I am going with a solid 4-star rating for Amara Cay Resort. I was totally happy with my recent short stay at the Amara Cay. I would go back any time and I recommend it. I was not blown away but was not unhappy about anything and have no real criticism. The rooms are very spacious and well decorated. The lobby very chill and nice with an updated Keys vibe. Amara Cay features a good pool and a very welcoming and comfortable poolside bar. The bar is open late and is perfect for outdoor drinks. Adjacent to the pool is plenty of seating looking out at the ocean, in a sandy area ... but there is no real beach. There is a dock you can walk on as well. The resort offers free bikes, kayaks, and paddle boards that we, unfortunately, did not get to use. For me, this was a big plus. I regret not using them right away because a threat of lightening the second day of my stay prevented us for partaking. The service at the resort was always very professional and friendly. The location is perfect in Islamorada and near Bud & Mary's. It is walking distance to Lazy Days, a great seafood restaurant and bar if you want a change of scenery without having to drive. Thanks for a good weekend, Amara Cay! read more

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I am giving this resort one star because I was absolutely blown away with the treatment we received from the front desk attendant, the security guard at the pool (who showed up at 4pm, I guess they don't "secure" the premises ealier in thw day) and the hotel manager. My friend rented a suite which had one bedroom witb two double beds, and a sofa bed in the living room. Which means there was room there to sleep six. We checked in at 1:30 am on Saturday night. Only three of us checked in. So they gave us three bracelets to use the facilities. My friend's daughters came over on Sunday morning. My friend asked for additional bracelets they gave her one more (which made it FOUR bracelets in total) and told she was "maxed" out. We had one more guest come and they came into the pool area, the pier, consumed food and drink the entire morning and we had absolutely no problem. Mind you, the pool was EMPTY. There were tops 20 people there. At 4pm the very rude security decided to go around the pool and ask for wristbands. There were two of us who did not have wristbands. She came back twice. The second time my friend went to ask the front desk for the additional wristbands, and she was told they could not give them to her. The security made us get OUT of the pool and SAT THERE looking at us until we walked off the grounds. We were only allowed to be in the bar/restaurant area. Of course, consuming there and spending our mobey WAS allowed without a wristband. They practically marched us out of there, in front of the 20 other guests that were there as if we were criminals. That is not the way you get repeat customers. The "gentleman" at the front desk (unfortunately did not get his name) on Sunday, August 26th, at 4pm was not at all helpful, extremely rude, spoke to me in a consescending tone and did not have the least interest in proposing a solution. I work for one of the largest resort chains at the moment, and I can tell you it is SHAMEFUL the way this resort treates us, paying guests. I will not be returning there and neither will any of my friends or family. I will make sure and let all my acquaintances know what terrible service we were given. read more

For only staying here for one night, I loved it. The rooms were clean, bright, and big. The breakfast in the lobby was good and reasonably priced, and I would definitely go back there. The pool was very nice, and the bar that was connected served great drinks and ice cream. The staff was friendly and helped us with what we needed as well. Outside there were fire pits and great games to play such as ping pong and corn hole. The resort was lit up at night too so you could see where you were going at all times. All in all, for only staying here for one night, I definitely recommend this to family's and friends who want a good resort to enjoy their vacation. read more

Amara Cay Resort - Beautiful pool - Resorts Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Amara Cay Resort is awesome, the best of the best ,I spend my honeymoon over there , was 5 days of pure paradise views, all the employees are so nice , especially the front girl, name Nessa , she is awesome, she helped me a lot , I super recomend it Amara Cay , definitely I will coming back . Tha read more

We came here for a mini honeymoon with our 14 month in tow and can honestly say we had the best time. As someone who is very particular about where they stay, I am pleasantly surprised by Amara Cay. I was very worried after seeing some of the negative reviews here but we have had a wonderful experience. There has been a few hiccups but the staff has handled everything perfectly. The room they put us in originally had some mold on the ceiling and being that I have bad allergies, my husband went down to ask to switch rooms. The front desk ladies apologized profusely and changed our room to an ocean front view but same style room. It had two beds but we pushed them together to make one giant bed (honestly, pretty amazing because we both are bed hogs). There was also an issue with the fire alarm but they were actively working on it to fix it but it did go off a few times during the day. The closet where it was located, was right outside our room so we saw them diligently working on it to ensure it was working properly. A little annoying to hear but who can complain about something that is not their fault. The first night we had dinner at the tiki bar and it was delicious. Our server Stephanie was attentive and very personable. She was our server on more than one occasion and was awesome. Two of the mornings we had breakfast down in the dining room and it was great. We ate early because of our child and had the whole place to ourselves. Each day we hung out by the pool and had lunch and drinks. Highly recommend the Pina colada with a Meyers rum floater. Never any issue and always great food. I ordered the Wings twice, sooo good. We loved the beach entrance into the pool because it provided a great place for our child to sit and play with her toys. We love that it's pet friendly because we were able to bring our dog. They even have a small potty area for dogs which was an added touch. The staff here are extremely pleasant and kind. Each time you walk past the front desk you are greeted with a smile and a hello. Even if there was four people working the desk, every person said hello!! I noticed that the general manager keeps his office door open most of the time (we walked by it a lot to take our dog out). I got the opportunity to speak with him briefly when he saw us waiting for the elevation and asked how our stay was. I told him how happy we were with our stay and that we would definitely be back. We didn't get the opportunity to paddle board or kayak but it looked like a great time. I also can not speak for the housekeeping because we opted to not get our room cleaned due to having our dog in the room. The head housekeeper did stop me in the hall to ask what I needed and took our trash and gave us fresh towels. The room was clean and very quiet. You could barely hear anything from the hall. Updated and modern decor and a cozy furnished patio. Thank you to everyone who made our stay that much better. We will be returning! It's also worth mentioning that I saw several grown adults being extremely rude and disrespectful to the staff and the staff handled it with grace. I don't understand why people are such jerks sometimes. The dining room was cold one day (as is EVERY indoor restaurant in the whole state of Florida) and a couple stormed out after demanding that the air conditioning be turned down to their liking. The server offered to comp their meal and apologized. She was so kind to them after she was treated terribly. I have a lot of respect for that as a former server. read more

We were pretty disappointed with the hospitality and the service, front desk etc. at this resort. There are three sister properties and the view is actually beautiful but the service is simply not what you would expect at a luxury resort. There was a snafu with our room at check-in that ended up costing us more money for a low-grade room because of their lack of organization. Apparently their staff was new here and mistaken when he provided information to us at check-in to determine our room, upgrade view etc. we certainly did not feel welcomed here and will not be returning and would not recommend this to anyone visiting the beautiful Islamorada key which is magnificent in all other areas we traveled. read more

This is a great place. For some inexplicable reason however this place, the entire resort, does NOT recycle. read more

Amara Cay Resort - This hotel does NOT recycle. - Resorts Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

Let's see... I arrived and the girl at the front desk was so nice and accommodating. I'm live two hours from here so I frequent the keys a lot. I got to my room and there were dark stains on the wall. At 830am there were drilling in the next room doing construction that I was unaware of. I thought the keys was a place of relaxation. My parents also had a room there. Went to key west today and just got back their room was never cleaned!!! Why is there a fee if they don't clean it and when I went back in my room the stain on sheet and walls were still there. Gross. Gross gross!!!! Downstairs the decor is really pretty and the hammock swings were cool. The pool area was clean and the beach area was very pretty. I might come back but after construction is over. read more

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Beautiful refurbishment. Modern, clean lines. Half the rooms look over the pool. All have a glimpse of the sea. The pool cabana bar is open until 10PM. It is beside the sandy beach and pier. Two hammocks are tied to the palms, and a line of lounge chairs are within a few feet of the water. The beach is built behind a sea wall, but there is a metal ladder that accesses the water. There is a popular Italian restaurant that takes over the restaurant in the evenings. The restaurant is open to the lobby and to beach visitor traffic, so it is pretty odd for the usually expected dinner atmosphere. The same tables are used for breakfast, offered to hotel guests only. I ordered a kind of off-the-shelf breakfast of yogurt, fruit, muffin, coffee and juice. It was very attractive and fresh, but served on island time - almost 20 minutes were required to come out of the kitchen. Only two other tables were occupied at the time, so I'm not sure what the two staff had to do when they were out of sight. They were both very pleasant when they did appear, however. read more

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Terrible. I'm here right now and the service is terrible. There is not a manager on duty at 8pm. Disappointing and will leave sooner than planned. Never coming back and don't recommend to anyone that has standards. read more

The outside area is really nice plus there is complementary bikes, kayaks, and paddle boards. Downside is it took over an hour and a half to get our food for breakfast. Also when we got to the room our floor was completely soaked. I am sure they washed the floor and sanitized but it left the floor very sticky. Recommendation is to skip the food. read more

Nice property, right on the water. Rooms were basic at best, did not match the higher price expectations. Common areas was super nice. Water sports activities was really great. Free Paddle boards and Kayaks. Only 1 pool, with lots of families there. If you are there as a nice couples getaway. Service and prices were the biggest downside. Very Pricey for what you get in comparison to other places you go to in the keys. A basic pina colada at the bar that just comes out of the frozen drink machine will run you $14. The service. It took us over 30 min just to check in. With 1 person at the front desk running everything including the phones being overwhelmed. When I mentioned they seemed short staffed. The guy who was overwhelmed I was speaking to said "I'm the manager, I make the schedule." They had 1 bar tender for the outside who was really slow and backed up. Everyone out there seemed frustrated. They do have nice entertainment in the evenings and nice cocktails in the common area. read more

This review is all thanks to David who has gone above and beyond for our family during our stay. He exceeds expectations of someone in the service industry. He is so sweet and welcoming and extremely accommodating. I literally wish I could give 50 stars and send them all to David. He is an actual gem. read more

Horrible resort, do not even drop one cent here. The rooms are old and dirty, dogs barking all night long, and one waitress for the only restaurant. The food was Subpar, no bellhop, and hardly any staff. When I made mentions of these concerns to the manager, he couldn't have cared less. Alanna the receptionist at the desk was rude and unhelpful. Will never stay here again. read more

Pretty tired hotel. Room good size but assorted bugs included. Beach okay, but wall between sand and the ocean....need to take stairs down to get in water. Three different stories from Front desk regarding "daily credit" as part of Florida resident discount. Ended up with unused credit. Try somewhere else if staying in Keys. read more

NOT a resort, you can get the same for less. People were nice, rooms were nice, pool, dock/"beach" area all very nice. But NOT worth the resort fee. Housekeeping only on Tuesday and Thursday. You cannot even take your own bottle of water to the pool. You must buy everything from them. They refused to allow us to take glasses to our room from the bar, but they did give us plastic champagne glasses when we asked. Any hotel with a pool would have been more accommodating. You handle your own luggage in and out. There was just NOTHING special about this place and a lot of inconveniences that we would have gotten at even a Hampton. Depending on your expectations, I would not recommend this simply because they charge a resort fee and do not offer resort service. read more

My previous review outlined my frustrations with this hotel chain's lack of ability using their own reservation system and I promised an update so here it is. I've tried to be fair and pointed out the good and the bad. Check in: Surprisingly OK. We got the actual room we booked in the end!!!! However, when we checked out they tried to charge us the resort fee on top of the quoted price when the resort fee was supposed to be included in the quoted price. We pointed this out, and I had the quote in writing with me so they adjusted it and we got the agreed quote. Pain in the butt they tried to nickle and dime us yet again, but at least they didn't argue with us. I found their entire reservation/pricing/charging frustrating because they are so disorganized. Unprofessional for a hotel chain this size. Room: 2 x queen room with balcony and partial sea view. The view was more than partial and the balcony was nice for siting outside as it had a glass screen which protected you from wind (it was stormy when we visited). The beds, linens and decor were good quality, with a fridge and safe provided. Big screen TV with popular shows. Ironing board if you are crazy enough to iron on vacation...lol. Bathroom: Unfortunately no bath but a huge modern glass shower with plenty of hot water. Mini toiletries provided, along with a full sized hair dryer and quality towels. Big sink area to store your bags and toiletries. Housekeeping: excellent clean rooms. There is also a guest laundry at the end of the corridor which takes quarters if you need to dry anything before packing. Now to the nitty gritty - like the reservation system the service in the actual hotel is extremely frustrating. We stopped at the bar for a drink one night and it took us 35 mins to get a dessert delivered. I had ordered a glass of wine and was finished by the time dessert arrived. During that time a guest from the restaurant came over to say there was no service, another guest came to say they had food but no forks and no waiter available, the folks at the bar next to us had a long wait for their food which wasn't as ordered when it arrived and cold. They had to wait so long for ketchup that they had finished their meal by the time it arrived, and the ketchup bottle was empty which had the couple on their other side laughing as it was the same empty ketchup bottle they had been given too!! It was a farcical comedy of errors that left a bad taste in the mouth. The hotel owners really need to sort out their kitchens, bar, reservations and customer service! It isn't hard if they have the right staff and management but no one seems to care. They may once it starts to affect their occupancy! It is a pity as the hotel facility/rooms are nice, with a heated pool, tiki bar, restaurant, and a man made strip of beach with shallow water for snorkeling. There is also a super little gift shop behind reception which is well priced and stocks lovely jewelery, clothing and house wares as well as vacation toiletry staples. Would I go back to Amara Cay - in a word NO! Would I recommend it - NO! Not until they put in new management who know how to run a hotel efficiently from all aspects of customer service, from reservations to restaurants. Plus they need to stop nickel and diming clientele. read more

Amara Cay is paradise. This resort is a little bit pricier than other places in the area, but it's completely worth it and makes up for the price in other areas. We originally booked at another hotel (Matecumbe Resort) but were so disappointed that we checked out early and came to Amara Cay. What a difference! The pool is big, heated (if it's cold out), clean, and fun. A live band plays during the day and night (but not too loud, so you can easily hear the people beside you). There's lawn games to play throughout the resort. There's an area where you can swim in the ocean. Unlike other resorts, they offer food and drinks on the property. The Keys doesn't have many restaurants so this was really useful. The food was good too. They also offer free kayaks, paddle boards, and bikes. So if you're into that, they're available or if you just want to lounge by the beach or pool, you can do that too! In addition, there are two other very nice resorts in the area (I can't remember the names!) but you get access to the pools and amenities to those properties as well. So if you're here for a long span of time, you have the option to bounce around and check out different pools and beaches. Like I said, it's a tiny bit pricier but it makes up for it by the food on property and free activities. You can easily spend several days without leaving this resort. Have fun! read more

My wife and I stayed for our anniversary weekend, and we loved it. It was a very nice resort, exactly what we were looking for. Great pool, tiki bar, and restaurant area. Room was nice, on the first floor with a little patio area. We'll definitely be back. read more

I just had my wedding at Amara Cay and it was GORGEOUS. We stayed in the oceanfront suite which had beautiful views with floor to ceiling windows. Amara Cay was very detailed with all of the food and other arrangements. All guests complimented us on the delicious food and attention to detail. Everything went so smoothly. Great venue for a wedding! read more

Amara Cay Resort - Oceanfront suite - Resorts Near Me - Islamorada, Florida

i booked a room here for my honeymoon and was really excited about it. Unfortunalty I had a recent death in the family and was not able to attend for that day. I did not want to cancel my reservation but just reschedule it for a later date. They could not help me out. They continued to place me on hold and disconnected the line every time at the front desk. Stay away from this place. The service is horrible. read more

Don't waste your money. We were completely ripped off. We came here for our wedding. It cost us around $4500 to stay for 5 days, It took them two days to service our room. We had to ask for fresh towels for two days. We finally got them the 2nd day. For our wedding, they didn't bother to clear the beach, and we had two very rude strangers sit through the $2200 "elopement package" we paid for. Then, we decided to wash some clothes. There is no laundry service on site, so be prepared to bring more than enough underwear and clothing because there is only one washer and dryer for the entire Hotel. We were fine with that, and decided to do laundry after coming back to the hotel early so we'd have stuff to wear for the next day's adventure. The front desk did not have change for a $5. The bar did not have change for a $5. They wanted us to drive to a bank at 9pm. Mind you, we asked about laundry service when we checked in and no one mentioned that this would require a sack full of quarters and we'd have to scavenge for them. It seems like small stuff but for the amount of money your spending the service is absolutely terrible. The rooms are nice, but you can get a hotel for half the price that's just as nice. Save your cash it's not worth it. read more

Amara Cay has been one of our favorite destinations for years..until this year Construction has not only ruined the view from the rooms but they also removed one of our favorite features..the hot tub! Walking to their new pool requires a walk through the tables at the restaurant. .very uncomfortable I went to the lobby at 630 one morning and asked if the had coffee for guests..they got me 2 cups and a bill for $8.50 The TV in the room would work only occasionally and upon calling the front desk there response was I needed to use the remote to turn it on The front desk staff was less than helpful with anything especially when checking out at 5am and the clerk was asleep on one of the couches We will stay elsewhere next trip to Islamorada read more

The hotel looks amazing! I had an ocean view king bed suite that sleeps 3, so it's basically like an apartment Room was super clean, everything worked perfectly, the view is beyond any word description. The lobby is very nicely decorated too. But there are a few little things... DO NOT HAVE BREAKFAST AT THE HOTEL! The food is ok, but the prices are ridiculously high and it's not worth it in my opinion! why don't you guys deliver food to the rooms? It's so simple and can help you make more money. Why does the menu of a hotel restaurant on your website differs from the actual one? Overall experience is great ! The stuff was very friendly. read more

When we booked our 25th anniversary trip we chose your location and another hotel in Miami, based on reviews and the rating we saw through bookings.com and other sites. We expected that by paying close to $600 a night we would experience something better than the hotel we stayed in Miami or elsewhere. Let me tell you that we did not feel as though we were staying at a resort. Our expectations were as follows: A cleaner well defined private beach clean sheets clean rooms better food and service a secure place to stay a more engaging and friendly staff feeling like I was in a resort not just another overpriced hotel We debated on also filing a complaint with the health department. The last day and a half we spent stressing and moving to another room without the help of the staff. Needless to say, it ruined some of our vacation. We booked two rooms, one my husband and I stayed in and the other my brother-in-law and his wife stayed in. Rooms 318 and 125. Room 125, the one my brother-in-law had had a funny smell to it and felt damp, after the second day of staying there we started to look around and the ceiling, walls and curtains had mold on it. We have the pictures to prove it. Also, there seemed to be puddles of water on the floor and would not dry up. We called the front desk and someone came to the room to look at it, the engineers and they gave them two options. One move to another room on another floor or stay there and allow them time to clean the walls and repaint and come back later AND SLEEP IN THE SAME ROOM. Wow. My brother-in-law chose to move to another room. We were told the room would be done later. Then, we were rushed to get their luggage out of the room (we were already relaxing by the pool and had decided not to go out that day because we were waiting on the other room) because it needed to be given to another guest on that same day by 4pm. Unbelievable!!! Not safe at all to give to another guest on the same day.  So moving forward, the front desk staff apologized and were to give us credit for the room for everything that had happened. Did I mention that the staff did not even offer to assist us in moving their luggage? We moved it up to my room using a cart because we were rushed and then when we got back to the pool the other room was ready so we had to move it to their new room. The new room they were given, room 124 the sheets were so dirty that it was just plain disgusting. Room 318, on the last night there. Our room keys stopped working. We called the front desk many times and texted the front desk with no answer and then went to the front desk and NO ONE was there. The front door to the hotel, excuse me, resort, would still open and no one was at the front desk. Needless to say, it is not a secure place to stay at all. Thankfully my brother-in-law had a sofa bed in their room and that we had family with us in another room or else we would have slept in the lobby. Can you believe that?! We would have slept in the lobby! Wow.  I will be typing up bad reviews everywhere and I normally stay so busy that I don't ever make the time to do that, even when dissatisfied but I am making an exception this time for ruining some of my trip to the keys. Believe me we are not ones to want things for free, it may have seemed this way to the staff who also gave me the feeling that while we were bringing forward our concerns this is what we wanted and made us feel like we were not being truthful. We own several small businesses so we know what it is like, we take care of our customers but we were not taken care of at this resort. In the end we could not wait to leave this ""resort"". I am so glad I didn't stay in room 125 because I am asthmatic and this would have been a bigger issue!! See pictures and feel free to expand them to see them better. We spoke to the General Manager - Lauren several times and on the last day she was helpful but it was too little and too late. First time I spoke with her I felt questioned and doubted and she wasn't very accommodating. For an issue like this one management should have been the one to come see the room to begin with. Anyways, I could go on and on. The staff was also not very friendly or helpful. It was pretty bad. I could complain more but just beware. read more

Our wedding at Amara Cay was beyond disappointing with everyone we dealt with along the way. Brides beware. You feel like a second rate guest for your special day. Months in advance I requested a certain room, we didn't get it. I asked for a steamer to be in our room when we checked in (to steam my dress) it wasn't. After many phone calls the day of check in and the next day finally the next day (day of the event) they brought it up. I asked for our room to be cleaned after getting ready for my wedding with my bridesmaids in our room, they assured us they would. We came back to our room after our wedding to a dirty room and clean towels in a trash bag that were thrown on the couch. The tiki bar service was terrible and under staffed. Expect to wait 20 mins for a drink if you're staying during the weekend. We waited 20 mins to get checked in because the front was understaffed (no wonder no one ever answered the phone when our guests we're trying to book rooms) We were suppose to have our wedding rehearsal on the beach at a set time that was reserved. We had to ask guests to move as they were eating and sitting in chairs in the part of the beach that was suppose to be cleared. Andrea, our "Event Coordinator" we could never get a hold of her. I had to resend numerous emails multiple times to get her to respond. I think I had about 3 phone conversations with her total through our whole wedding process. Thank god we had a wedding planner that she seemed to respond to. After addressing these things with Lauren Clevenger the General manager she wrote us an email that basically said we could really care less about your experience. We treat our guests well. We got your money hope you decide to stay with us again in the future. We chose this place to have one of our most memorable days, and they wrote us off and treated us like second rate guests. Amara Cay isn't a resort. I've stayed at holiday Inns that treat their guests better. There's no spa, no one helps you with your bags. There were no towels at the pool. I'm not sure other than serving food what resort experience they provide. It's not the customer service. If you're just going to stay, it's not worth the prices they charge. It's on the water. There's your one perk. Most of our guests complained their rooms were damp and very humid. If you're looking into having your wedding here and expecting great service, look elsewhere. It's far too expensive for what they provide. read more

Where do I begin with this amazing hotel that I can't wait to come back too!!!!!! They only thing I'm regretting is that it wasn't warm enough for me to enjoy the amazing amenities that were their like the pool and the beach with the hammocks on the palm trees. Did I tell you that they also have two bars inside and out with restaurant included. Their also building a gym that will be ready in about a month or two. I also saw people with there pets around the hotel. This place is kid friendly with a built in playground overlooking the ocean perfect for a sunset with the family or a nice get a way with your love... Lot's of amazing restaurants all around with local shops but I promise you won't have to leave this place for a thing. With 24 hour service and beautiful luxury rooms you wont forget this gem everrr... read more

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Amara Cay is honestly one of the best resorts we've stayed at in Islamorada!! The front desk Sophie is so professional, sweet and accommodating. She is so welcoming every time we enter the resort. Miguel is also amazing as he made my boyfriends birthday spent here very special. The hotel and staff are overall amazing!!! Highly recommend! read more

Brand new hotel, the design is upscale and modern, think contemporary meets Pinterest beach chic. Cool hanging basket chairs to lounge near the bar, a modern dining / bar area that walks out to the pool and then to the beach. Rooms are very nice - no carpets here. Modern wood style plank tiles in the bedrooms. Clean and beachy design continues here with white fluffy comforters and wicker lighting. Bathrooms were clean and updated, nice big shower but no tub. Towels were good quality. The pool is heated, there is a hidden hot tub tucked around the corner on the way to the beach. There is a fountain near the restaurant entrance - that is NOT the hot tub lol. Apparently some guests have made this mistake. The beach is lovely, the tiki bar overlooks the water. Plenty of beach chairs and 2 hammocks to lay in. Note that this is Not a conventional beach, more like a sandy pier area and then stairs into the water. We saw dolphins in the mornings! There were also some random iguanas hanging out. Another nice option they offer is a shuttle to any place on Islamorada. A perfect way to enjoy dinner with drinks without the hassle of a cab or a dui. The shuttle driver was so nice and played us his DJ remixes, definitely got the party started! All in all, this is one of the nicest hotels in the area. You will be happy you stayed here! read more

This hotel SHOULD be perfect. It's absolutely beautiful and renovated, is in a great location, and has a free shuttle service. But the service was one of the worst I've ever experienced. A place this pretty and pricey should have a great staff to match but it just doesn't. When we first arrived around 1 p.m. on a Saturday, the day of the Full Moon Party at Morada Bay, there were no towels in the outdoor pool and beach area. How could there be no towels or workers on such a busy afternoon? We went roaming around looking for someone to help us and finally just went to the front desk who told us kind of rudely that they were backed up on washing. Okay.... The restaurant had ONE person taking orders and it took him 20 minutes to even come to our table. Then he would disappear for another 20 or 30 minutes. They wouldn't serve you at the beach or pool, and ordering a single drink at the bar took half an hour. By the time we ate and ordered drinks it was not that busy at all. There were 4 other people at the bar and about 5 tables for the restaurant, so why such slow service?? I saw 2 other people go up and complain about never getting their orders. This place needs better management and a bigger, more helpful staff. I don't need to be completely pampered, but it feels weird to fend for yourself and be on a constant hunt for help from the staff, especially when the price is super high. The only reason the service didn't ruin our trip is because the hotel and private beach are so stunning. read more

This resort was perfect. Amara Cay has everything you need! Bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, beautiful views, beautiful pool, and great service! Will be back next year for sure. read more

We had originally booked a different hotel that I shall leave nameless but saw reviews on yelp seeing how unsanitary and unkept it was and cancelled and booked Amara Cay, and we are glad we did. It's just off the overseas highway in Islamorada, right next to Lazy Days. It was an old hampton inn turned into a boutique hotel. It's not quite a resort, but it's got beautiful decor. There was no Valet service but we parked the car within a few feet of the hotel. We promptly were checked in and told where we can pick up towels, theres also a small gift shop on the first floor. Our room was neat, clean, had a beautiful ocean front view. Everything is new and clean and in pristine condition. The lobby spills into their italian restaurant oltemare ( which was also a good experience). The pool will be redone, it's a little old school but it's fine. The outdoor tiki bar had a cute vibe, but would def. recommend they restaff the bartenders ( See review of tiki bar). They have artificial sand and chairs out creating a beach like atmosphere which was cute. They also have a hot tub that is covered which was useful for the rainy days. Concierge was great and booked all our restaurants for us, with very helpful tips. I should also mention they had a shuttle that drove you pretty much anywhere on Islamorada which is really convenient if you're planning on getting tipsy and don't want to drive and want to be safe and enjoy yourself. It was very affordable, clean and pretty and we'd definitely try it out again and recommend it if you're looking for a beautiful clean place and would like to explore outside of the hotel. read more

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Stayed her for the 8 mile alligator light swim. Great service. I really dig the tiki bar and having a place to take out kayaks. The pool is a nice addition. The beds are comfortable. I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to the keys. I will definitely be back. read more

Fantastic resort in the middle keys. Great rooms and amenities. We've been several times since the resort opened and we will be back in June! read more

From the time we checked in till we left we had the most amazing stay. ALL staff was pleasant and accommodating. All food from reel Catch was 1st rate and no matter what time we ordered food it came out fast and was so tasty. Thank you for a perfect experience read more

Aaron who helped us checked in was very pleasant.Location was very good .It's close to oceanfront restaurants.No walk in beach which was a bummer.Thankfully their sister resort Postcard Inn had one.Overall the resort is clean except for a damp or wet rag smell in our room that greeted us when we opened our room.Hopefully this will not make us ill in the future from a mold induced respiratory problem.Island vibes were everywhere.Had a relaxing time by the water just lounging on your beach chairs and hammock and fishing on your dock.I'll probably try another resort when I come back to the Keys to compare. read more

My wife and I spent four nights at the Amara Cay Resort. It was a beautiful hotel with a nice swimming pool, outdoor games, and kayaking equipment. We really enjoyed our stay and intended to write a positive review. HOWEVER, a few days after I checked out, I saw that they erroneously charged my card for charges that should have been sent to the travel company through which I made my booking. The staff acknowledged the error and submitted a request to issue me a refund. Six weeks later after several phone calls to the hotel and unanswered messages to the manager and accounting department, the erroneous charge has not been reversed. This is very unfortunate because instead of considering another stay at Amara Cay, I will be looking elsewhere to stay next time I am in Islamorada. read more

We are not new to the keys and have stayed in a variety of places, but left disappointed from this establishment. The aesthetics on the outside, initial impression walking into our room were very nice. So here is the downside. If you have allergies beware, heavy use of air fresheners, scents in lobby and rooms. The bathrooms are small which is ok, however the fan is loud, the air conditioning blows a strong stream right over you and toilet. Beds fairly comfortable, but springy. The beach area our favorite spot. Beautiful! The pool bar with a bartender who just came to work. Staff friendly, but when an issue came up ultimately dont care. The hotel shuttle almost ruined our night. Great taking us to dinner, but 50 minutes later of lies of how long, we took an uber to our next event arriving an hour late. Just tell the truth. Sorry, as I had high hopes for this place. It was a days in in the past, that mentality has not left. For the money I expect better...even by keys standard. read more

As a hotel snob, it is very hard to find hotels to my standard, especially in the keys. Upon checkin, we were greeted by the Friday afternoon crew of 3. I am horrible with names, please do not be offended, a Russian female with a big smile, a dark skinned female with a Huge personality, and a young man who joined the 2 ladies for a warm welcome. The checkin process and details by the dark skinned lady made me feel welcome. The negative on checking in, the next level of staff (bell man and shuttle bus drivers). They need energy! They have one foot in the grave. If you are going to bring up the luggage, ask where the suitcase should go, versus dropping it in the living room. I prefer you put it in the bedroom on the rack provided. The shuttle bus drivers. RUDE. Get off your loud obnoxious phones, stop watching your movies in Creole so loud I cannot hear my husband who is sitting right next to me. When one comes to the van, you should open up the door, drop the step down and say hello. When all are aboard, you should not drive away with the door open. Tips will never happen with this type of mannerism. Management needs to be aware. Breakfast. No one to seat is for the first 5 minutes, no big deal, but this should have been an indicator for what was going to happen. The table they were seeing up for us was half set up, no 2nd glass or roll up. I ordered French toast, missing the marscapone cheese and served with artificial pancake syrup. Totally tasteless, nice presentation. My husband ordered eggs over hard. It arrived over easy. By the time our over worked waitress came and we informed her, we waited an additional 10 minutes for... she arrived with a new set up eggs, same thing, run runny eggs. She apologized. I asked her if it was a new cook. Yes. Eggs are basic! What a disaster! She did not charge us as we did not eat, but we gave her gratuity. The amenities were great. For once I can say it was worth the $30/day resort fee. The pool and beach access were adequate. Great time paddleboarding. We wanted to kayak, lots of kayaks, not enough paddles (please buy some more). Lots of bikes, but I recommend that add trailers or seats for those children who cannot bike yet. The rooms. HUGE. Loved our beachfront balcony suite. Well worth the price! Very clean and modern. The couches were poor quality, no support. This should be the first upgrade. The cleaning staff were sitting in the hallway chatting. We informed them our room was still not made and we would like it made. After it was made, they did not restock the washcloths, tea (the stuff we used, instead, they stocked more coffee)? That night, I could not sleep due to a noise. The staff responded amazingly. As it was Saturday, parts would not get there until Monday, understandably. What they did, tried to insulate the boiler with no guarantee. Sunday morning I woke up totally refreshed. No noise, happy guest! Check out was smooth. We will be back! Next time with kids to see their ecology seminar. read more

Weak drinks, not great service. Really pretty view and property. Food was mediocre. Clean rooms; everyone was nice. I think it's overpriced but nice. read more