Small enough to be personable but large enough to be private, the Tropical Inn artfully blends the intimacy of a romantic bed and breakfast with the casually understated elegance of a small hotel in the European tradition. Sequestered behind welcoming French doors, this lush oasis in the center of Old Town embraces a Bahamian-style Conch house listed on the National Register of Historic Places and a scattering of charming garden cottages.

The Tropical Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main house is classic vernacular style found in the Caribbean Islands and along the east coast of the United States, where seafaring owners often constructed them using materials and building techniques similar to those used in shipbuilding. The garden cottages are typical "Conch houses", originally built to house workers in the early city's cigar-making industries.