Hawks Cay Resort

June 11 – Arrival, Villa 7083 Upon entering our original villa, it was immediately obvious that the unit had not been properly cleaned or maintained. Among the issues we encountered: ● Cockroaches running on the walls ● Large dark brown stains throughout the carpets, including significant stains in the master bedroom and on the staircase ● Cracked tile on the flooring and carpet that clearly hadn’t been vacuumed ● Dirty men’s socks left behind in the closet of one of the bedrooms ● A strong mildew odor throughout the villa ● Water-damaged furniture in the master bedroom that appeared to be rotting from prolonged moisture exposure. The condition of the villa was shocking. Given the odor, visible moisture damage, and overall condition of the unit, there was no way we felt comfortable staying there. I immediately reported the issues to the front desk. What was equally disappointing was the response. The manager on duty never came out to speak with me personally. Instead, the front desk employee repeatedly walked to the back to consult with management and returned to tell me there was nothing that could be done because the resort was sold out. As a result, my family was forced to spend the night in a villa that should never have been assigned to guests in the first place. I have photographs and video documenting every issue described above. Later that evening, my husband went to the front desk to obtain Wi-Fi information. The night auditor was extremely rude and dismissive. When he asked for the internet password, her response was simply, “We don’t have a password,” with no smile and no effort to provide any additional assistance or hospitality. 100% attitude as though we were an inconvenience to her day. June 12 – Second Villa, Same Problems 7086 The next day, we moved four adults, two children, luggage, and approximately $450 worth of groceries into Villa 7086. Shortly after settling in, we discovered the air conditioning was not functioning properly. Maintenance responded and measured the villa at 78 degrees. The temperature later climbed to 84 degrees. We were told management would be notified and the issue addressed. That never happened. On top of that my son had bugs crawling all over his bed. Comes to find out they were termites! Not, one or two but dozens – in the pillow cases, sheets, etc. The only reason this issue ultimately received attention was because later that day the Director of Engineering Danielle happened to ask how our stay was going while I was in the gift shop. Once she heard what had occurred, she immediately stepped in and began working to resolve the situation. Danielle deserves recognition because she was one of the ONLY employees during our stay who demonstrated urgency, professionalism, and a genuine concern for guest satisfaction. Later that day, Danielle arranged for us to move yet again—this time into two connecting rooms in the main hotel while also securing a third room for my brother and his girlfriend. When I asked what we should do with the groceries and supplies, she advised us to leave them in the villa and stated that the villa would be taken out of service until the air conditioning could be repaired. At that point, we had spent a significant portion of our vacation packing, unpacking, relocating belongings, coordinating food storage, and dealing with issues. June 13 – More Service Failures The next morning I took my daughter to breakfast at the café. We sat for approximately 10–15 minutes while multiple employees stood nearby talking among themselves. No one greeted us. No one acknowledged us. No one offered menus. No one checked on us. Employees walked by our table repeatedly and even cleared nearby tables while completely ignoring us. Eventually, I got up and left. A female staff member who was cleaning a nearby table noticed me leaving and hurried over to ask me to stay, but by that point we had already waited far too long without any service. I am confident this entire interaction would be visible on the café’s surveillance footage. The café provided some of the worst service we experienced during our stay. The staff the works there barely speaks English and had zero sense of urgency to serve guests. After everything that had already happened, this was simply another example of the lack of attention and customer service we encountered throughout the week. Additional Concerns I also learned that my brother was repeatedly approached by staff members in the room that Danielle had assigned to him and questioned about him, receiving knocks on his door multiple days during the trip even when the Do Not Disturb sign was displayed. While I understand security procedures, repeatedly questioning a registered guest made him feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. What was especially troubling was that a male staff member knocked on his door and asked, “Are you supposed to even be in this room?” That type of interaction is completely inappropriate. Treating a paying guest as though they don’t belong there are accusing them of basically being a squatter was embarrassing, disrespectful, and is 100% classified as harassment vs. hospitality. Perhaps the most disappointing part of this experience is that Danielle informed me that the GM Bob L. would be contacting me directly to set up a in person meeting regarding the issues we experienced. When that didn’t happen she said he would call me- he never did. When that didn’t happen I emailed him 3x and never got a response. I think the most disappointing thing about all of this is the fact that my family and I had just spent a week in Hawks Cay for Spring Break and we had such a great experience that this time back we chose to bring family (and friends) and it was embarrassing to say the least to bring them there. Where Hawks Cay Got It Right Despite the terrible experience we had, I do want to be fair. I want to recognize Danielle for her efforts. She was professional, responsive, and genuinely cared about resolving the situation. She had amazing communication and overall was a joy to work with. This woman deserves a promotion. In my opinion, she should be running the resort. I would also like to recognize the bartenders at the Tiki Hut (Jacob, Markendy) and at Pillar, who consistently provided excellent service throughout our stay. I also saw Jett again (she took our family pictures during our first stay) and she did a great job of working the pool and entertaining the kids. Unfortunately, those positive interactions were overshadowed by the numerous failures described above. I also want to give a huge shout out to Salt & Ash for their amazing food and service. If only the rest of the resort acted like Rylee (our server) and Andres (the manager) because clearly they have been trained very well. Best experience/food and Key lime pie we have ever had! Requested Resolution We did not spend 650,000 American Express points and travel to the Florida Keys to spend our vacation dealing with cockroaches, mildew, dirty accommodations, broken air conditioning, multiple room relocations, indifferent service, and a lack of management follow-through. This was not a minor inconvenience. It impacted nearly every day of our vacation and significantly diminished the experience for our family and the guests we invited. Bottom line, it was the worst vacation we ever had and I’m flying home in tears as a result. My Advice If you plan to go to Hawks Cay, do NOT stay in the Villas. What they don’t tell you is that each villa is individually owned and that each one looks totally different. The first villa we had was a corner unit, fully upgraded, spacious, clean and wonderful. Villa 7083 looked like a trashy fraternity house and if I’m being honest compared to our first villa, it wasn’t much better. Consistency in any resort is key and simply you will not get that staying in the Villa. There should be a minimum standard of cleanliness, furniture expectations, technology upgrades (all the TVs were old and outdated/ no smart TVs). The washers and dryers are terrible in all three units none of them dried on the first round because they are so old. Hawks Cay, you have officially lost a customer. While I appreciate the $330 off you provided us, that was a slap in the face to what we went through especially given that you should have also took off $192 worth of AMEX credits that never came off our bill. As sad as this is to say, we will NEVER come back to resort despite how beautiful the pool/lagoon are because they way this place operates is trash. I pray someone from the resort reads this and does something about this because it’s a shame we were treated like this.

Absolutely horrible. Don’t ever come here they don’t care about you. Only send your worst enemies.

This was my first time in the Keys. This place was absolutely beautiful in every way. The lagoon was awesome the pool was very nice there was also a secondary pool behind some villas across the street. The staff was amazing! We were going to stay in a regular room but ended up upgrading to a villa due to the space. I'm so glad we did it was so clean and so nice everything was wonderful! We stayed in another hotel the week prior to this and I regret every second of it. I wish we would have stayed here the entire time instead!! I was so incredibly sad to leave! Robbies was a short drive and was a great place to eat and feed the tarpons!

Donnie was great at the lagoon and very helpful

We had the absolute pleasure of being hosted by Hawks Cay Resort for the Wedding Planner FAM, and we truly cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience. From check-in to check-out, we were treated so incredibly well. The resort, the grounds, the amenities, the service, and every detail of our stay were outstanding. We have no complaints whatsoever, but plenty of compliments. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality was immediate. The person who greeted us helped unload our luggage onto a bell cart and stored it for us in an air-conditioned room so we could enjoy the amenities of the resort before our room was ready for check-in. It was such a thoughtful and appreciated first impression. A very special thank you to Brittany, Nichole and Michael, who hosted us so graciously and made us feel so welcomed throughout our stay. Simon in catering was also amazing — always smiling, always present, and always ready to help with anything we needed. Kim, our golf cart driver, was wonderful as well, and Chef Kyle at Salt + Ash deserves a very special mention for preparing the best multi-course brunch we have ever had. The property itself is absolutely beautiful and incredibly well maintained. It is also very family friendly, with so much for guests of all ages to enjoy, while still offering a dedicated 21+ area with its own bar, restaurant, and pool for adults who want a more relaxed, elevated experience. The fresh saltwater-fed lagoon was another highlight of the resort and was absolutely incredible. We also visited the spa, and it was beautiful. They offer so many different options, and we cannot wait to try a few upon our return. They also have a marina where you can bring your own boat, and even villas with their own slips, making it a true boater’s paradise surrounded by the beautiful crystal-clear blue waters of Long Key. The Marina shop was also so well stocked with anything you might need during your stay, from grocery items and everyday essentials to medicines, clothing, accessories, and gifts. They had such a great selection that we definitely indulged in quite a few things! Stephanie, who was working in the Marina shop, also deserves a special mention. She was so kind, helpful, and welcoming, and she truly made our experience there memorable. As wedding planners, we were also so impressed by the variety of event spaces and locations throughout the property. Hawks Cay truly offers so many beautiful options to fit different couples’ needs, styles, and guest experiences, which makes it such a wonderful destination for weddings and celebrations. Our Planner brunch at Salt + Ash was so unforgettable that we decided to go back for dinner the same day, and it was just as incredible. Chef Kyle is unbelievably talented, and we were so impressed that he came over personally to meet us and check in on our experience. Our server, Mo, was also amazing. He was so sweet, so kind, and went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with everything. Every course, every interaction, and every detail was truly a 10/10 experience all around. We will honestly be dreaming about those meals until the next time we get to enjoy them again. We also want to recognize Danielle and her team for how they handled an unexpected situation on our last night. A fire alarm went off around 4:00 AM, and we later learned that a pipe had burst near the lobby. Although it was unfortunate, accidents happen, and the way it was handled was impeccable. The process was smooth, quick, organized, and thoughtful from exit to re-entry. Danielle and her team were there in the middle of the night handling everything with professionalism and care. The next morning, Hawks Cay sent a text offering all guests a complimentary breakfast buffet, which was such a thoughtful gesture and absolutely not something they had to do. Simon was there again, smiling and eager to help in any way. After such an early wake-up call, it was so appreciated. We truly do not believe many other properties would have been able to put something like that together so quickly, especially since it is not typically a service they offer. Overall, from the staff to the beautifully maintained grounds, the clean spaces, the incredible food, the amenities, and the genuine kindness of everyone we encountered, our stay was wonderful in every way. We felt so well taken care of and are already planning our next trip back with our families. We also heard Hawks Cay is opening a waterpark at the resort this fall, and we are so excited to return and experience that as well! Hawks Cay exceeded our expectations, and we are so grateful for such a memorable experience. Thank you! Lauren + Lulu ATR {Above The Rest} Events