Quiet beauty, gorgeous accomodations, splendid grounds. The Moorings is not an impersonal hotel: it is a place in the Keys you can call your own, if only for a short bit of time. The cottages and grounds are the definition of casual elegance, and if you're not a Hollywood star or a hedge fund manager, .this may be as close as your going to get to that sort of exclusive tropical getaway that only they can afford. It's kind of a state of mind: go there, sit on your porch, wander down to the beach, relax at the pool. You won't need a whole lot more to be happy.
A couple tips: avoid Spring break periods when families with platoons of children tend to show up: not necessarily bad, but can get a little noisier than usual and you may find yourself wishing they had chosen a hotel down the road somewhere. And yes, the photo shoots seem to be much more prevalent than they used to be. Still not enough to ruin the ambience. And some of those models are pretty darn good looking.

My Husband and I stayed at the Moorings a few weeks ago as a part of our Honeymoon, It's true the beach is spectacular as are the accommodations and grounds...however....while we were there, there had to have been about 3 different photo shoots, with large crews dragging their equipment back and forth past our beach loungers time and again. Many of them were loud, and on their cell phones, behavior that the Moorings prohibits for their guests but apparently not for the photo crews. What we were looking forward to most was the peace and quiet we thought the Moorings would offer....and for the cost...I expected a little more serenity while on the beach. Perhaps we were unlucky timing wise with there being so many crews, but unfortunately that's the luck of the draw there I suppose. The staff was wonderful however, and very accommodating.

Based on the reviews on tripadvisor, I decided to give the Moorings a try for our family's spring vacation. We have four kids ages (16 to 10), and they all enjoyed the trip. We spent 5 days at the Waca House and it was exactly how travelers described the Moorings. The beach is beautiful, secluded (you hardly see more than a couple of guests), and with the palm trees it feels like an island in the South Pacific. The grounds of the Moorings are beautifully landscaped, large pool which also never gets crowded, and a couple of tennis courts (these were often in use so my husband took my son to play tennis at a nearby club). We loved the Waca house, nicely decorated, plenty of space, with two bedrooms and pull out couch - great front porch to relax and read.

The beach had several kayaks for hotel guests to use, which was convenient, or you could just relax in a hammock. The maintenance crew works hard to keep the beach spotless, but there is seaweed along the shore. I didn't mind this, but some might.

One great perk of staying at the Moorings is that you can eat at their casual restaurant across the street without having to make reservations. The food is delicious and great spot right on the beach, lovely sunsets. There is also a nearby supermarket if you want to cook your meals and take advantage of the fully stocked kitchen. Also, plenty of dining options nearby.

There are plenty of nearby activities to keep a family of six busy, from the party fishing boat at Robbies (highly recommend), to snorkeling (it was okay, but don't expect Belize), to water sports (we chartered a speedboat and captain for a few hours and let the kids go tubing - they had a blast). There are also bikes that they will loan you during your stay - our kids enjoyed that.

All in all, for a short 5 day trip from Boston, if you are looking for a peaceful beach setting, but enough activities to keep kids busy, then I highly recommend The Moorings.

My husband, I, and our nine month old son returned from five nights at the beautiful Moorings. We did nothing except admire the physical beauty of the property from our porch, swing on beach hammocks, and lounge in the sand...it was perfect! The service, particularly Thomas, was exactly as the property aims for it to be--helpful, friendly, and discreet. The property itself is immaculate, with employees constantly raking the sand. As everyone has said over and over again, this is the place to detach and chill out. With regard to the cottages, we stayed in Lodge South and loved the location. The size, although tiny, did not bother us as it was expected. We were definitely jealous, though, of the fresher decor of some of the other cottages. We understand that the lodges were original to the property, but can't help but pointing out that they need freshening. Much of the furniture was worse for the wear (just really rough around the edges/camp-like), the stove had tin foil in the burners (presumably to keep them hot), and the wood panelling on the ceilings and floors was a bit cloying and depressing (we know, authentic Keys style, but, in our opinion, it felt a little like camping out). We couldn't really get comfy at night because the sofa was minute and made of wicker. The bed, however, was divinely comfortable! Really soft sheets and mattress...felt luxe! I guess we just felt like the red headed stepchildren in the Lodge with the spotty wireless, tepid water temperatures in the shower, and poor water pressure. Again, as I mentioned, the bed was so comfy, location of the Lodge wonderful (pretty much on the beach) and it was well appointed down to the "Deep Woods" for mosquito bites. As a tip, this review seeks to encourage you to spring for or wait for availability of a different lodging option. Some of the ones we thought were great, based on looks and location, were Honeymoon Cottage, Maroni, and Plantation House. If you seek a non-"resort" atmosphere, authentic Keys place to stay....where you will not be bothered (or served) by staff, head to the gorgeous Moorings. It really is a rare gem in a sea of swim up bars and jumbo resorts out there. Oh, and don't miss either of their restaurants....Morada Bay Cafe and Pierre's. Amazing dining options, both food and atmosphere-wise. We definitely plan to go back to The Moorings, hoping to bring friends or family along!