Hawks Cay

Duck Key, Florida Keys

Star rating

The hotel

Tucked away on the small secluded island of Duck Key, this is your private slice of paradise. Think swaying palms, saltwater lagoons, and five glistening pools, perfectly paired with laid-back island vibes and upscale comforts. The hotel's commitment to the environment is as strong as ever - with a dolphin connection programme, so you can learn all about your stunning marine surrounds before you explore them in person. Relax in the spa or at the adult-only Oasis Cay if it's just the two of you. Or if you're with all the brood, they can let loose in the pirate ship pool. The hotel offers options right up to waterfront villas, so whoever you're travelling with, there's something for everyone. And from sunrise yoga to sunset cocktails, all your Florida Keys wishes can be met.

Amenities

  • Bicycle Rental
  • Sailing
  • Scuba Diving
  • Snorkelling
  • Tennis
  • Kids Club
  • Wheelchair access
  • Families
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Restaurant
  • Room Service

Where is it

In Duck Key at Mile Marker 61. Driving time from Miami airport: 2 hours 30 minutes.

Hotel information

177 guest rooms and suites on 4 floors with 3 lifts, plus 250 villas. All with air-conditioning, 42" LCD TV, alarm/clock radio, telephone, WiFi, safe, fridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board.

Resort Rooms offer views of the grounds from the balcony, with either 1 king-size bed, 2 queen-size beds, or 2 queen-size beds plus a pull-out twin bed, sleeping maximum 5 people.

Family Oasis Rooms feature a king-size bed plus bunk beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Water View rooms offer views of the pool and island waterway from the balcony, with either 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Pool Cabana Rooms feature an expansive lanai that offers direct access to one of the pools, with either 1 king-size bed or 2 queen-size beds, sleeping maximum 4 people.

Junior Suites feature a private terrace, 1 king-size bed and a full-size sleeper sofa, sleeping maximum 3 people.

The Resort also offers 2, 3 or 4 bedroom villa options, each featuring full kitchens, dining and living areas, and private outdoor space. Premium Villas are those that have been recently refreshed. 3 and 4 bedroom villas can be booked with or without a private pool.

Self parking $25 plus tax per night, Valet parking $40 plus tax per night (payable locally, fee subject to change). Parking is complimentary for villa guests.

Angler and Ale (dockside dining and drinks, serving Florida Keys specialities and draft beer). Salt + Ash (elevated farm-to-table dining experience, open for dinner). Pilar Bar (adults-only pool bar, serving drinks and casual dishes). The Cafe (all day casual options to grab and go, or dine in). Tiki Grill (fresh poolside fare and tropical cocktails).

Events calendar with activities for all ages including treasure hunts, morning yoga, poolside DJ sets, live music, sports tournaments, painting and bingo.

5 swimming pools, including a resort pool, private saltwater lagoon and adults-only pool. Private cabana rental*. Fitness centre. Bicycle rental. Paddle boarding and kayaking. Scuba-diving*, snorkelling*, boat rental*, sunset cruise* and deep-sea fishing*. Tennis. Coral Cay Activities and Adventure Club with board games, basketball and volleyball courts, Pirate Ship pool and golf putting course. Calm Waters spa*. Camp Hawk Kids Club* (available on selected days, seasonally, for children ages 5 to 12).  Kids Night Out* (Fri - Sat evenings from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. offering games, activities and refreshments).

WiFi included within resort fee. Gift shop/Convenience store.

This hotel has a resort fee of $55 plus tax per room, per day (payable locally, subject to change).

Resort fee includes the following amenities:– Unlimited wireless internet access – Resort-wide island tram – Unlimited access to Coral Cay activities and adventures and the Calm Waters fitness centre – Unlimited use of our putting course, sports field, and tennis facility – Local and toll-free phone calls – Bike rentals – Kayaks and paddleboards at Saltwater Lagoon. Resort fee, tax, and inclusions are subject to change – Please see hotel check-in for current inclusions available to you upon arrival.

Wheelchair accessible rooms available on request. Please note that these rooms are subject to availability and may be restricted to specific room categories and bedding arrangements. Rooms and facilities vary between hotels so please check at the time of booking. For more information and contact details please check out our Special Assistance page

*Denotes local charge.

Please note: the minimum check-in age is 21.

Rating summary

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (917)
  • Very good (295)
  • Average (264)
  • Poor (177)
  • Terrible (194)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Our perfect vacation

Jul 17, 2025 Lara C

So I read all of the reviews about this place and I am not quite sure why people did not immediately fall in love. There are a lot of good reviews, but also some surprising reviews about the quality of Hawks Cay. From our experience, staying in the sunset village, this place was a dream come true. We had our own little personal beach and the… Read more
So I read all of the reviews about this place and I am not quite sure why people did not immediately fall in love. There are a lot of good reviews, but also some surprising reviews about the quality of Hawks Cay. From our experience, staying in the sunset village, this place was a dream come true. We had our own little personal beach and the waterfront. This place is meant for people who want to be in flip-flops all day and fishing. This is not the Ritz Carlton in Miami. The accommodations were perfect, we brought everything we needed from the store so we were good. I do not have one single complaint. This is an amazing location if you have a family or if you want to meet friends and all stay at the villas. It’s just an Absolutely Wonderful, peaceful, amazing experience. We did a fishing charter which was absolutely perfect. We fished every day in our backyard. The only average experience was driving down to Key West, and immediately we wanted to come back to Hawks Cay for the rest of our stay. So as long as you come knowing that this is a place where people fish, and do outdoor nature activities, Hawks Cay is for you. If you’re coming from somewhere fancy and you need a five star hotel, this is not it. Go to Miami or Orlando. Hawks Cay is for the nature lovers and the price is 100 💯 worth it. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Mediocre at best

Jul 16, 2025 jftauber Amelia Island, Florida

Was excited to visit this resort but was sadly let down. The pool water was dirty and my son was sick for 2 days after being in the pool. The DJ around the pool was so loud you could not talk. Dolphin show says 10:15 every morning we left at 10:40 and still had not started not fun for families sitting in the sun waiting for the show. Kids center… Read more
Was excited to visit this resort but was sadly let down. The pool water was dirty and my son was sick for 2 days after being in the pool. The DJ around the pool was so loud you could not talk. Dolphin show says 10:15 every morning we left at 10:40 and still had not started not fun for families sitting in the sun waiting for the show. Kids center is off hotel premises. Not a lot of choices for restaurants close by. Drink prices were very high ($8 for a beer) we ended up checking out early and went to another hotel as was not happy with this resort. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Ran down, falsely advertised, and overpriced for what you get.

Jul 13, 2025 Explore53560991094

I would like to preface this with saying that we are a family of 5 who frequent Disney so we are quite familiar with overpaying for things in tourist areas, not to mention the fact we actually live in a tourist area. However, Hawks Cay takes the cake when it comes to being overpriced. Two drinks at the tiki bar were $47, breakfast buffet is… Read more
I would like to preface this with saying that we are a family of 5 who frequent Disney so we are quite familiar with overpaying for things in tourist areas, not to mention the fact we actually live in a tourist area. However, Hawks Cay takes the cake when it comes to being overpriced. Two drinks at the tiki bar were $47, breakfast buffet is $30/person, one lunch for the five of us ran about $175 including tip. We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa that doesn’t look like it’s been updated since the 80’s. Apparently the villas are each privately owned, which we were not made aware of ahead of time, and Hawks Cay obviously does not set any standards for the private owners. And do not be fooled by the pictures you see of Hawks Cay! The lagoon and main pool are not near as large as they’re made to look. They also promote paddle board rentals - what this really consists of is signing up for a 30 minute time slot to paddle around the already small and crowded lagoon. We vacation in the Keys often but I can say this was the first and last time we will ever stay at this resort. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating STAY AWAY - Animal Captivity

Jul 12, 2025 Taylor K

Devastating that the place holds dolphins captive. The dolphins are in a small lagoon “attached to the sea” but really just sharing ocean water. The animals are being helped captive by a fence. After researching, I learned the dolphins are not injured, not being rehabed. Nope! The dolphins are perfectly healthy such that they could be out in the… Read more
Devastating that the place holds dolphins captive. The dolphins are in a small lagoon “attached to the sea” but really just sharing ocean water. The animals are being helped captive by a fence. After researching, I learned the dolphins are not injured, not being rehabed. Nope! The dolphins are perfectly healthy such that they could be out in the wild rather than being trapped. The captors are a group called Dolphin Connection that is part of the Dolphin Company that holds dolphins captive here and at other tourist locations (traps) like Discovery Cove and Miami Seaquarium. On top of that, the Dolphin Company filed for bankruptcy. The dolphins are trapped for no other reason than to be pet by kids and photographed by uneducated families. Hawks Cay pretends that they educate on conservation and the environment …. Why not show the families the dolphins outside in the ocean? Not profitable. That’s why. As someone from Florida, please educate yourself on these tourist spots and go see the wild animals in real nature. It’s so sad and unnecessary. You can go see dolphins in the ocean rather than paying $250 for an unnatural dolphin experience. Your kids don’t know any better, you do. Ps. The dolphin tiny lagoon is attached to the hotel and is right next to the pool with a loud DJ and a reception area where loud music was played all night as there was a wedding. The dolphins have no peace and they instead swim in circles in fear and anxiety. Such smart wild animals being trapped. Sad. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Tiki Grill Jacob

Jul 12, 2025 mattie t

Jacob is the best bartender from tiki grill!!! If you see him say hi!!! Was the best for celebrating 21st bdays!🫶🫶🫶 best weekend