Escape to the Florida Keys and Stay at One of these Brand New Hotels

A trip to The Florida Keys is always a good idea. I love all of them — from the laid back vibe on Islamorada to the quirky awesomeness of Key West.

Sunset in Key Largo

To help you plan your next trip, here’s a round-up of new hotels and properties undergoing renovations. These new hotels should hopefully be perfectly up to date, and maybe even have high quality components, such as new lifts and fully functioning air conditioning, to truly help them feel brand new and fresh. Because you absolutely must stay in style, right?

Let’s break it down by island…

Key Largo

Key Largo’s elegant Playa Largo Resort and Spa, the newest hotel to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection, is scheduled to open in the summer 2015. The 14-acre waterfront resort features 144 luxury rooms and a secluded white sand beach.

Islamorada

In Islamorada, four leading lodgings now compose The Islamorada Hotel Company heads up four hotels including:

• Postcard Inn Beach Resort at Holiday Isle
• La Siesta Resort,
• Pelican Cove Resort & Marina
• The Islamorada Resort

The Islamorada Resort is relaunching as an upscale boutique hotel, Amara Cay Resort. Property renovations include more rooms, a new restaurant and updated outdoor amenities.

Also in Islamorada, after a yearlong multimillion-dollar renovation, the Islander Resort has joined the expanding collection of Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts. Renovations include upgrades throughout both the main 114-unit oceanside property and the 25-unit bayside marina townhouse property. It has not been said if the renovations being done are because of structural issues, or perhaps pest infestation due to the age of the buildings, however, they will have brought in the correct professionals such as pest control enterprise services, as well as contractors and plumbers to make sure the renovations are done to the right specifications.

Marathon

Earlier this year construction began on the Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club, which incorporates the famed Faro Blanco lighthouse. The property is scheduled to open at the end of 2014. With the original lighthouse as its “beacon” the new property features an upscale 125-room Hyatt Place hotel with two pools, a fitness center, meeting space and a waterfront restaurant and outdoor bar called Lighthouse Grill. Boaters can anticipate a 74-slip state-of-the art marina capable of handling vessels up to 100 feet long.

Key West

The Gates Hotel Key West is scheduled to open in February 2015, and features include a Rum Row bar and small-plates café, a large swimming pool with cabanas and daybeds,and a distinctive atmosphere reminiscent of “old Key West.” The brand new 100-room boutique hotel will have whitewashed beams, custom cypress platform beds and photography from an exclusive local gallery.

The southernmost city’s Historic Seaport, one of the most popular gathering places for visitors and residents alike, houses a lively diversity of restaurants, shops and attractions. The district’s newest gem is The Marker Waterfront Resort, a two-acre luxury property debuting in late 2014. The 96-room resort combines a modern and timeless aesthetic with the free spirit and tropical nature of the Key West community.

On legendary Duval Street, the classic 160-unit Crowne Plaza Key West La Concha has recently undergone significant renovations. The hotel lobby has been upgraded with stylish parquet flooring and shades of ivory, white and mahogany adorn all interiors from the seating area to the bar lounge. La Concha guests can sample enticing restaurant offerings at the new 430 Duval and a vast selection of fine wines from around the world at the Wine-O wine bar. Improvements are continuing with the transformation of the former rooftop bar into a spa and outdoor pool.

More to Come

Appealing as they are, these are only a handful of the Keys properties debuting enhancements or scheduled to open in the coming months. Others include:

• Marathon’s new Courtyard by Marriott
• The renovated Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort
• Captain Pip’s Marina & Hideaway
• Banana Bay Resort & Marina

Key West is set to see several other new properties debuting in 2015 including:

• Fairfield Inn & Suites
• Hilton Garden Inn
• Hampton Inn

Renovations to the recently purchased:

• Doubletree Grand Key Resort
• Spindrift Hotel
• Southwinds Motel
• Ocean Breeze Inn
• Olivia by Duval
• La Te Da Hotel
• Southern Cross Hotel — the latter to become the Saint Hotel Key West

Want more travel tips from VISIT FLORIDA’s Entertainment & Luxury Insider? Follow Kara Franker on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.