Tranquility Bay Beachfront Hotel and Resort

Customer Ratings & Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

6277 reviews

• 

  Beautiful setting, deeply disappointing experience

  This stay was booked by my wife as a Christmas present, a two-night bolt-on to our Key West trip. On the surface, Tranquility by the Beach is lovely. The location, the grounds and the potential are all there. Unfortunately, the actual guest experience fell well short, especially given the time of year and the price point. We arrived early on 23 December. I fully accept that early check-in is not guaranteed, and we had no issue with being asked to wait. What set the tone, however, was the complete lack of welcome. No explanation of facilities, no offer of beach towels, no sense of hospitality. The check-in felt robotic and indifferent. Efficient, yes. Welcoming, no. That evening, dinner was genuinely excellent. The food was great, but more than that, our server Jeanette completely made the experience. Warm, attentive and genuinely caring, she turned what could have been a mediocre evening into a memorable one. Credit where it’s due. Christmas Eve was where things really unravelled. We went to the private beach in the morning to find heavy machinery clearing seaweed. At 10am it was already disruptive. By 1pm it was still there, siren blaring, with the beach effectively turned into a construction site. No prior warning. No explanation. No apology. I understand beach maintenance is necessary, but doing it through the middle of Christmas Eve, during peak guest hours, is frankly poor planning. It completely ruined the beach experience. We abandoned the beach and went to the pool instead, which was very pleasant. The tiki bar on the beach was a highlight. Steve, the bar manager, was friendly, helpful and clearly cared about guests. Drinks and food were good and it was one of the few moments that felt relaxed and welcoming. Christmas Eve dinner, sadly, was a disaster. Same restaurant, same table, but a completely different standard. The food was poor, particularly the steak, which was extremely tough and nothing like the night before. The server asked how the food was before we’d even had a chance to try it, then disappeared. Drinks were removed before we’d finished them, and the whole meal felt rushed and transactional. When clearing the plates, I explained that the steak was inedible and asked if the chef could check it. Over half of it was left on the plate. The server said she would ask, but no feedback ever came. Despite this, an automatic 18% service charge was added to a bill well over $200. We left feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable, which is the last thing you want on Christmas Eve. Housekeeping was also nonexistent. For a two-night stay, there was no service after the first night. No fresh towels, no replenished coffee or tea, no clean cups. Nothing. The final insult came at checkout. We had booked with a clearly advertised $100 per night food and beverage credit. It was not applied to the bill. When queried in a busy lobby, the staff member had no idea what the offer was, made phone calls, then amended the bill to show the credit for only one night. When we challenged that, we were argued with until we physically produced proof of the offer. Only then was it corrected. It was awkward, embarrassing and highly unprofessional. Overall, with the exception of Jeanette and Steve, the overwhelming impression was that guest experience simply does not matter here. The focus felt entirely on extracting money, not on care, hospitality or standards. For a Christmas stay, and at this price level, it was a huge disappointment. This could be a wonderful place. Right now, it really isn’t.

  Dec 28, 2025
• 

  Thursday morning chill

  A perfect relaxing yoga session on the newly renovated putting green. Highly recommend it. Lynne gave alternatives for any strenuous moves, making it for everyone.

  Dec 20, 2025
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  A great place to stay in the Keys

  This is my second stay at Tranquility Bay and we love it. We stayed in the two bedroom beach villa which was right on the beach. The villa comes with everything you need including coffee, tea, and a fully stocked kitchen. We had housekeeping every day and the place was spotless. The two bedrooms and bathrooms are not large but had everything we needed. Very comfortable beds and pillows. We love the beach at this location and beach chairs and towels are all included. you are close to your neighbors and can hear folks sitting outside on their decks but it was not an issue for us. We were well taken care of by the friendly staff and will be back.

  Dec 10, 2025
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  Very average accommodation but beautiful views

  Very lovely views but extremely average accommodation. We had a 2 bedroom villa with access to the beach - very nice indeed! The villa at first glance was nicely maintained but we had the misfortune of having the 2nd bedroom (we lost the toss!) and it was tiny ! Saying that, the beds (2 singles) were very comfortable but the bathroom (not en suite) requires a complete make-over. The tiles were grimy with age. The shower spitting out water and absolutely miniature and in a bath without grab rails! No full length mirrors anywhere in fact no mirror in our bedroom at all! The downstairs is quite nice with an adequate kitchen. The lounge area has curtains that have clearly been washed and put back but so creased. The resort offers breakfast takeaway at huge cost! The beach and pool areas are really lovely. I can’t comment on the restaurant as we didn’t try it. We’re holiday smokers and nowhere in the whole property can you have a cigarette (a penalty of $500 if caught!). Now I’m all in favour of no smoking areas but put a smoking area somewhere to avoid me having to stand outside the property on a motorway! Housekeeping absolutely fine. Plenty of towels daily. All in all. It was great value at the time of year we went $750 for 3 nights. Would I want to pay more - no. Did I love it ? Not really. Views were lovely though if you’re facing the water.

  Dec 10, 2025
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  Peaceful getaway

  We really enjoyed yoga with Lynne. After a long drive the day before, it was exactly what our bodies needed to reset into vacation mode. Thank you Lynne!

  Nov 23, 2025