Islander Resort on Islamorada (Florida Keys) - September 2023

 So my favorite travel partner (my daughter, Teyonna) and I needed a getaway and decided to head back to Key West. This time we started our road trip from Orlando so it was a little shorter drive and as much as I dislike I-95, it was an easier ride than I-75 through the Everglades. We split the trip again but this time went a little further down and stopped on Islamorada, which is about 82 miles NE of Key West. 

Teyonna had the responsibility to book the stopover hotel and she went with the Islander Resort. A description from their website: 

" Islander Resort is a serene slice of paradise in the Florida Keys — an incomparably grand getaway that offers exceptional experiences for every type of traveler. Our breathtaking oceanfront getaway is situated on Islamorada’s most picturesque piece of shoreline — a lush, white-sand stretch dotted with gently swaying palms and bordering the deep turquoise of the Atlantic. Relax in one of our 114 inviting tropical-vibe rooms and suites before heading out to explore all the area has to offer — including world-class restaurants, incredible water sports and our famously art-filled downtown. Or, stick close by and enjoy spectacular seafood and island-inspired dishes at our on-site eateries, Tides Beachside Bar & Grill and Elements Lounge & Restaurant. You’ll also discover two pools, a hot tub, and on-site recreational activities (such as snorkeling, scuba, biking, and boating)."

Lobby picture by Islander Resort

I will break this review out into these sub sections: Location, Staff, Room, Food, Amenities and Final Thoughts.

Location: Rating - 7 out of 10

Islander resort is on the east side of Islamorada and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean with a sandy beachfront. The resort is set back off of the Overseas Highway down a long driveway through the trees. It did not look quite as nice as the pictures online from the exterior and was underwhelming.  You have to stop at a guard house first and they will direct you to the lobby building. Check in was easy and they gave us a map of the property and directions to our building. There is some construction going on around the property so keep that in mind as there is fencing and barrels etc lining the roadway and you have to cut through a fenced and tarped walkway to get ice and do laundry.  We ended up in building 310 in unit 312. I will say that when pulling up and looking at our building, I was a bit hesitant, especially after our last foray to The Keys and that horrible stopover. 

Building 310

Staff: Rating 7.5 out of 10

The few staff members we came in contact with over our single night were for the most part friendly and engaging. Our waiter was amazing and even other staff that walked past greeted us and were pleasant. Front desk staff were...fine. Nothing to write home about but no real complaints. I always pay close attention to this area since they are usually the first interaction a guest has with the property so they really should be on their 'A' game at all times.

Room: Rating 7 out of 10

Thankfully the outside of the building did not appropriately reflect the inside of our unit, which was very cute. We were in a Tropical View- 2 Queen room since we were only stopping for one night, no need to upgrade to an ocean view or beachfront room or a suite. It was convenient to be able to park right outside the door to our room. Just a heads up that the front door was hard to close and you had to really lean into it to make sure it caught. When entering the room (there is a little step up lip there) you are immediately in the kitchenette with an apartment sized refrigerator with a lower freezer and a counter with lower cabinets, a microwave and coffee maker. 

            

Opposite of the kitchenette is the bathroom. The toilet and walk-in shower are behind a closed door and the sink is in the main room across from the microwave. It is small but functional. We had problems with the toilet not flushing and requiring multiple flushes to work. The water was hot and seemed to have good pressure. Heads up that on the other side of that wood divider on the left in the sink picture is one of the beds so noise from the sink is readily hearable by others in the room at night and with the vaulted ceilings, the noise really amplifies.

                

The rest of the room was made up of 2 queen beds, a bench at the foot of one of the beds, a night table with a lamp and alarm clock, a wardrobe, a dresser that the TV sits on and a table with 2 chairs in the corner. The beds consisted of a mattress on a wood raised platform base and due to the all tile floor, the beds had a tendency to slide when you got on them or moved. The beds were not comfortable so a lot of tossing and turning which resulting in a lot of shifting of the beds. A throw rug would be great to stop that as the floor was scratched up in areas from where the bed has continually moved. Speaking of throw rugs, there is one by the front door and we both tripped on it every single time we went to the bathroom, kitchenette or to leave. They need either a grip mat under it or rug tape. So be careful. The lamp has a 3-prong outlet on the side and the alarm clock has two (2) USB ports and a 2-prong outlet. The TV was a smart TV and we were able to cast Netflix to it. The AC was a build in wall unit and there was a ceiling fan.

Hands down the best feature of the room was the screened-in porch and outside patio areas. There is a wall of windows with plantation shutters and a door to the outside area. First up is the screened in porch that has a round table and four chairs.  This area also includes a ceiling fan with a light and an outdoor outlet to plug in electronics.

Beyond this screened-in porch was a "shared" patio area with two (2) sun loungers that overlook tropical foliage (I can only imagine how amazing this area is for the Beachside and Ocean view rooms). By shared, I mean that the patio runs the length of the building so each guest unit has a section directly outside of their room for their use.

                

Tropical foliage view from patio

A storm hit early in the morning and I have to say that as much as I loved the vaulted ceilings, having no insulation or barrier between the roof made it sound like a much worse storm than it really was and like the roof was about to come down. Looking out the window it was raining pretty good but it sounded on the roof like a monsoon. And the sound echoed. We have lived in Florida for 21 years and have hunkered down through many tropical storm and hurricanes. This sounded like one of the Cat 3 hurricanes but obviously was not.

Food: Rating 7.5 out of 10

We arrived around 6pm so after getting settled in the room and relaxing a bit after the nearly 6 hr drive, we hit up Tides Beachside Grill and Bar for some adult beverages and a meal. There was a guitarist playing and singing by the pool at the time and he was really good and engaging. For drinks, Teyonna ordered the Guava Tropical Punch (Bacardi Limon rum, Aperol, guava puree, pineapple juice, hand pressed lemon juice, Midori Floater. Garnished with an orange slice) and I had a Blueberry Refresher (Tito’s vodka, fresh lime juice, blueberry puree, house made sour mix. Garnished with blueberries). Just a note that they fresh squeeze all of the juices for their drinks and I must say, you can tell. Some great drinks right there. Drinks were $14 each and they use biodegradable straws.

Another heads up is that the actual menu did not match the one they have on their website. So do not get your heart set on anything beforehand (i.e. Passion in Paradise or Short Rib Nachos 😓). Anyways, we ordered the Tides Burger (Two 4oz patties, lettuce, tomato, onion, American cheese, pickles, dijonnaise) and the Churrasco (grilled skirt steak with chimichurri, fried plantains, white rice and black beans). The burger was good and came with some tasty seasoned fries for $18. The churrasco steak was good, tender and flavorful.The plate cost $26. 

Churrasco Steak Plate

Our waiter was very knowledgable and helpful with just the right amount of checking vs leave us alone. We were seated not too far from one of the 2 pools and were serenaded through our meal by the guitarist. There were plenty of tables and several had umbrellas to help block the sun. Each table had 4 chairs with at least one of them having no arms. There were also a few high tops closer to the bar. The food overall was decent but nothing that stays in my mind that I have to go back for.

Amenities: Rating NA

Besides parking, we really did not use any of the amenities due to such a short stay. So I don't think it is fair to rate this category. Some of the amenities available are hot tub, private cabanas, watersports, activities tiki hut, laundry, exercise trail, outdoor grills etc.

Both of the pools looked inviting and well maintained. The hot tub was bubbling and had folks relaxing in it. One of them is supposed to be saltwater and the other is freshwater. We did not get a chance to take a close up look at the beach area but from what we saw from afar, it looked nice. 

Parking right near our room was convenient in loading and unloading the car but it gave the "resort" more of a low rate motel vibe and made it so you really could hear when your neighbors were coming and going etc. 

Final Thoughts: Average Rating 7.3

Overall we would stay here again for a night or maybe two but not a week. We might feel different if we had sprung for one of the beachside rooms/suites. The room was cute and all but somehow gave a cabin feel to it and with all the foliage around I mostly felt like I was upscale camping a bit. The food was more than decent and majority of staff was nice. I liked the larger frig and the microwave. I loved the screened in porch. But all in all we just feel kind of "Eh" about the place. It was fine. We used points for the room so that helped but normally that room would have been $380/night plus resort fee (which was $44 plus tax/day and included WiFi, parking,  2 bottles of water, One-hour daily usage of bicycles, kayaks, and paddleboards per room for up to two people, Pier fishing access, license included (must have own fishing equipment), Transportation provided locally within 1.5 miles of Islander Oceanside resort (available 12 pm to 10 pm), first come first served, $2.00 off admission to the on-site Florida Keys History and Discovery Center, Pool, beach towel, and chair service, Access to basketball court, volleyball court, ping-pong, corn hole, and shuffleboard, Yoga classes three days a week and a Welcome beverage(which we were not offered and Teyonna forgot to mention it when she checked us in). For that price, $429/night, you are paying for being in The Keys, which is fine but I am not sure I would pay that each night for a week at that resort.