Amara Cay Resort

We really liked our stay at AMARA CAY and would return. However, we would advise everyone that the pictures of the various rooms and suites advertised both on Booking.com and on the AMARA CAY website are composites, and not necessarily actual pictures of the rooms you are looking to book. We were in a situation where we booked a standard suite only to discover that the bedroom has no window and the living room furnitures lacked the advertised seating arrangements. No where was this obvious in the room description and pictures on either websites. We found this to be misleading. We would advise anyone considering the property to make sure you are in the room with the specifications that you are looking for. Having said that, our stay was lovely and the staff were welcoming. The lobby and outside areas are nicely appointed and fun for families. The location is very nice and we had a fun time, after switching to more a appropriate room.

The pictures on the websites need updating to reflect the actual room specifications (window, furniture ect.).

We loved this place, so nice and relaxing, beautiful green/blue/turquoise water, peaceful. It was low season so not busy. Pool was best we stayed at after a 2 week trip to Florida. Getting up for sunrises was wonderful. Watching the squalls coming in was great in the poolside bar. Bar/restaurant staff were fun and really friendly.

We had to use a sofa bed which was not very comfortable and my husband ended up sleeping on the floor. We asked for a mattress to be bought in several times but it never came. I wrote and complained and nobody answered. A rude room cleaner tutted at me for asking for a mattress and treated me like I was asking too much. Also sofabed had dog hairs in it, not good for allergies! We still had a great time here despite the bed problem.

The pool was packed when we arrived at the end of the day. Not a chair to spare. Thankfully, we were able to head to the beach and watch a storm come in. It rained for our entire visit at the resort. We ate at the Tiki Hut until we were drenched even sitting under the thatched roof. We relocated indoors to finish our meal and order additional food. It wasn't the same as being outdoors yet, it was nice that this hotel offered an indoor dining opportunity.

The check-in experience was horrible. I booked two separate rooms with two different confirmation numbers and the reception area couldn't find one of the reservations. Even with my confirmation details, correct room, date, and number, it wasn't her problem it was mine. I was asked to call Booking.com directly when things were properly proven correctly in my favor. Not any recognition of an error by the employee at the front desk? It was a horrible experience. Next, the weather was raining for all but an hour after that check-in experience.

I liked the tropical feel of the hotel. I also liked the outside areas. I liked being able to get a paddle board, kayak, canoe or a bike which were included with our stay.

There was a water main break the last morning of our stay and the hotel was without any water with the exception of one lobby restroom. We were unable to shower or use our bathroom in our room. We left without showering. It was an Island wide outage so was no fault of the Amara Cay Resort.

We really enjoyed the hotel. It was in a great location. The outdoor areas were very nice. The lobby was very coastal trendy and clean. The restaurant was excellent for breakfast. We ate there 2 times and had great service & food. The check in staff were very helpful and friendly as well.

We did not like the boat dock. If it is windy, it's nearly impossible to tie the boat up to the docks due to their location. We actually paid for the docks but didn't leave our boat there, only launched it the first day and then kept it at another nearby dock. The cost was expensive per day as well. I also did not care for the pedestal sink in the bathroom because there wasn't enough room to place items you may need.

bar / pool / activities

beach into the ocean was not well kept

The place was lovely and had great sunrises- The pool area was so pretty- I am thinking they were understaffed like so many places probably from the pandemic and also because most people cannot afford to live and work in the keys but that is a societal issue not specific to the resort. They are pet friendly which is a plus- People were respectful and nice and there was no loud music or rowdy guests.

If you want a room with a view and not a balcony on the parking lot make sure you ask for this.

location was great / lovely beach area and pool / great Tiki Bar!!!! Caleb and bartenders outside were all great. can’t say enough about the staff - they were fun and made you feel so welcomed.

old and carpet in hallways needs replacing / bathrooms were very nice as was bed, but sofa was soiled and door was beaten looking. just not top notch with interior of room - worn out

Lania patio just off the Tiki Bar. Great food at the bar and service. Everyone was very respectful as guest/families on location. Very nice pool. Music from 7-10 on Saturday night at the Tiki Bar - wasn't fantastic yet, pleasant for listening. Nice size room!! We head to Islamorada a couple of times a month and try out different locations. We've seen this hotel with rooms at over $1K/night yet, caught this one at $600/night. It's been our favorite place to stay on the purple island. Sweet small beach area, rentals available and recommendations for fishing, etc. I'll look forward to going back again.

Small leak/mold issue in our room #119 in the bathroom around and especially under the toliet. Should have been tended to and we had fruit flies in the room for some reason? Kept buzzing around us while we slept. Odd. Also, the knife/fork plastic ware at the pool is impossible to use - should let people use flatware or just upgrade the plastic knife you are providing at the Tiki Bar. They are horrible.

Friendly staff, spacious room, great swimming pool, easy beach access. A little playground for the children outside. We hadn't booked anywhere to have dinner on Christmas Eve, so we were happy that there was still place in the restaurant near the swimming pool. Dinner was great and we enjoyed the evening, full of lights and live music, very much.

The floor in our room was not clean, our feet stuck at the floor and after walking around on bare feet for 10', our feet were dirty. Breakfast on plastic/compostable cutlery (we Europeans always need to get used to that), but the quality was good.