Recommended by 98%
13 User photos
Will · Married on 11/27/2010
As I originally posted on Yelp.com (http://www.yelp.com/biz/ocean-key-resort-key-west#hrid:RmkKFHgPXQ_A60w8649L1Q):
Ocean Key, where do I start with you? For those of you that follow my reviews, you already know that Key West is a special place for me and my wife and Ocean Key had a big hand in that.
While we were on a mission to find the perfect location to get hitched we went to talk with Stephanie at Ocean Key and not only is the property freakin' gorgeous, but their Group Sales & Catering Manager is the best in the business. Once, in a crappier version of my life, I worked at the famous Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach and Las Vegas and those peeps could learn a thing or two from Stephanie's School of Customer Service.
Our negotiations over our wedding package resembled something more like friends chatting about what their goals and wishes are rather than soulless business discussions. When the day finally came to get married she was on top of EVERYTHING, even the details that we managed to let slip through the cracks. One thing that stands out to me, the newly minted Mrs. Jones and I were so caught up with the evening that at the end of the night we completely forgot our champagne toasting flutes and guess who had collected them from the pier and had them for us the next day? Stephanie and her team.
She hooked us up in a perfect room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Pier where our party was to take place. Honestly, there isn't anything bad that I can say about the experience (which I can always find SOMETHING) and as far as the wedding goes, I'm biased because it was my wedding but nearly ALL of our guests told us that it was *the* best wedding they've ever been to. That's saying a lot because we've got some snooty-ass friends. ;)
What's Good:
- Being greeted by a Make Your Own Mojito amenity in our room
- Maxin' relaxin' massages in the Ocean Key Spa.
- Stephanie and her catering team
- How easy the wedding planning and setup went.
What's Ugly:
- I've got nothing for you, sorry. :)
Krista · Married on 03/08/2019
More than I ever imagined
Cara and Nicole truly made everything special. The attentiveness they gave was truly amazing. We have stayed at this resort and immediately knew we wanted to get married here and were not disappointed. The Venue was amazing, the food exceptional and everyone raved how uniquee it was having it on the pier!
Brenna · Married on 12/21/2018
Best place for a Key West Wedding
Cara, Nicole and all of the staff from Ocean Key were so helpful in the planning process and wedding. They made sure we were happy and had everything we needed. They exceeded our expectations and we would highly recommend Ocean Key Resort.
Steve Brugnoli · Married on 11/18/2018
Perfect Wedding In Paradise
I don't want to waste anyone's time here basically re-writing what everyone else has already written so I will keep this short and sweet!
Location: Probably the most prime piece of real estate in Key West!
Food: Direct from the kitchen of Hot Tin Roof , the quality and presentation was the exact same as if you were upstairs eating in the restaurant. Our guests all complimented the food! How often do you ever hear that lol?
Service: Outstanding! Extremely friendly and attentive staff! Cara Johnson the catering manager is the best! Always on top of her game! We were engaged in Key West shortly after hurricane Irma, so not only was she trying to reschedule 80+ weddings, but also handle new bookings as well! However in the year between our engagement and actual wedding, she made us feel like we were the only ones getting married at the resort! I've spent longer time at drive-thrus then it takes her to reply to an email or phone call!
Price: Very reasonable considering the quality of what you are receiving.
Hotel: The hotel itself is perfect and the views from the right rooms are breathtaking! Bride and groom as well as guests are offered a discount rate on their stay.
NOW, since the world isn't all sunshine and rainbows and I would be a complete fraud if I pretended otherwise , I will take this very slight jab. Ocean Key, I love you, but you are out of your damn minds with your room rates, BUT in your defense, the neighboring hotels which aren't nearly as nice are almost as expensive, so maybe you guys could all have a big group hug and agree to tone it down a bit lol.
Overall: Our wedding was nothing short of perfect! Everyone of our guests left saying it was the best wedding they had ever attended! That is a huge compliment coming from New Jersey guests, where everyone feels the need to have a mafia wanna be type wedding and pay 5x what we did to get married in paradise!
5 stars! Cara and Ocean Key, thank you for making our day so perfect!
Krista · Married on 11/02/2018
Perfect Location, Perfect Wedding
We had a ... complicated journey with Ocean Key Resort, but the end result was an amazing, perfect wedding. We started wedding planning 2 years ago, and knew we wanted Key West, but weren’t sure where. When we met with Cara and saw Sunset Pier, we knew that was it. Hurricane Irma had other plans, so we decided to postpone the wedding by 6 months. When the pier was still not done by the delayed date, we were disappointed to say the least. But Cara and team came up with an alternative plan that really worked for us, including an offsite ceremony and reception at the Hot Tin Roof and Ocean Terrace. While it wasn’t our original vision, it turned out amazing!! OKR went above and beyond to make it right and the end result blew our expectations out of the water. And I can’t say enough about Cara. She was amazing from the beginning - patient, helpful and easy to work with. If you’re looking for a beautiful venue for your wedding, look no further.
Katie · Married on 12/16/2017
We quickly found Ocean Key Resort after choosing Key West for our wedding. We're both Florida natives so we wanted to show off our state to the Northern family members coming in December. OKR was exactly what I imagined for a FL December wedding. I couldn't WAIT to dance under the stars on the pier....until Hurricane Irma decided to help change my vision. Cara and Kristen at OKR stepped up in a big way! They were ready with alternative arrangements from which we could choose. We wound up with the ceremony on the Oceanside Terrace, the cocktail hour/cake cutting and supper in Hot Tin Roof, and dancing back on the Oceanside Terrace. I'm a visual person who couldn't visualize any of the changes! Cara and Kristen, with undying calm patience, were able to help me piece it together. I knew I could trust them completely. I don't regret it for a second! Everything was stunning. It wasn't the original vision, but it's one I'm still very proud to show off! Our guests loved the food, the setting, the staff, everything! We couldn't ask for a more positive experience. I'm including some photos. We don't have the professional ones back yet, but these can still give you an idea if you're considering it for your night. We also used the Mallory Room for getting ready and the Hot Tin Roof for the rehearsal dinner.
Stephanie · Married on 07/17/2017
Where to begin... Ocean Key was truly AMAZING. I dealt with Cara starting about 8-9 months prior to our wedding ceremony and she was the best. We e-mailed back and forth for awhile and we also met her/saw the venue in person 6 months prior to the big day. I totally could have gone without going in person, because everything was truly so easy to plan. Cara was extremely attentive and never failed to answer all of my crazy and random questions throughout the process, even though we were only having an elopement ceremony. Kristin was amazing the day of the ceremony, and all of the little extra details were so thoughtful! We truly had a wonderful experience dealing with Ocean Key in ALL aspects of our wedding, from planning to the day of, and we had an awesome honeymoon week there as well. Everything was so well-planned and the attention to detail and more was so appreciated. I will rave and rant about our experience forever, it was unforgettable! Thank you Cara, Kristin, and everyone at Ocean Key. I cannot stress enough how grateful we are for everything. :)
Margo · Married on 03/26/2017
As I sit here on our balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico 3 days after our wedding at the OKR, I have to say everything was perfect. From the very beginning the ocean key far surpassed all of the other venues in Key west when we came to visit and Cara made us so confident in our decision. Everything is so well executed here at the Ocean key it's no wonder they are such a popular wedding destination. Everyone who works here is friendly and has the best customer service. The views speaks for itself but the set up and food was outstanding all of our guests couldn't stop complimenting. Kristin was there the day of (on her birthday y'all the dedication is unreal) and made sure everything went smoothly. If you're getting married in Kw look no further than the OKR.
Heather · Married on 03/24/2017
Wow. To say we were happy with The Ocean Key for our wedding venue would be an understatement. From the start we knew we wanted to get married in Key West and were on a hunt for the perfect venue and we found it! From the start we were blown away by Cara Johnson's professionalism and quickness to respond. The whole entire year of planning we felt like we were the only ones she was dealing with and 100% of her attention was on us. (SO not the case but that's how they make you feel!) No question was too big or too small for her and she always was there for us. She listened intently, really understood what was important to us and REMEMBERED it! She's just so amazing and so talented at her job. Upon checking in we were greeted with red wine, a cheese platter and a sweet note. On our wedding night we were greeted by a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and another sweet note. The whole time we were there the venue and Cara went above and beyond what was expected and really made our entire wedding weekend the best ever. There's no way I could ever thank them enough but from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you, to Cara and Ocean Key for making all our dreams come true <3
Rachel · Married on 03/11/2017
Where do I start? When my husband and I were engaged we knew that we wanted to get married at Ocean Key and the Sunset Pier. As amazing as I knew it would be , it beyond exceeded my expectations. The food was incredible , the views were beautiful , and the people at the resort were friendly and accommodating. Everyone who attended said it was the best wedding they had ever been to! Thanks Ocean Key!! Can't wait to come back!
Kara · Married on 12/09/2016
We had our ceremony and reception at Ocean Key this past week- everything was spectacular! The view is absolutely unbeatable (photos online cannot do it justice- it is breathtaking). Cara and Kristin were overly helpful and went above and beyond to make our day BETTER than what we asked for or hoped for. It was a destination wedding and I can promise that my guests enjoyed themselves to a point that made it worth all the travel, and the staff at Ocean Key were, without a doubt, a huge part of that. The gorgeous sunset helped with that too and there is no better spot in Key West to see it than on their pier.
User5556542 · 2+ years ago
Absolute perfect location with stunning sunset views, amazing food and service. Our guests were so spoiled!! We searched all of key west for the perfect place for our wedding and comparing everything apples to apples can be tough for a 100 person destination wedding. Cara and the dream team at Ocean Key will work with you (and your budget) to find the best options to create your vision. And the pictures?! Simply stunning. Our cocktail hour and reception was on the pier under a gorgeous tent as the sun was setting. Couldn't have been more perfect.
Jessica · Married on 09/03/2016
Ocean Key made our wedding dreams come true!! Wish we could do it 10 more times! The team was responsive, accommodating, and so so kind! Beautiful setting and an all around awesome experience. If you want a wedding people will talk about for years, Ocean Key is the place!!
Karrah · Married on 03/06/2016
Ocean Key is just the best! We had the most amazing experience planning our destination wedding with this resort. It has the best location in key west with the pier and sunsets and our contacts Cara and Kristin were awesome to coordinate with. Our food was so great too! I seriously want to do our wedding again!
Christie · Married on 03/04/2016
We recently had our wedding ceremony at Ocean Key and our reception on Sunset Pier. The entire Ocean Key staff worked extremely hard to make sure everything was perfect on our special day. Specifically, Cara and Kristen worked with my wife in the weeks leading up to our event to answer all our questions and go over each and every detail. They were absolutely wonderful!
When we first arrived at Ocean Key, they upgraded us to a beautiful suite with a spectacular view, which was totally unexpected, but really enhanced our stay. The first afternoon, Cara and Kristen had a cheese tray and champagne delivered to our room as a welcoming gift and to say congratulations.
The day of our event, my wife and her bridesmaids reserved the Mallory Suite so they could all be together while getting their hair and make-up done. It is a large room that easily accommodated her bridesmaids along with the other friends and family that stopped by.
We had our ceremony on the pool terrace overlooking the ocean and Sunset Key. It was a beautiful venue and we had perfect weather during our ceremony.
Our reception on Sunset Pier was incredible! The set up was beautiful and every last detail was done just as we had expected. And the food…it was wonderful! We received so many compliments from our guests on how much they enjoyed the food, from the appetizers during cocktail hour to the food stations during the reception. Everything was delicious! (We knew the food was going to be outstanding…we tried everything during our initial tasting and even met the chef…they were definitely very accommodating to what we wanted).
When we got back to our suite after the reception, Cara and Kristen had another bottle of champagne along with chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us. Outstanding service!
It was a pleasure working with Cara and Kristen and the entire Ocean Key staff in planning our wedding. Thank you for answering our countless questions and being so patient!
Cecilia · Married on 02/27/2016
I cannot say enough about Ocean Key Resort & Spa, and more specifically their incredible staff!! Ocean Key has always been a special place for my husband and I. It was the location of our first trip together, the place we got engaged and the place we were married! From the beginning, Tiffany, Cara and Kristin were extremely helpful! As the big day approach, I worked closely with Cara and Kristin and they were a DREAM to work with. They were always available to me, answered all of my questions, were patient and accommodating....I tell you, a dream! Their professionalism and customer service are a huge added bonus to this already beautiful destination. The venues for the ceremony and reception were gorgeous! Luckily we were blessed with amazing weather (mid 60's and sunny). The food was outstanding! All of my guests are still raving about it. Oh! and don't forget to visit the pool! April and Jessica, pool side bartenders, are the very best! If I had to do it all again, I would not change a thing!
allison · Married on 10/26/2015
As a wedding planner I have very high expectations. The event planners I worked with on staff were always organized and always had answers and were so friendly. The staff the day of the event were just as amazing. They exceeded my expectations - and the food was amazing too!
Larissa · Married on 05/20/2015
If you are getting married and contemplating a few places.. honestly look no more. I HIGHLY recommend this place as your venue. Tiffany Horton, Cara Johnson and Kristin Gernaat were AMAZING. I was very nervous, of course never being to Key West or this actual location. My husband and I live in Pennsylvania and I was very nervous about not being there and seeing it, but I 100% trusted them with everything! They made the wedding so easy! We used Erica from Simply you weddings and she was beyond amazing. Nick Doll as our Photographer which I HIGHLY recommend as well. Our wedding was so organized because of these ladies and I cant give them enough credit for making our wedding a DREAM COME TRUE AND MORE! It exceed any dreams, ideas, etc. that we had of the venue, but I cant rave about this place more. It was everything we wanted and the food was AMAZING! My husband wanted great food and I wanted a great venue and you get both here!! One thing I loved was, it looked rich and like we spent a ton of money, which we did but it was below budget! We had about 30 people come down and we planned everything in 6 months. I cant recommend this place more! The service, location, experience, food, décor, venue, everything was beyond perfect and amazing!!!!!!!
Heather · Married on 04/18/2015
My husband and I were so happy with Ocean Key Resort as our Wedding venue. From the initial planning stages to the final details, all the staff was very helpful, accommodating and professional. On my initial trip to Key West, Kristen spent ample time with me providing me a tour of the space, tasting the food menu and showing me pictures of various decoration options. During our wedding weekend, they were very helpful with arranging storage for decorations and making last minute changes based on weather and guest- needs. Our wedding was wonderful, my husband and I had a great time and that was largely due to the helpful/ professional nature of the Ocean Key staff. All our guests LOVED the food and the setting on Sunset pier. It was a very memorable location and event, and we would very highly recommend this venue to anyone!
User4888723 · 2+ years ago
I was absolutely thrilled with our 3/1/15 wedding at OKR.
I cannot say enough good things about Cara. Leading up to the big day, she was incredibly professional, uber-quick to respond, and always had the perfect answer for me. We were forced to hire one of their preferred wedding coordinators for day-of coordination, but really Cara did it all for us. Not only did I really like her, I really trusted her.
The venue itself is just beautiful. The food was really fantastic. All of the decor was exactly as I pictured (better, even)
A couple of small items to note: there is a full bar RIGHT in between the ceremony and reception space. It was...loud. We could hear people chatting throughout the entire ceremony, and we had to walk through the bar to get to the reception space (The reception space felt very private, however) Another thing to consider is that there are lots of boats passing by behind the ceremony. We had to pause in the middle of our vows because of a massive party boat blasting music. Our officiant joked about it, and we all thought it was pretty funny, but it was...disruptive. Both things to consider if you're looking for a quiet, secluded place. Also, the pier were the reception happened gets really, really windy. It was perfect, temperature wise, so we didn't care, but people were definitely wind-whipped.
All of that being said, I was still 100% satisfied with Ocean Key. Would definitely recommend.
Kathy · Married on 12/07/2014
The staff at Ocean Key Resort was SUPERB! The customer service was above and beyond. We have been working with Kristin and Cara for approximately 1 year prior to our wedding and they have been excellent. They never said "No" and always found a way to work our vision into the plans. Kristin was with us on the last few days of our wedding and was amazing. She would have an answer to our question before we asked it, and was always one step ahead of us. We also stayed at Ocean Key before and after our wedding. The staff in general was fantastic. We visited the Spa and they were so accommodating, services were great and the staff was friendly. Our guests were very pleased with the event and those of our guest who chose Ocean Key for their lodging, have been raving about the service and wonderful accommodations. Let me not forget to say that our suite was amazing. Our suite was conveniently located with view of the pier, which is where our reception was held, and we got to see every step of the way as our venue was set up...LOVED IT. We can say so much more. We will be coming back to Ocean Key very soon. Thanks so much Ocean Key!
Shirley · Married on 12/05/2014
If there was a higher rating than 5, I would select it. I can't say enough great things about the team at Ocean Key. Planning a wedding from over 1,000 miles away isn't supposed to be easy but Cara and everyone at Ocean Key made it easy for us. Her and her team and all of the staff at Ocean Key went above and beyond our expectations. Every question we had was answered immediately and they always found a way to make what you wanted work. I would recommend Ocean Key as a wedding venue not only because it is a beautiful location, delicious food, amazing views but also because the team at Ocean Key made you feel at home right from the very first moment we asked if a wedding date was available.
Melissa · Married on 11/15/2014
The Ocean Key is a top notch resort/restaurant/event venue. We hosted our wedding one the ocean terrace/sunset pier and our rehearsal lunch at the Hot Tin Roof. The service was impeccable and seriously could not have been better. At our lunch, the wait staff was so friendly and accommodating. Any request we made, it was immediately taken care of and in such a professional manner. Not to mention the AMAZING food. Every time I've been the HTR, I am so pleased with my meal. It is always fresh, yummy, and flavorful.
As for the wedding, everything was perfect. The ladies at the Ocean Key were such a pleasure to work with. Every e-mail was answered promptly and so professionally. Cara and Kristen made it so easy to coordinate everything and make our event a dream. The venue itself is breathtaking and is truly a setting for a fairy tale wedding. The view here never seizes to amaze me, combined with a wonderful staff and outstanding service all around, it does not get any better than The Ocean Key!!!
Brianne · Married on 11/14/2014
The Ocean Key team was fantastic. Everybody was so pleasant to deal with. There is a reason you use these people. They made a day that could have been very stressful into a day that was completely relaxed. I was able to actually enjoy my day. They have a way of making you, the bride, feel so good. Everyone knows its your special day and they go out of their way to make you and your guests feel special. The food is not your typical "wedding" food, it's delicious. I would recommend them for any event.
Megan · Married on 11/02/2014
I have nothing but great things to say about Ocean Key. We not only stayed there but had our wedding there and it was nothing short of amazing. All of the staff were extremely helpful, accommodating, and provided excellent service. The entire team was great, but I have to give a special thanks to Kristin. She went above and beyond to make sure out special day was exactly what we wanted. As the bride, I didn't have to worry about a thing. She made our day so stress free and everything went very smoothly thanks to her hard work. I also have to say that the food was delicious! I would recommend Ocean Key to any bride!
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