A Luxurious Escape to the Florida Keys: Sun, Sand, and Unforgettable Experiences
When it comes to luxury beach vacations, the Florida Keys offer an alluring blend of (a few) white sand beaches, turquoise waters, and top-tier resorts. We flew into Miami, our flight got in late, so we stayed at MIA Airport Marriott the first night. While not luxury, the friendly service and Titanium perks of free breakfast made for a pleasant start.
The next morning, we got an early start and headed to Bakers Cay, a Hilton Curio Collection, in Key Largo. This lush, tropical oasis felt like a hidden jungle paradise with its two distinct beaches - one sunny and one shady. While the sand was more coral-like than soft (felt more like a sandy sidewalk), the clear waters, abundance of beach chairs, and excellent beachfront dining made up for it. The highlight? A frozen coconut mojito that set a new standard for beachside cocktails. They had lovely rooms overlooking the water for wedding receptions, following a wedding on the sand. Service was great and the staff were very friendly.
Next, still in Key Largo, we went to stay at Playa Largo, a Marriott Autograph collection. This was another beautiful beach resort, not as lush, but just as nice, they’ve perfected the luxury vacation vibe. The pool area here was gorgeous, really felt like we were on a tropical vacation. They had live music playing, drink service, and nice comfy lounge chairs. The beach, just on the other side of the fence was really nice too. Soft, white sand, clear water. We could see interesting fish swimming by, and starfish too! They had floating cabanas, added a unique touch, and a sunset ceremony each night to celebrate the end of another beautiful day. The room was large, bright and had nice furniture. The meeting space would be great for a corporate meeting, but for a wedding, I liked Bakers Cay better. But I liked the accommodations at Playa Largo better. We had dinner at a nearby restaurant called Snooks Bayside. Nice beachy atmosphere, live music, incredible sunset and the food was great.
I wish we would’ve had time to check out the Bungalows Key Largo, one of the few All-Inclusive adults only beach resorts in the area. It was recently rated in the Top 10 for Resorts in the Florida Keys, and looks really great. With its inclusive luxury experience and tropical ambiance, it's definitely on our list for next time.
We went on the Key Largo Princess glass bottom boat tour of the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. It was a 45 min ride out to the reef. We stayed for about 20 min, then came back. Unfortunately, we didn’t see much besides coral and a few parrotfish. It’s a nice way to see underwater when the water is too chilly to go snorkeling, or you just don’t want to get wet. The staff were knowledgeable and very friendly. The weather was nice & sunny, so it was enjoyable just to be on the boat. Afterwards, we had lunch at Skippers Dockside, right on the water. For the afternoon, we drove into Islamorada to do some shopping (since there is basically none, only Shell World- which is gigantic, in Key Largo). Islamorada had a few shops to choose from, one of which I really liked, Drift Island, very simple, classy clothes. We found a cute beach bar, called Papa Joes on the side of the road and had a drink overlooking the turquoise water. It was fun to watch the boats and enjoy the sunshine.
Moving on to Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, a 5-star adults only resort, and the only private island resort in the U.S. Truly feels like being somewhere in the British West Indies; pure luxury and total relaxation- no phones, no TVs, no distractions. This is a total escape from reality that everyone should experience at some point in their life.
Our journey continued to Key West. The drive is absolutely beautiful over the 2-lane road/bridge. Drivers go slow, so don’t be in a hurry, but that’s probably because the view is breathtaking, with turquoise water and boats on both sides. Margaritaville Beach House, a tropical, Jimmy Buffet-inspired resort, is across from the beautiful Smathers Beach. The grounds are pretty, with many little hidden areas with hammocks. The rooms are cute, with shiplap and hand painted murals done by local artists, rooms are kitschy but cute. We were greeted with a margarita (what else?!) and the service was very personalized. However, some details fell short of the luxury promised by the price. It’s a 10-15 min drive into downtown Key West. They have a shuttle, but it fills up quickly at busy times, so we ended up having to take a Lyft.
Being my first time in the Keys, I wanted to check out the touristy areas, so we started with Mallory Square at sunset. Lots of art booths were set up and street performers doing their thing. The sunset was amazing, every shade of orange, which made for spectacular pictures, especially with the boats going by. It was fun to walk up/down the streets, people-watch, shop and bar hop. We ended up at a great place called Surly Siren Saloon, a newer bar with excellent live music and the best burger I’ve had in ages. The owner (Cris) ended up serving us, and we had a great time. It was our favorite bar…if you go to Key West, you’ve gotta go to this place! Can’t go to Key West without getting some key lime pie, so we walked (didn’t realize how far it was!) to the most highly rated place, Blue Heaven. I must say, it was delicious, and definitely big enough to share!
The next day we took a Dolphin Sunset Cruise with Honest Eco, and what an amazing time we had! The weather was perfect, the catamaran was lots of fun and the crew (Hadden & Dan) were very knowledgeable. Honest Eco serves up fresh fruit and veggies/hummus rather than your traditional booze cruise. They’re geared toward teaching us about the dolphins, in a small group setting. And best of all, we saw dolphins! There were three of them that came right up to the boat and played around us for about 15 minutes. Such a great experience I will treasure forever.
The next day we drove back to Miami. Did I mention how slow the 2-lane highway is? It took us over 4 hours to get there, but we enjoyed the view. We spent the afternoon shopping and had dinner at Greenstreet Cafe in Coconut Grove, good food and a cute little area. It’s fun to sit outside and people-watch. Next stop, 1 Hotel South Beach, such a beautiful property, the best beachfront hotel in South Beach, in my opinion. It whispers comfy elegance the minute you walk into the lobby, with Restoration Hardware-type sofas that you sink into, truly a luxury beach hotel. The rooms are huge (700 sq ft) and very comfortable, with a separate seating area. The pool was superb with nice cushy lounge chairs overlooking South Beach. For dinner we found a cute little Cuban restaurant called Havana 1957. I had the best garlic shrimp entrée and mojito, that I think I’ve ever had. It was all so delicious! I recommend going to the Lincoln location, it’s better…we tried the Ocean Dr for more mojitos later in the evening and they weren’t nearly as good.
Now it’s time to go back home. The weather was perfect, and we had an incredible time exploring; busy but worth every moment. I can’t wait to share my first-hand experiences and insights with both my current and future clients. If you’re dreaming of a luxury beach getaway full of memorable experiences and crystal-clear waters, the Florida Keys might just be your perfect paradise, no passport needed. Please reach out to me at www.luxurybeachtravel.com - I would love to curate an itinerary tailored to your unique needs and desires!