We loved the little cottage which like the rest of the property is absolutely faultless in terms of it's maintenance a d it's very friendly owner/managers. The whole place is a world away from the busy brash highway and large impersonal resorts and the sunset facing dock is a magical spot to sit with a drink prepared yourself in your own little kitchen. We choose this resort as a break from large resort style hotels with elevators long corridors etc as stayed here in the middle of a 10 night trip which included that type of hotel and eating out every night in restaurants. The idea of cooking for ourselves in our own deck was great, but remember to buy your charcoal as it's not available at the resort which is a little bit inconvenient.
I hate having to bring attention to the major negative for us about the resort because it's something totally out of the owners control- the road noise from the highway which runs literally feet from the deck area of our cottage.
We stayed in coral reef no 9 which is the nearest to the road and therefore gets the most road noise and really impacted on our plans to eat our own BBQ outside. We did eat out there but just the once we had to eat out as we had to shout to make our selves heard to each other. It was like sitting on the shoulder of a freeway and not relaxing for us. I would say if you have a choice pick the lowest number available as it went much quieter the nearer the water you got. On the beach you don't hear anything and it's lovely there. The noise kept us awake at night too, but the owners did everything they could to help resolve, even offering us the chance to leave without penalty which was generous. The only other negative for us was that the water clarity and weed in the bay, again not controllable by the owners. I must say that this was not restricted to just this property , I was dissapointed in general with the water in the keys , even in the state parks the water was the same a bit muddy looking and weedy, not inviting at all. As a previous reviewer said more like a duck pond or river, when you are used to clear sparkling sea that you find in med it was quite a shock.

This is an incredible place! You will probably drive by it more than once, but once you find it, you will never want to leave! It is a little secret right off the road on the gulf side.
Very,very clean, and nice. Not a cobweb,or sign of rust anywhere!
There is road noise from time to time, but nothing that was a deal breaker.
The cottages are just addorable,and very private. So nice having a little kitchen, and
the little Weber for each unit was great also. We cooked steaks and sat at the table on
our porch, with a view of the water, and enjoyed a wonderful meal.
I did have to share my lounge chair with one of the local Iguana's one day, but he
was quite friendly, and totally harmless. Also, visited with the local cat, and found a
hermit crab crawling across my frount porch.
The restaurant suggestions were all amazing. Alabama Jacks was super great!
I really think I could live there forever! Mike and Carol are very lucky people, and very kind to share their Island paradise with everyone.
We will return as often as possible. Can't wait till next time.
My review is showing swimming pool and restaurant rating--but there is no pool or restaurant

If you are looking for a peaceful getaway this is it! Spotless rooms, affordable, BBQ's, private beach and super friendly staff. I can't wait to go back and would never dream of staying anywhere else!

When my wife and I got engaged earlier this year, we decided that we wanted to have a private and intimate ceremony on a beach somewhere. We looked online at our options to get married on an island in the Caribbean, but decided that the logistics and expense were too much for us. After looking into the Florida Keys on TripAdvisor, it became clear that Island Bay Resort was the place for us. Being that we're from Illinois and had never been to the Keys before, we had zero experience going into this. We put our trust into the reviews we read here and our faith was rewarded with one of the best vacations of our lives.

Mike and Carol have the perfect location on a beautiful little slice of private beachfront property. When we arrived we noticed immediately that the property was immaculate. The sand, the landscaping, and the beach house were beyond well-maintained. They had set us up with their favorite wedding planner and from the moment we checked in, we felt as though we were home. As mentioned in other reviews, we opened our door to find Jimmy Buffet on the CD player and a welcome note with flowers and key lime chocolates on our bed. We stayed in the waterfront efficiency which offers a nice view of the beach and a private deck with a table and chairs for outdoor dining and entertaining. The day after we arrived, the wedding went off without a hitch. Island Bay Resort uses Keys Dream Weddings and they took care of every little detail so my bride and I had a completely stress-free private ceremony. The rest of our trip was a blur of fun and relaxation and we loved every minute of it. This was only our first trip to the resort but it won't be our last. We can't wait to go back.