We stayed at Kona Kai with our 3 adult children (mid twenty-somethings) for six nights in the middle of January. It was absolutely amazing! Our accommodations (a 1-bedroom suite, connected to a single room) were spacious and lovely. This was our first trip to the Keys, and when we turned off US 1 into the Kona Kai property, we gasped! The grounds are lush and gorgeous. Everywhere you look, there is beauty! Spectacular, exotic plants and flowers, towering palms, fountains, hardscape, art...Kona Kai has it all, inside and out!

When we walked into the office/art gallery area, Tracey was there to greet us. We'd spoken on the phone once, many months ago, yet she called us by name, and mentioned obscure details that she remembered about our family. What a warm way to welcome us, after a long journey to travel there! She and Lisa gave us a detailed tour of the resort, our suite(s) and recommended many activities and restaurants, based on our interests. We felt completely valued and welcomed, but also appreciated having our privacy respected. No detail was overlooked, from having our rented bicycles delivered to our door, to recommending the best sushi bar in Key Largo, to finding the most economical snorkeling excursion for our family. The "enviro-tour" boat picked us up right at the dock for an amazing private tour of the bay!

The ONLY suggestion I would like to make is better cell phone/internet reception. While I realize that the people at Kona Kai encourage their guests to "get away from it all," the reality is that we depend on the internet for practically everything these days, and it was frustrating at times. On the main road, service was strong. In the units, it was practically non-existent. And at the "hot spot," I never was able to get a connection on my laptop (although others seemed to connect. Maybe it's a "Mac" thing?)

We had a BLAST on our vacation! We enjoyed a cozy, elegant, restful getaway at Kona Kai, had fun exploring the Key Largo area, and had a great day trip to Key West. I cannot recommend it highly enough! We will be back!

One more thing...don't speed on US 1 ! I did get pulled over for speeding at 1:30 am on the way back from Key West. But when I told the officer we were staying at Kona Kai, he let me off with a verbal warning. Talk about service!!!

This is my first review (even though I research everywhere we go thoroughly) because this is the first place that made that much of an impact. My husband and I had a too short 2-night getaway at the Kona Kai between Christmas and New Year's weekends. It was the perfect place to relax, unwind, reconnect and chill out. The sunsets on the dock were incredible - we brought some wine and cheese down to the water (just steps from our room) and took tons of pictures. There are small groupings of 2 chaise lounges all around the water for some privacy while viewing the sunsets (or while sipping morning coffee, which we also did). We also were lucky enough to see a manatee swim right up to us on the dock - close enough to touch it. There are a few kayaks and a small boat for guests to use - we took advantage of the double kayak and paddled around for a bit one morning. Our room was nice - a small bedroom and bathroom with a small living area (with a couch) and kitchen. I really don't think it matters what room you are in - everything is close to the water - but it was nice to have some extra room to spread out in the living area. And unless the weather is bad, I doubt you will spend much time in your room. There is also a lovely little pool (very nicely heated) and hot tub, both with views of the water. And the small beach/sandy area had some chairs and hammocks for relaxing in the serene setting.

Restaurant recommendations - they gave us a sheet with some suggestions and walked us through their favorites. And they did NOT steer us wrong (and we consider ourselves foodies). The best food BY FAR was the Tasters Grille (don't let the location in a shopping center turn you away - the food is excellent and unique!). We also had a lovely dinner at Pierre's (in a pretty old house right on the beach in Islamorada) and a great lunch at Snapper's (try their famous ahi tuna nachos).

Our ONLY regret was that we couldn't stay longer! We will definitely be back!

Wonderful staff, great place to take time off with your loved one.

We are not the kind of people who tend to stay in luxurious places...and to arrive here, after our trip to Ecuador, for a few days of cosseting, was unbelievable!
We haven't been to the Keys before, and I had no idea it was such a stunning area of natural beauty. The resort is right on the bay front, and apart from a little noise from the road (which is unavoidable here as the island is so narrow!) it is beautifully tranquil. We were offered an upgrade to a suite (I had reserved a guest room) for a nominal cost, and it was well worth it: our suite was gorgeous, with full kitchen, dining table, sofa, large bedroom and bathroom with shower. Everything you could possibly want was there...far more comfortable than our house!!
Ronnie, the owner, was incredibly helpful when we arrived, and as well as checking us in, told us all about the area and provided us with suggestions as to the places she recommended we ate, and visited. The hotel has a great range of leaflets and maps - even down to their own map of the immediate area showing local eateries.
We settled in, and then borrowed one of the kayaks they kindly provide - not our area of expertise, but it was great fun going round in circles for an hour or so... We then swam off the floating dock, and were surprised how pleasantly warm the water was on the bay side.
Not being avid restaurant frequenters, we drove down to the supermarket a few miles down the road and stocked up in guacamole, hummus, cheese, beer, cold meats etc and had a fabulous meal by starlight, sitting in the tiki hut at the end of the pier.
I really couldn't improve this hotel! The personal service is outstanding: Ronnie made all the reservations we needed to do the activities we had chosen, and even found time to come and chat to us afterwards to see how we enjoyed it.
If you do come to stay, make sure you find time to do the tour of the gardens with Rick, a extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic ethno-botanist who has been taken on by the owners to develop an oasis of indigenous plants.
Thank you for a wonderful short break - I just wish it could had been longer!