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4.0
#12 of 22 hotels in Islamorada
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Amara Cay Resort is anchored in the laid-back style and carefree atmosphere that makes Islamorada the Sport Fishing Capital of the World. Reflecting the easy tranquility of the Upper Keys, Amara Cay Resort seamlessly blends recreation with relaxation. Hammocks dot the sandy shoreline, palm trees sway in the breeze and a shimmering oceanfront pool beckons early risers. It's no wonder Amara Cay was named the winner of the 2015 Sandi Design award for Design Excellence Hospitality by the International Interior Design Association, which recognized our expert balance of relaxed atmosphere and luxurious style.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Modern
Trendy
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
80001 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036-3802
Amara Cay Resort
2,155 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
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Amara Cay Resort is celebrated for its resort-like atmosphere, complete with clean, spacious rooms and a pleasant ambience, underscored by evening music and fire pits. While the pool, tiki bar, and ocean views are highlights, guests have experienced minor service issues and some feel the hotel is not quite up-to-date.
The friendly staff often receive praise, though service can be inconsistent. Despite the commendable cleanliness, some guests question the value, finding the hotel overpriced with some amenities not living up to expectations.
Atmosphere
Inviting
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Relaxing
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Let me first say that I define value as feeling as if you received more than expected for the amount paid regardless of what that amount may be. From that standpoint the Amara Cay was honestly a big disappointment.
The good: The hotel lobby, pool and beach area, etc has undergone major renovations and looked very trendy and nice and the location in Islamorada is great, being close to restaurants, shops, etc.
The disappointments: The room & the beach (unfortunately the two reasons we chose this hotel). Having 2 adults and 4 kids in our group we booked a suite hoping to have enough space to function. The room was far from a suite, actually I would put it not far above a normal hotel room. There were 2 queen beds in a separate bedroom that was extremely tight and a pull out couch. Unfortunately that pull out couch was the ONLY seating in the entire suite. Obviously not ideal when there are 6 people in the room. The room itself had been renovated so the main touch points were nice but there still remnants of its old self that were evident (walls, doors, etc). The beach was the other major disappointment - while the palms, seating area, etc were beautiful, do not expect to get in the ocean at this property. The pics and description didn’t really highlight this important (to us) aspect. The sand area butts up to a concrete wall that is 4ft above the ocean. There were steps down to the water, but there was so much seaweed and sea grass piled up against the wall that nobody got in the water.
So....$1200 for 2 nights and the value just isn’t there. This was the most expensive property we stayed at during our trip through the Key’s and was the only one out of 4 different places stayed that I would give 3 stars. There are better options out there.
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Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The resort was clean and everything was as advertised. We were able to upgrade to a queen suite on the top floor. This location gave us excellent breezes all day long and awesome sunrise and moonrise views. The breakfast each morning was plentiful and good. The staff was helpful and happy during our stay. My only complaint was when I checked out. I noticed I didn't get the Florida resident discount that I had specifically asked about when I checked in. The manger was a bit abrupt and told me that I had the room/breakfast package and that you couldn't stack the discounts. She said the Florida resident would have been a better deal for us but they couldn't change it at check out. That would have been fine except I asked about it while making the reservation and when I checked in. MAKE SURE YOU SPEAK to someone while making a reservation here and double check everything. The people I did speak with - I don't think they had actually seen the resort. However, we were overall pleased with the resort, the cleanliness, and the staff. While the hotel is still under some covid protocols - ie not providing cleaning/towels each day, it was easy enough to talk to the staff while cleaning other rooms and swap out towels as needed. They also offer a towel service for going to the pool and beach which is very convenient.
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Date of stay: May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We stayed at Amara Cay over the Memorial Day weekend to have a little tropical getaway and to enjoy scuba diving in the upper Keys. I flinched a bit at the price ($500+/night plus daily resort fee) but realized it was a holiday weekend and I was booking a little last minute. Also the website and pictures looked nice.
Now having spent the long weekend, I can say I won’t be back and it DEFINITELY was not worth the price. The hotel is nice enough, but the facilities and service is on par with a middle grade Hilton or Marriott chain. I’ve stayed at plenty of upper scale hotels for similar price in Palm Beach, the Caribbean and Europe and this place cannot compete.
We stayed in a standard entry priced room on the second floor with no balcony. The immediate view was a roof and if you craned your neck to the left enough you could see the ocean. The hotel stated that due to COVID there would be no maid service which was very strange to me as most COVID restrictions in FL have been lifted and I have stayed on other properties since the pandemic started and there was at least the option to have you room cleaned. So with this, you had to go out of your way to request new towels or have garbage removed.
The pool and beach area were nice enough. I realize the Keys aren’t known for their beaches but i would never enter the swimming area with all the seaweed and algae. The pool was a decent size but the experience was ruined by inconsiderate other guests and staff. On one afternoon there were several other guests blasting music from their own personal wireless speakers and the staff couldn’t have cared less. Then on our final morning, a guy was out pressure cleaning the deck and ended up spraying people in the pool and creating a lot of noise. Another guest asked him if he would stop but he only compromised to not cleaning the entire deck which would have disturbed even more guests.
Food and drinks were okay but not anything special. Had the lobster bites and watermelon feta salad which were both tasty.
To sum it up, Amara Cay is just okay and kind of trashy to fetch that kind of money.
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We recently booked a five night stay at this resort. Due to covid every room had a sign on the door stating that the room was thoroughly cleaned before arrival. Once I entered I found that not to be the case. As I opened up the vanity in our bathroom there was a used, bloody Kleenex inside from the previous guests. There was also mold in the shower that could have easily been scrubbed off if they had done their job correctly.
Now on to the room...we booked a room with a partial ocean view for almost $600/night. What we got was a room overlooking the corn hole game area and part of the Tiki Hut. We could not see the ocean unless we went out on the balcony and then we could kind of see a small section of it. The room was extremely small and every time we took a shower the floor in the entire room had moisture all over it even though nobody left the bathroom until dressed and dry. Speaking of the shower we went to take a shower the one morning and there was no hot water...how does that even happen at a hotel?
I will say the lobby and the outdoor areas are very nice but the rooms are nothing more than the Hampton Inn that it used to be with some paint slapped on it. Also you may want to set up a towel stand out by the pool and beach area like most hotels have instead of at the desk where people are trying to check in and out of the hotel. Most hotels give numerous towels per day to guests at no charge we got a card for one towel for each of us for one day. I guess that is all you are allowed or you have to pay for the other ones, very bizarre. I do not understand how you can justify charging $600/night here because it is not worth the money. We definitely won’t be staying here again. Such a disappointment to spend all that money on a room that wasn’t even what we requested!
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Lauren Clevenger, General Manager at Amara Cay Resort
Responded 14 Apr 2021
Greetings from Islamorada keysgirl1978, I apologize that your recent stay was less than spectacular. We completely understand the level of expectation with current rates and I am disappointed that upon entering your room, some items appear to have been missed. I will definitely be sharing with our Housekeeping team. Due to business levels, our towel policy is in effect to ensure all of our guests are able to receive them on request. We strive to make this practice as efficient as possible by handing out pool towels in the main area of the lobby where guests pass through on their way to the pool. Although we allow one towel per person at a time, we welcome guests to return and exchange for clean towels as many times a day as needed. I appreciate you taking the time to share your comments and concerns, and welcome you to reach out to me should you ever wish to return to us. I look forward to the opportunity to welcome you again! Best wishes.
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First off I want to say the marketing team is fantastic! At the time of booking we were so excited and had high hopes as this was our first visit to the keys. Upon arrival we were severely disappointed. It is not a RESORT. It is basically a holiday inn with a tiki bar and tables in the lobby called a restaurant. The website boast private beach access, When in fact it is a man made platform covered in sand at the sea wall with a tiny roped off swimming area accessed by a ladder. If you plan to get in the water bring water shoes. The whole area is covered in seaweed and algae. There is no actual beach. The website also mentions 4 on-site restaurants when in fact there is only reel catch with a limited menu serving the lobby, tiki bar and room service. The tiki bar has a very small selection for cocktails. You pay $35 daily for a resort fee for access to pool towels, bottled water and a shuttle which we tried multiple times to utilize during our stay and didn’t get the opportunity as we stood in the lobby in line for over thirty minutes without being acknowledged and at that point gave up and drove as a lot of restaurants close their wait list 1-2 hours before closing and we wouldn’t have been able to go to dinner has we continued to wait. Absolutely nothing dries in the rooms for some reason there is always moisture even with using the fan and drying off completely before stepping out of the shower you have to hang things off of the balcony to dry. My husband hung up his tshirt that got rained on the day of our arrival on a towel hook in the bathroom and it was still damp when we packed up 6 days later. As house keeping doesn’t enter your room due to the pandemic we requested clean sheets/linens 3 times and never received them. The same sheets for 6 nights. Also don’t bother booking to pay extra for early check in and late check out as it is not guaranteed. When we arrived I was rudely told it wasn’t a thing but it was okay because our room was ready this time. We then inquired about late check out as we had planned our flights around these times and were told we would have to call the front desk and ask if there was availability at 6 am the morning we left. When we did I was told housekeeping didn’t get there until 8 so call back later and to be told they’d let us check out one hour late at 12 pm only it have someone barge into our room at 11 am and then go oh well just come back later. Waking up at 6 am defeats the purpose of wanting to sleep in and enjoy your last of vacation. Severely disappointed and will not be returning.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Amara Cay Resort
Responded 5 Aug 2021
We're disappointed to learn that your experience was not what it should have been. We apologize for any lapse in service. Providing exceptional hospitality is a top priority and though our staff is doing our best, wait times are longer than usual due to the resort being busier than it has been in years. We are operating at high occupancy levels and working to resolve the issue. It's also unfortunate that our property did not meet your expectations. All beaches in the Florida Keys are man-made. For walk-in beaches, our guests may go to our sister resorts Postcard Inn, Pelican Cove, and La Siesta. Our team will discuss each of your comments as we continually strive to improve. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for giving us the opportunity to host you. We truly hope that we will have the chance to change your perceptions on a future stay. Safe travels
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This hotel is a good cheap and cheerful option on Islamorada with substantial amenities such as a fitness centre, large pool, beach bar, a boutique, technically two restaurants and a dock where you can grab a kayak, or arrange to go diving from. The hotel is located on the southern end of Islamorada, not exactly close to the centre of town, but no matter where you stay you aren't walking around as there are no pedestrian streets and the hotel provides a very convenient shuttle service to any local place you desire. The lobby and common space has been well done, fresh and a bit boho chic. The rooms are minimal yet cute, a bit more dated than the common areas, but a clear attempt has been made to make them more modern as they are somewhat updated in the recent years. The rooms have a microwave and a fridge and a mini ironing board and iron. The rooms with odd numbers and higher values are more desirable. We were in 421, so second in from the far beach end of the building so we had a partial ocean view, which also looked over the pool and pool bar and most of the beach area so while not a private view, a pretty good one. The few ocean front rooms have a bit more privacy. The non view rooms face the parking lot so I would opt for a view!
The beach area is quite large with lots of chairs but it's not an actual beach, as you can't really swim in the water as it's an artificial/man made ledge along the water. The pool is large as well and is attached to the beach bar/restaurant. The lawn space with games like a life size connect four and corn whole is a cool touch.
The staff were first-class, so kind, helpful, willing, conversational, the level of service we received stood out for sure here. It's the kind of attentiveness and willingness you would expect at a 5star property, I was beyond impressed.
Parking is ample and free.
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Date of stay: June 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Either ocean front or room 421 - you can see water and entire grounds!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just came back from a lovely weekend at Amara Cay resort. We got in early on Sunday and were pleasantly surprised to have our room ready for us! We bring our small dog with us so we were happy to be able to spend the whole day at the pool with him comfortable in our room!The pool and the grounds are beautiful but I was a little disappointed with not being able to go in the ocean because of the seaweed situation. I was able to go kayaking one afternoon and it was so serene.I spent my afternoons under the palm trees on the beach reading and the weather was divine for August.We ate dinner twice on the beach at Lazy Days and were able to walk there easily. We caught some beautiful sunrises from our balcony and sunsets from Lorelei. The staff was very accommodating and a shout out to Kenneth for helping me numerous times with my room key card that kept getting wiped from my kindle! The breakfast that was included in our deal was fabulous and the drinks at the tiki bar were delicious too! Everyone at the resort was very conscious about the covid guidelines and we never felt uneasy or afraid. All and all it was a well enjoyed and needed break from our “new normal”!
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Date of stay: August 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Standard rooms overlook the roof or parking lot.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We flew into Fort Lauderdale and had a terrible experience with Hertz that left us with no vehicle for the week (which is its own review). We got to the hotel early, exhausted and stressed out, as we had planned to leisurely drive down and were at the mercy of Uber (all rental cars sold out in FLL and MIA at the holiday). We explained our situation to the front desk and had our room within 45 minutes. Front desk was pleasant and efficient even when busy. Amara Cay completely saved our trip. But I will say even if we had not had a bad start because of Hertz, I would be leaving a 5 star review and we will be future customers. I usually stay with a big chain, because of my business travel and points, but we really wanted to be in Islamorada. Took a chance based on pictures. The pictures don't actually do the property justice. We took full advantage of the shuttle since we had no car. The hotel manager, Miguel, even took us personally in his own car one day! Now that is service. The property is smaller, but immaculate, beautiful, with all the amenities of a larger resort, included in price- kayaks, bikes, paddle boards, fire pits, corn hole, beautiful grounds for sunbathing. Service and food at the Pool Bar are outstanding (shout out to Omar and Alton). We kayaked the area one day, biked another the whole day. I fully encourage you to take advantage of the sister properties as well. We were treated well at them. Miguel dropped us off at PostCard Inn one morning and we decided to walk back. Everytime the shuttle went by, he stopped to check on us! Thank you Miguel and Amara Cay! Immaculate hotel, exceptional service! For frame of reference I have stayed beachfront in Miami Beach (Royal Palms and Hilton Cabana), Hollywood (Diplomat) and Fort Lauderdale over the years, and at: Hampton Inn Key Largo, Baker's Cay Key Largo, Drop Anchor Islamorada, Glunz Marathon, Ocean's Edge Key West, Casa Marina Key West, Doubletree Key West. We cancelled at the Reach last night and just stayed one more night at Amara Cay because we loved it so much.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Miguel W, General Manager at Amara Cay Resort
Responded 9 Jan 2020
Dear Sarahbeth, Thank you for staying with us and taking the time to write a Fantastic 5 Star Review regarding your recent stay with us. It was a pleasure meeting you guys and helping out with your transportation needs. Our team is committed to your wellbeing and not only meeting but exceeding your expectations. I will be sure to share your comments with all of our associates as they take great pleasure in providing the very best hospitality. I hope you can come back soon. All the best for the New Year. Sincerely, Miguel Waldo General Manager Amara Cay Resort
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My wife and I stayed here for our 10th anniversary. The resort is beautiful and well maintained. It was also very clean and the staff were friendly. The lobby was beautiful, and the outside was set up with fun activities like corn hole, bean bag toss, ping pong, etc. They had a beautiful pool, and outdoor restaurant where you could get drinks while relaxing by the pool. The beach, though just a concrete platform with sand on it, was still beautiful and there was a dock that extended out from the beach. It had a nice fitness room, and you could use kayaks or bicycles, offered by the resort, anytime you wanted. The only downsides are that there is no hot tub, and we were unable to get the fire pits to light. (Which we really wanted to on one of the chilly evenings). Staff, though very friendly, didn’t make it a priority to help with the pits after we asked, and after waiting for about 30 minutes we gave up and went to our room. We also had ants in our room one morning, but the manager was very quick to have someone to the room to take care of the ants. There are tons of restaurants in the area, a few souvenir shops, and it is a short drive from many different places to charter fishing trips. It is also a reasonable drive from several State Parks, and an easy day trip (80 miles) from Key West. Overall it was a great stay, and we would definitely consider going back in the future.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Miguel W, General Manager at Amara Cay Resort
Responded 24 Jan 2020
Dear MattF1343, Thank you for staying with us on your 10th wedding anniversary. I'm glad you and your wife were able to have a vacation getaway at Amara Cay and enjoy the amenities the hotel has to offer. We hope to see you back for your 11th wedding anniversary, if not sooner. Sincerely, Miguel Waldo General Manager Amara Cay Resort
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We have been visiting Islamorada twice a year for ten years. This is our first time staying at Amara Cay but it won’t be our last. From the moment we checked in everything was wonderful. We were greeted by Dolores and Lissette at the front desk. They were both lovely women and went out of their way to help every guest. The entire staff at the Tiki Bar works extremely hard to accommodate all the guests. The menu has a lot of entrees to choose from and everything was delicious. Same goes for the staff in the restaurant - once again, they worked extremely hard to accommodate everyone that came down for breakfast, great menu and everything was delicious (oatmeal, omelets, Eggs Benedict). The pool at this hotel (which I believe is Salt Water) is so beautiful and there are plenty of chairs. They also have chairs on the beach which I would have sat in had it not been so hot while we were there. The rooms are very spacious, extremely comfortable beds, small refrigerator, microwave and coffee makers, and a good size bathroom. The housekeeping staff does an amazing job and I would encourage everyone to tip them on a daily basis - it is a small price to pay for the excellent service they offer you. The entire staff of this hotel is extremely accommodating and will go out of their way to do whatever they can to make your stay more enjoyable. We can’t wait to go back.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Amara Cay Resort
Responded 19 Oct 2021
Hello from Islamorada, Our amazing staff works hard to ensure all our guests feel welcome and will be proud you appreciated their exceptional service. It's also great to know that our delicious onsite dining and inviting pool added to your experience. Thank you for the wonderful review! Please come see us again soon at Amara Cay Resort! Safe travels
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London, United Kingdom48 contributions19 helpful votes
Yes but there is a resort fee which is on top of room rate around forty dollars a day for bike kayak and paddle boards and use of the hotel taxi for free short runs
You also get access to three other nearby resorts and facilities
Bridget - it is a good 90 minute drive to the facility from Miami. But if you come in from another airport closer I would not be sure. But while at the site you can walk to a number of places and they do have uber type service
There are more places to choose from in the Islamorada area.
PRICE RANGE
HK$1,790 - HK$3,393 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hampton inn and suites islamorada hotel islamorada, hampton inn islamorada, islamorada hampton inn
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
The Islamorada Resort
LOCATION
United StatesFloridaFlorida KeysIslamorada
NUMBER OF ROOMS
110
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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