Some resorts claim to be family friendly. An old conference room is turned into a “kids club”, they have chicken fingers and fries on the menu, and maybe a kiddie pool. Well let me put it this way…Hawks Cay Resort “walks the walk.” They are all about families, no kidding around.
We were invited down to check out the place and experience it for ourselves and were impressed and delighted. The resort is a bit of a trek to get to, but driving through the Florida Keys on Highway 1 was an adventure unto itself. Located about 2 hours from Miami, the Resort is a tropical escape that doesn’t require a passport.
Hawks Cay encompasses 60 acres on the islet of Duck Key. The property contains a main hotel and separate townhome/condo units. We stayed in a three-bedroom unit overlooking the water and found you could easily walk to everything. There are several pools, tennis courts with lessons from Cliff Drysdale and his team of pros, a real kids club (more about that later), a full service marina, a unique and super fun lagoon for swimming and playing, the Dolphin Connection and much more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzvPFxOKVDM
The Dolphin Connection was a highlight of our stay for sure. We participated in one of their sessions as a family with our own trainer and were able to shake hands with the dolphin, give them commands and learn a lot about them (it’s things like this that make us glad we take our kids out of school for travel experiences). The Dolphin Connection is fully accredited and the trainers were caring, knowledgeable, and professional. Watching my two kids give tasks and then reward the dolphin was a joy to experience (and a hoot for me when my turn came).
We spent most of our time by the pool and the lagoon and were thrilled when our kids joined a few others in a “roving pack”. Meeting other children, making new friends and developing social skills are important for kids, and Hawks Cay is just the place. Once our kids made new friends by the pool, the next step was asking if they could attend the kids club that night to play with their new pals…hmmm, mom and dad get a quiet dinner? That’s win-win.
The “Indies Club” kids club at Hawks Cay is top notch. There are plenty of activities and they are working on educational components based on marine life and studies. While attending Indies Club, kids will go on nature walks, do arts & crafts (our kids made tie-dye t-shirts), and when they need a break, play the latest video games. Our kids are experienced “kids clubbers” and gave it four thumbs up.
For relaxing, there’s the Calm Waters Spa. Again, this is no run of the mill spa, but one that was voted 2009 Best Hotel Spa in the U.S. by the readers of Travel + Leisure. Not that we had tons of energy but we worked out in the gym and were treated to massages that made the real world disappear.
With all that relaxing, we did work up an appetite. The Beach Grill was our favorite, fish tacos, salads, and burgers hit the spot. Alma is Hawks Cay’s fine dining choice, hint – leave the kids at Indies and get some together time. New at the resort is Tio’s Cantina by the marina. It’s a new addition since our trip, but hey, Mexican food overlooking the bay? What’s not to like? And to finish it off is Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream. Never heard of it? Think Ben & Jerry’s before they found their way into your grocery store. Walking back to your room after dinner, licking an ice cream cone with your whole family is one of life's best simple pleasures.
Does is sound like we had fun? Now take into account we visited the resort one day after a tropical storm blew through. Some of the activities were unavailable to us, but it just gives us a reason to go back. There’s scuba diving and snorkeling, deep sea fishing, jet-skiing, kite-boarding and the one of kind Jet-Lev, a water-jet contraption that lets you fly above the bay like a sci-fi space man.
The Keys are world famous for their fishing and diving. There are pro guides to take you for either type of excursion. And Sundance Watersports can outfit you for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, or even boat rentals.
We visit a lot of resorts and only a few have the vibe of a place where most of the people have been there before. Hawks Cay is one of those places. You can tell that most visitors are there for the 2nd, 3rd or 10th time with their family and extended family. And as a first timer, it makes you want to join that club of repeat visitors with your family. It’s not hard for me to imagine myself 25 years from now walking back to my room eating an Emack & Bolio’s ice cream with my grand kids…I should be so lucky.
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The author and his family were guests of the hotel for the purpose of facilitating this review. No other compensation was received.
