Ocean Reef Club

This resort is very nice. Although is member’s only, we stayed for a business trip and will be returning in four months. We enjoyed the pool area and just tooling around on a golf cart. The rooms in the Marlin building are spacious and quiet. Perfect location to enjoy day trips into Key Largo.
This is an excellent choice for either a group meeting or a family vacation. It is a little different from a typical resort in that this is a members club and is definitely geared towards members. The facilities, restaurants, and amenities are all first class and you are bound to have a great time
Beautiful yacht club and golf courses are manicured to perfection. Both Dolphin and Hammock courses are challenging and fun to play. Dolphin is longer and Hammock being shorter is extremely narrow but proves just as challenging. Play both if you’re able. Food, drinks, and service is second to none.
Buccaneer Island is a great place for kids and adults. Great shopping options. Great restaurants. Grocery store on property is a great option. Would be even nicer if they had a real beach vs. a lagoon beach.
Great food, and two amazing pools, one being an infinity pool. They also have kayaks, SUP’s to rent, a sand volleyball court and great food and drinks at the poolside bar. There is also a dive shop in fisher’s village and had a great experience with them as well. Is pricey but if you can afford it or looking for a once in a lifetime getaway, it’s a great place! Several onsite restaurants.
There are lots of shops, a grocery store, ice cream shop, deep sea fishing charters, Hobie cat and kayak rentals and more. Golf carts are complimentary to get around the large club. Rooms in the Inn were $ 399 per night, while the condo was $ 499 per night (lots of resort taxes though)!
Room Tip: If staying in the Inn, request the Dolphin. Close to everything.

My husband and I went for a work event, so except for a few meals, the trip was paid for. The highlights were:
* The room at the Amberjack was fantastic. The bed, view, and bathroom were luxurious. Reminded me of the Ritz Carlton. We sat on our balcony and loved the breezes swaying through the tall palms. Plantation shutters, full fridge, nice size flat screen.
* The property was lovely. Everything you need was on hand (restaurants, shopping village, gas station, UPS store, they even have a medical center, and a small airport for those that have their own helicopters and small planes). In general, however, tourists were relatively restricted to a small percentage of the whole, with the largest part of the property dedicated to the residential side. The fishing village has shops and restaurants situated around the marina, which is nice to walk around. Walkers and those on bikes can explore, but basically we felt constrained to the smaller section which would’ve bored us if our stay was longer than 2 – 3 days. We had the golf cart which was fun, but after a trip around the property, there was no more to see. Most views from the hotel rooms are inlets, and not the gulf or ocean. Don’t think that since you’ll be on this property that you’ll see the beautiful emerald water. Nope. Maybe because I live in Florida, I found it nice here, but not quite a «Keys» feeling. We could’ve been anywhere at some big resort in Florida, and to me, you would never have known you’re on the Keys. We don’t boat, so I imagine fisherman would disagree. But if you’re on land, it was nice, but… that’s it. I remember wishing we could’ve extended our trip or taken day trips off the property to Islamorada.
* The pool — This was a disappointment for us because up until 3pm the larger pool where most adults were lounging, was open to kids. The kids screaming was just too much. Plus the incessant «Marco Polo!» shouts had me counting the minutes til 3. It would be nice for Ocean Reef to have a dedicated adult pool. I’m surprised they don’t, and that was a big minus for us.
* The food at the pool bar was average. Drinks were fantastic. Elsewhere on property the food was good. Nowhere to get coffee in the afternoon unless you order room service (they only have a set up during breakfast). Guess they need to add a Starbucks to their amenities? We wanted to chill out away from the work crowd gathered over in the village, so we tried eating at The Islander one evening. They were booked up days in advance and said no to our request for a take-​out, too busy. We thought maybe we could sit at the bar and eat, but they don’t offer a full menu to bar patrons. Disappointing.
* Service was good for a property this size. Overall? Underwhelmed. I feel like a brat to give it 3 stars since the trip was paid for. But we agreed that the Keys are special and it’s worth it to go somewhere that feels like you’re on the Keys. This over-​developed property is nice, but for us, just not worth a return trip if it’s ever offered.

Well I guess if you are a private member or own a yacht this might the right place for you. However for someone who reserved an $ 800 per night condo 2 months in advance and had private caterer ship food to my condo not the right place at all. Arrogance would be the first expression. They screwed up our reservation. My wife and kids had to sit waiting for over an hour while they tried to find a room. Mind you I had just called yesterday to confirm. We actually ended getting a private house which cost me much more but they had zero regret. Never once apologized to me at front desk. Further they have lost over$ 800 worth of food even including a UPS tracking number for which they signed. These guys are arrogant and suck at customer service. If you are not extremely wealthy and not a member you will be treated like a piece of crap. Don’t waste your time. Go somewhere else where you will be treated like a full paying guest. Not some favorite. Place is over rated and sucks.

The best hotel comfortable bed, The best view, beautiful beach and the best customer service.
I love it so much.

Absolutely top tier club in united States.
Fantastic place, had great experience, service and staff were superb, everything about the place was great.
I would absolutely go again if I got the chance.

Found 3 roaches in the room. When we called the front desk to advise, we were told «well, we ARE on an island». Excuses, excuses. This is no 5-​star resort. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Loved everything about our stay. Everyone was wonderful, helpful and polite! It is definitely not inexpensive, but honestly you get what you pay for! WE rented a golf cart for the week and had a great time at our rental property going in and out for activities throughout our stay. We loved our daily trips to buccaneer island — there was something for everyone. It was nice to be in a safe private community. There is pools for adults and for kids — a little beach that our little one loved!
The restaurants are each amazing and you wont get bored! If you do I suggest you go out for a fishing trip and catch your own– we thought that was the best part of our stay
The thing I thought was a little strange was there were no lifeguards — food for thought if you have little ones.
I am looking forward to our next trip in March!

Enjoyed our time here, for the most part. One thing that ticked me off is a charge of $ 175 appeared on my credit card two days after we checked out. Still trying to figure that out. Rooms were great (except the low flow shower head was ridiculous, had to use the wand to shower), the restaurants were great (especially the Islander), and the pool areas were well done, right on the edge of the property overlooking the ocean. Keep in mind that there is no real beach here, or anywhere close to the resort. They have a man-​made «lagoon» with sand, but it is kind of yucky. The resort is in the «middle of nowhere» but I actually liked that aspect of the property. Oh, one more thing. This is a golf cart resort. Lots of carts darting around, many way too fast.

Easily one of the nicest and most private communities/​resorts in the world. Where else can you find a place that its own airport, hospital, golf courses, restaurants, marina, tennis courts, theater, library, art museum, hotels and a state of the art fitness and spa center. During season you will also be in the same community as some of the wealthiest people in America. However, because of that it guards privacy as a sacred pledge. So while Presidents and world leaders often visit, you will rarely see it mentioned in the media.
Maybe another thing to mention is that privacy comes at a price, so don’t expect to see special discounts on Priceline, although coming during the off-​season can make it less expensive.

Absolutely amazing! This is the kind of experience/​vacations that you will always remember. Lots to do. Lots to see. Amazing staff and nature center staff was very helpful and patient with the children. The only suggestion: perhaps the bungee bar can open for lunch during the weekends. Loved loved loved it — highly recommend getting the golf cart and exploring property.

This was definitely not the place to come for rest and relaxation. I’m ready to go home to rest up this weekend before going back to work on Monday.
Grounds were immaculately maintained. The foliage was beautiful!
For the most part, the staff we had encountered were great and very customer service-​oriented.
If you’re a guest, you’re only allowed to use your ocean reef room card for all purchases including restaurant meals.
Service around the pool on Buccaneer Island was fantastic! We loved Jamye, Thea, Bianca and the guys!
It was very noisy and the disruptions were plentiful. Several times each day on Buccaneer Island, there were large deliveries, paddle boat switchout involving a large F350 plowing through the tiny beach area that exists, power washing beach chairs and pool cleaning prime time, trimming palm trees with loud chain saws, minibar checks at the most inopportune times, engineering replacing air filters, inconsistent housekeeping services, parties happening outside your hotel room with very loud music and screaming drunks. Staff only knock once before barging into your room… It allowed for some really awkward encounters when getting out of the shower.
I found the rationing of soap, shampoo and conditioner interesting.
I should also mention my spa experience. I had booked a 50 minute facial, which was listed in the book at $ 150. The esthetician had mentioned that she’d recommend the hydrating facial or the sea kelp. I choose the sea kelp. Not once did she mention that the sea kelp mask was a $ 50 up charge! They add automatic gratuity to everything! $ 238 for a lousy 48 minute facial was highway robbery. A $ 38 tip for a crap job really rubbed me the wrong way.
The Christmas tree lighting ceremony was a joke! It began at 6pm on December 12^th in the Fishing Village with the Academy choir. I’d be embarrassed to send my kids to The Academy because of the way the choir performed. The kids didn’t even know the lyrics to the most basic of Christmas carols, such as Jingle Bells. The entire performance was awful. The tree lighting actually occurred about 6:30. We left the tree lighting, went to dinner, then came back to Fishing Village an hour later to find the tree lights off. We had wanted to take a photo by the tree. About 8:20pm, a silver Dodge Ram pulled up, and a couple began disassembling the tree. I’ve never heard of this happening. It was quite puzzling. This didn’t even compare to other tree lighting ceremonies we’ve attended.
If you’re looking for a beautiful sandy beach leading to the ocean, this isn’t the place. They actually don’t have much of a nice beach at all. You can’t really swim in the ocean because there are boulders on the perimeter. There’s a lagoon, but I wouldn’t swim in there if someone paid me. They also have some non-​motorized water sport rentals, but they weren’t available anytime this week.
We certainly won’t be back to this place, nor would we ever considering becoming members.

We bid and won a two night, 3 day stay at the Ocean Reef Club at a charity action. Received several calls/​email from the club with information and making sure we were prepared to maximize our experience. Check-​in experience was great.
1 great lunch experience at the raw bar and 2 great dining experiences at the Islander. Pool beverage service was average. At check-​in we inquired about a possible late check-​out. We were told to come back the night before check-​out. Only to be told by Nadine that we have to come back the next morning. When we asked one more time politely we were rudely told it was not possible. We don’t mind it was not possible, but the way Nadine communicated with us was not acceptable. Amazing that 1 person can void a great experience by so many other memorable staff members.

Held a 200 person conference in May 2014. Guests were very impressed with the resort overall. Beautiful location, very serene and endless ocean & bay views. The Dolphin building (which my room was in) was the best location in regards to getting a great view of the water plus being a close distance to the lobby, conference buildings, etc. The resort overall is basically its own town — it would take probably 20 minutes to drive your golf cart from one end of the resort to the other. Ohh… and you have to rent a golf cart, especially if you need to move around the resort quickly. Its so big and you’ll end up doing a LOT of walking if you don’t. Only downside is that the resort is EXTREMELY expensive. Lunch and dinners were $ 100 easy at all the restaurants. Save you $$$!!!

Very nice facilities. One of the most relaxing places I’ve ever stayed. Great food, and a ton of things to do… if you so choose. The fishing here can be excellent. I caught a mutton snapper that was VERY close to a world record (just under 30#‘s). Nice private strip, too, which will accomodate private jets (Miami Center/​4500′). For a more authentic Keys experience, go down to Key West.

Millionaires playground, yeah makes you feel like you should live like this everyday. Get a hotel on the lagoon, rent a golf cart to cruise around in or just dock the boat and invite every one of your friends. New Years here is ridiculous, I’ve gone just about every year and the party is totally worth it. You will shut down the Burgee bar, so make sure you have the bar stocked so you can keep the party going.
They got it all, golf, fishing, tennis, or just lounging by the pool…

Is it not that it is fancy, or the beaches are awesome, or the food is amazing — it is just quiet and peaceful. People come to Ocean Reef to chill out and enjoy the facilities.
My top things to do at Ocean Reef:
…Chill with my kids
…Kayak through the mangroves
…Go reef fishing
…Fish off a dock
…Have a great drink
…Swim in the pool
…Enjoy a lunch out doors — hit the make your own Bloody Mary bar
…Meet nice people
…Eat at the raw bar
…Walk the docks and meet more people
It is actually closer than you might think. It takes about an hour from Miami and the drive down Card Sound Road is amazing. If you are aventurous, you can stop at Alabama Jacks on the way.
This is a private members club, so you will need to join, or know a member. The hotel on property is very nice, I’d say a 3 ½ star. All the restaurants are above average. The Raw Bar is probably the most best place to grab a lunch and a nice drink. The 3 things that stand out the most is that it is a secure place, unpretentious and very well maintained.

Having visited Ocean Reef several times as a kid it was so nice to come back and see the same warm family atmosphere. Only a short drive off of Card Sound Road Ocean Reef has the amazing Sunsets and water views of the Keys. We really enjoyed sitting at the bar with our delicious piña coladas and guacamole with chips. We then moved to watch the boats coming in at sunset. Although Ocean Reef looks like the keys it does not have the same laid back attitude. They have several rules and people monitoring your every move.

Amazing… especially if you fly in, grab a golf cart, and enjoy the pool throughout the day.
No need to write a big long review… Bottom line, you are going to pay a hefty penny here. You are also going to get what you pay for…
If $ is an issue that you have to worry about, you don’t need to be here…

I’ve stayed here twice for a conference, each time in the summer. I’d encourage visitors to stay in cooler seasons because the mosquitoes have been horrible on both occasions. For a place that charges so much, I would expect it to wreak of citronella. Lots of bites!
The rooms we had each year were spacious. We had a kitchen, large bathroom with a washer and dryer, and a separate bedroom. Our family of four shared the space, and the pullout sofa bed was so uncomfortable. I didn’t sleep the entire weekend, and when we called for rollaways or mattress pads, they were unable to provide any assistance.
The pool area was nice, and the whole Ocean Reef area is very secluded which makes for a very nice vacation. They have an area of restaurants and a market, and everyone drives around on golf carts. The view from the club house at the golf course is beautiful at sunset.
Overall, a vacation is a vacation and when I’m with my family, I’ll always have a good time, but for the type of place this is, I definitely expected more from Ocean Reef.

Love the place nice place to come and
Get a tan beautiful women running after their kids but the staff does a great job taking care of you will recoment it