
    • The property was rebranded under the Crowne Plaza brand for a period.
    • Many residents and older visitors still refer to it simply as “the Crowne Plaza” or “the old Crowne Plaza in Key West”.
  1. 2024 onward : La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection (sometimes “Autograph La Concha”)
    • Ashford Hospitality Trust converted it from Crowne Plaza to a Marriott Autograph Collection property.
    • The historic name “La Concha” was restored in the branding, but now as part of the Autograph Collection.

If you meant a different “Key West Hotel”

There have been smaller, less famous properties simply called “Key West Hotel” at various times, especially in the 20th century. Those often:

  • Were modest, neighborhood hotels rather than resort landmarks.
  • Changed names frequently or were absorbed into other brands.

If you’re thinking of a specific building (for example, one you saw in an old photo, or heard about from a family member), the safest way to pin down its history is to:

  • Note its street location (e.g., “on Duval,” “near the waterfront,” “on Atlantic Avenue”).
  • Search that address plus “Key West hotel history” or “old Key West hotel.”
  • Check local historical society resources or the Monroe County historical archives.

TL;DR

  • The big, historic Key West hotel most people mean is the La Concha.
  • It was originally the La Concha Hotel , later La Concha Hotel & Spa, then Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel , and now La Concha Key West, Autograph Collection.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.