E xtending 150 miles southwest from mainland Miami, the Florida Keys comprise one of America’s most epic vacation destinations. Travelers seeking a laid back atmosphere and natural beauty are sure to find it in this subtropical paradise, where each key has its own unique personality and draw. From the fabled island of Key West to the magnificent coral reefs of Islamorada, the best hotels in the Florida Keys highlight the unique discoveries that can be found in this tropical stretch of the American shoreline.
Travelers seeking the charms of a bed and breakfast with all of the amenities of a luxury resort are sure to love The Marquesa Hotel in Key West, while families with children of all ages will appreciate the endless activities and action found at Hawks Cay Resort in the Lower Keys. For jaw-dropping ocean views, it’s hard to beat Isla Bella Beach Resort in Marathon, while fans of all-inclusives will feel right at home at the adults-only Bungalows Key Largo . Below, we’ve selected the best resorts in the Florida Keys for every type of traveler.
Positioned midway between Miami and Key West at about a two hour drive in either direction, The Moorings has long been a retreat for those who want to get away from it all. With its lush tropical hardwood trees, spindly coconut palms and orchids along the property’s meandering pathways, setting foot in this Islamorada escape inspires an immediate sense of ease. Just eight luxurious one- to three-bedroom cottages are tucked away within its sprawling oceanfront grounds, allowing you to feel like you have the whole place to yourself.
While Islamorada is considered the “sport fishing capital of the world,” time at The Moorings can just as easily be spent shuffling from your cottage to a hammock on the private beach, kayaking across the tranquil Atlantic Ocean or swimming laps in the 25-meter pool. And while there’s no restaurant onsite, each cottage is equipped with a full kitchen, and sunset and sunrise baskets with provisions can be arranged. It’s also within an easy stroll to some of Islamorada’s most beloved restaurants, including Pierre’s, Chef Michael’s and Morada Bay.
A boutique hotel on Fleming Street in the heart of Old Town Key West, The Marquesa Hotel is one of the most sophisticated lodgings on the island. With just 44 rooms inside a complex of restored, Victorian-style cottages dating back to the late 1800s, it’s all charming tin roofs, pastel siding, white wrap-around balconies and lush tropical flora here. Tucked away beneath palm fronds, you’ll find three secluded courtyard swimming pools.
While no two rooms are exactly alike, most are spacious with high gloss Brazilian cherry hardwood floors and a mélange of substantial, wooden furniture, sourced from the West Indies to the Philippines and England. The property’s eponymous café is widely regarded as one of the best in Key West, with creative seasonal menus highlighting local seafood, like the miso-glazed black grouper with wasabi mashed potatoes and toasted sesame seeds. Conceived by oil tycoon Henry Flagler, who also built the Overseas Railroad, which originally connected Key West to mainland Florida, Casa Marina Key West opened its doors on New Year’s Eve of 1920.
Spanning 6. 5 oceanfront acres, this grand dame resort on the National Register of Historic Places completed a $79 million renovation in October 2023 with refreshed guest rooms and a new lobby bar lounge inspired by local legend Ernest Hemingway. The Mediterranean Revival architecture, with its stucco arcades and Spanish tile roof, mimic a stretch of the original Overseas Railroad, which still stands today.
Inside, the high-ceilinged, high gloss lobby is decked out with exposed Cypress wood beams, ionic columns and hardwood floors. This historic opulence extends to the property’s two magnificent pools and a private beach with two newly restored piers, making it one of the most idyllic beachside retreats in the Keys. At Little Palm Island, the point is to be stranded.
A private four-acre island off the coast of Little Torch Key, about 30 miles north of Key West, it’s designed for romance, catering especially to honeymoons and anniversaries. Once guests arrive by ferry, a crushed seashell path around the island leads to 15 thatched roof bungalows, home to 30 luxurious vaulted ceiling suites, each with a private furnished deck or stretch of sand with a fire pit. With both indoor and outdoor seating and views primed to soak in the sunset, dining at Little Palm Island is an ultra-romantic experience with a menu of carefully sourced local ingredients highlighting the seafood bounty of the Florida Keys.
A small spa offers indulgent treatments, from four-hand massages to seaweed wraps and luxurious Biologique Recherche facials, plus an aromatherapy rose petal bath for two in a wooden Japanese soaking tub. A lagoon-style pool is situated near the center of the island and all manner of water sports can be arranged. As the largest resort in the Florida Keys, spanning 60 acres with 177 hotel rooms and over 400 vacation rental villas, Hawks Cay Resort is practically a village unto itself.
Tucked away on a private enclave in Duck Key in the Lower Keys, it’s home to five swimming pools, a saltwater lagoon, tennis courts, a full-service spa and a marina for fishing, snorkeling and more. When it comes to family vacations, travelers will find programming and diversions for all ages, including a kids camp replete with daily activities and an environmental education component, as well as a pirate ship splash pad pool with mermaids and entertainment. One of the resort’s most unique features is its Dolphin Connection center, where guests can interact and swim with dolphins.
With six unique dining destinations anchored by the upscale Sixty-One Prime for fresh chops and seafood, grownups can take refuge in the newly opened Pilar Bar by the adults-only Oasis Cay swimming pool. The beauty of The Perry Hotel & Marina in Stock Island is indulging in a vacation at one of the most modern and stylish resorts in the Key West area—complete with a 220-slip marina and waterfront swimming pool—at a fraction of the cost. That’s all thanks to its off-the-beaten path location: separated by the narrow Cow Key Channel, Stock Island is both an extension of Key West and a destination unto itself.
Home to artist studios, boatyards, shrimp boats and the area’s last working waterfront, it’s a true holdout of “old Key West. ” At five miles and about a 20-minute drive to Key West’s Old Town (the resort offers shuttle service), travelers can enjoy the best of both worlds here. Outfitted in raw concrete, exposed steel and natural wood in clean lines, The Perry Hotel’s aesthetic is as a nod to the area’s industrial heritage, while rooms boast oversized balconies, glorious rainfall showers and local art.
For foodies, the hotel’s Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen & Bar is a bona fide destination restaurant: the crab soup and blackened mahi with blue crab succotash and sweet corn are not to be missed. Perched at the foot of Duval Street overlooking the Key West Harbor, Ocean Key Resort & Spa is Key West’s premiere luxury resort and the stuff of Key West vacation dreams. Sun lovers can enjoy the harborfront pool and the lively Sunset Pier bar, which juts into the water with pastel bar stools for prime sunset viewing set to live music nightly.
Throughout the property, you’ll find an opulent, breezy, beach house aesthetic featuring guest rooms outfitted with polished limestone floors, rustic wood-paneled ceilings and a refreshing palette of turquoise and lime furnishings. Each of the resort’s 100 rooms and suites boast balconies with full or partial harbor views. The real star of the show here is the on-site spa, SpaTerre, which is undoubtedly the best spa in the Keys.
Make sure to book a treatment journey, which can include a hydrafacial, Himalayan salt stone massage and an aromatherapy ritual bath in a Japanese soaking tub along with a cup of herbal tea for complete relaxation. Afterwards, enjoy a meal at Hot Tin Roof, the resort’s signature fine dining restaurant, serving an elevated take on the island’s classic “Floribbean” fare—think seared black grouper in coconut curry and crispy whole yellowtail snapper—perched above the harbor. Holding the unique distinction as the only all-inclusive resort in the Florida Keys, Bungalows Key Largo opened in 2019 as an adults-only resort catering especially to couples.
Home to 135 romantic bungalows outfitted with private verandas with outdoor showers and soaking tubs, the all-inclusive rate here includes dining, alcoholic beverages and select wines with three restaurants and a sunset tiki bar with live entertainment. (Depending on the length of stay, the premier Bogie & Bacall’s steakhouse may require an additional fee. ) Spanning 11 acres on the shallow Florida Bay, the resort features a sunset infinity pool, a secluded Zen pool tucked away amidst the tropical foliage and a sandy beach for lounging.
Guests can unwind with a couple’s massage at the Zen Garden Spa, which features a eucalyptus steam room and Himalayan salt therapy treatment room, or embark on any number of offshore excursions, from sunset cruises to snorkeling, fishing and Everglades eco tours. There’s also an open-air fitness tiki hut and daily yoga offerings. With a modern beach house aesthetic, awash in natural woods, organic textures and neutral tones, Bungalows has a stylish, barefoot luxury appeal, making it a perfect escape for those looking for an elevated all-inclusive stay within the United States.
Situated just north of the iconic and picturesque Seven Mile Bridge, Isla Bella Beach Resort is a peaceful oasis spanning 24 lush waterfront acres, five swimming pools and multiple restaurants along a natural cove where every spacious guest room and suite enjoys sweeping views of the sea from oversized terraces. The rocky, mangrove-fringed shoreline opens up to a private beach with comfortable lounge chairs, while a pier and observation deck are designed specifically to take in the sunset and sunrise views that the resort’s position uniquely offers. The views don’t stop there.
The property’s main on-site restaurant, Mahina, offers Polynesian-inspired fare with an indoor-outdoor dining room with a gorgeous panorama of the shallow azure sea. As one of the newer resorts in the Florida Keys (it opened in 2019), Isla Bella is designed with a subdued, modern luxury aesthetic in a palette of white, natural wood and blue tile. Its dreamy setting is everything you could wish for in a Keys vacation.
Spanning 27 lush oceanfront acres in Islamorada, Cheeca Lodge & Spa has been a favorite getaway of American presidents, Hollywood royalty, anglers and beachcombers since 1946. While it maintains its old Florida fishing lodge charm, today the resort is a luxurious and modern vacation destination with 243 spacious guest rooms and suites, plus 11 villa-style casitas, accommodating a range of budgets. A destination unto itself, amenities include a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts and three swimming pools (including one designated adults only), plus a sprawling private beach with the longest fishing pier in the Keys at 525-feet where you can snorkel, kayak, jet ski and fish.
It’s also home to three restaurants, including Atlantic’s Edge for fresh seafood with an emphasis on local ingredients, as well as a Naples-inspired Italian restaurant and sushi den, plus two tiki bars. And for those in the mood to truly unwind, the spa is the perfect hideaway for a stress-melting jade stone massage. Before I launched my career in journalism and travel writing over a decade ago, I worked for a water sports company in Key West and spent my days taking passengers snorkeling at the reef, sunset sailing and parasailing.
My favorite destinations include boating and beaches, whether that’s sailing the Mediterranean from Sardinia to Corsica or spearfishing in uncharted waters in the Bahamas. With a firm belief that where you stay sets the tone for your trip, I love discovering new hotels. Over the years, I’ve checked into nearly every hotel in South Florida.
Today, I split my time between Manhattan and South Beach, and I get back to Key West frequently. My writing has appeared in Condé Nast Traveler , Afar , Nat Geo Traveler , the New York Post and Catamaran Literary Reader . .
From: forbes
URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/article/best-resorts-in-the-florida-keys/
