When Oceans Edge debuted in January 2017, it became Stock Island’s first-ever hotel (The Perry soon followed). Located on the island just north of Key West, it’s a destination unto itself with a 165-slip marina, six swimming pools and a casual-chic al fresco restaurant on the water.
Location 8/10
Stock Island is considered a holdout of Old Key West, a place where working fishermen and bohemian artists live peacefully, far from the hoards of tourists on Duval Street, just five miles south across the narrow Cow Key Channel. It’s home to boatyards, shrimp boats, marinas and artist studios, as well as destination restaurants, like Hogfish Bar & Grill and Pizzeria Roostica.
Oceans Edge provides visitors with unprecedented access to this particular lowkey slice of paradise. Positioned on a marina on the ocean’s edge, it’s a prime destination for fishing charters with direct access to the deep blue Gulf Stream current or the shallow flats of the Gulf of Mexico’s backcountry. It’s roughly a 20-minute drive to Key West and shuttle service is provided to and from the resort.
“If you live in L.A., to reckon time is a trick since there are no winters. There are just earthquakes, parties and certain people. And songs.”
Eve Babitz, ‘Eve’s Hollywood,’ 1972
Design 8/10
Spanning 20 acres, Oceans Edge is like a waterfront village. Guest rooms are tucked inside three-story townhouse-style buildings reminiscent of Key West’s vernacular architecture with tin roofs and white balconies. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with palm trees and rectangular swimming pools lining the marina.
With polished teak wood floors and traditional-tropical furniture, the lobby has a sense of discovery and delight with works by local and international artists. The hotel’s restaurant is an easy, breezy indoor-outdoor concept decked out in natural wood and aluminum, which opens up to a sidewalk along the marina with access to the resort’s pools.
Amenities & Hospitality 9/10
Service is friendly, warm and capable.
It’s all about the marina here with a whole world of water sports at your doorstep. Embark on fishing charters, boating excursions, paddleboarding and kayaking trips. And, of course, lounging by one of six pools is another perfect way to spend the day in the sun.
Rooms 8/10
Every guest room boasts balconies overlooking the marina and the open ocean. Standard rooms are spacious in crisp white with punches of deep blue found in accent pillows, diamond-patterned carpeting and porcelain, chinoiserie-like bedside lamps. A wooden entertainment console is painted white with louvered doors housing a flat screen TV, as well as local objets d’art and books, while a painting of young green coconuts adds a pop of color. Bathrooms are modern and roomy with glass-enclosed showers and white subway tiles. Individual rooms can also be combined to create two-bedroom suites.
Food & Beverage 7/10
The onsite Yellowfin Bar & Grill is a delight with a sophisticated, yet laidback menu highlighting Key West’s fresh seafood in an al fresco waterfront setting. Think, fresh catch ceviche, yellowfin tuna nachos and whole fried yellowtail, as well filet mignon and chicken piccata. Enjoy a pre-dinner frozen cocktail at the bar where an artful chalkboard mural depicts iconic people and places of Key West, as well as the natural world. Breakfast is served here with items ranging from eggs benedict to buttermilk Belgian waffles. There’s also a grab-and-go cafe with Cuban coffee, smoothies and breakfast and lunch bites.
Value 9/10
Current rates from about $161. Book
The Bottom Line
A charming, laidback escape with plush digs for a unique vantage on Key West’s saltier sister Stock Island.
Contact
5950 Peninsular Avenue, Stock Island; 877-935-0862; oceansedgekeywest.com
