The Best Family-Friendly Hotels to Book in the Florida Keys

It’s a long drive from Miami to the tip of Key West, so take a break halfway and relax fully at Islander Resort – it’ll give you (and your kids) a real restorative break from the car. The resort takes up 24 acres (10ha) of Islamorada, and staying here you’ve got access to everything from snorkel gear to bicycles for exploring the area. Sound a little too active? Encourage the young ones to play in the kids’ splash pad while you get a jump on tanning those white ankles.

That ultimate family vacation you’ll remember every moment for decades to come? It’s just a typical Tuesday offering at Oceans Edge. Every day brings the promise of adventure, be it complimentary shuttles to downtown Key West, or an exclusive – and utterly free – eco-experience program led by marine scientists and their furred and feathered friends. What else is there? How about games and movies by the pool and catch-of-the-day tacos sent straight to your three-bed suite? Hang onto every second of the sunset watching your little ones having fun in the sun – is there more to life than this? Probably not.

With a room at Santa Maria Suites, you’ve got a veritable private oasis in the heart of Key West. Central, yes, but just far enough from the revelry of Duval Street to keep the kids calm and happy. French doors let in fresh ocean breezes, which should lure you down to Southernmost Beach, a block away – if, that is, aromas of locally baked muffins in the lobby don’t send you on a detour. The kids can get their on-site fun in the two heated swimming pools – meanwhile, you’ll get a different taste of Duval with free wine and snacks served poolside every night.

Baker’s Cay Resort, on Key Largo, has some pretty awesome waterfront suites with ultra-comfortable bedding – not that you’re going to be spending much time on the mattress. Check in and make your first port of call the hammocks on the private beach – an alluring place to catch some winks. If the rum runners from the Tiki Bar don’t keep you in a preserved state of tipsy tiredness, take advantage of the paddleboards, fishing rods, kayaks and more – they’re all available to your family and included in the resort fee.

Break up the drive to Key West with an overnight bayside stay at Faro Blanco Resort. Daily resort activities include coconut painting and bingo – guaranteed to keep your kids’ days jam-packed with fun. Games of giant Connect Four and miniature golf fill the gaps when the sun is out; the moon’s arrival, however, signals time to grab a telescope from the front desk for prime stargazing. The little ones will be so knackered, you’ll hardly have time to pull out the sleeper sofa before they pass out on the cushions.

At the southernmost point of the continental US, you’ll find an essential Key West family photo op – it’s called the Southernmost Beach Resort, and it’s right around the corner from the aforementioned landmark, so you can take as many pictures as you desire. You’ll get many more photogenic scenes – check the ocean view from your room’s balcony. The kids won’t mind you dragging them around the historic Old Town for more photo posing, as long as you break up your walk to Mallory Square with some splash-time at Truman Waterfront Park.

Set your family adrift of the main Keys and come to roost at Hawks Cay Resort. If the concierge doesn’t greet you first, the friendly family of bottlenose dolphins in the resort’s lagoon will. They’ll be ready to play after you check into your family-sized room, complete with a private lanai that leads right to the pool. You’re welcome to have lobster and lemon drops delivered to the aforementioned lanai – that way you can soak up the sun in peace while the kids drift over to the Coral Cay Activities & Adventure Club.

While the upstate license plates follow the Overseas Highway down to Key West, you can be turning off of the road – and you so should. Little do they know that Key Colony is home to one perfect slice of barefoot luxury for the whole family: at Glunz Ocean Beach, cool days in one of the two waterfront pools are capped with warm nights by the fire pits. Don’t feel buoyed to your oceanfront villa – the resort has adult and children’s bikes with helmets so you can ride over to Sunset Park for a family picnic.