Baker’s Cay Resort in Key Largo via Hilton Points: Still Fun for Families, But Going Downhill

When it comes to Hilton points, getting a decent value for families can be a challenge, especially if you want to stay at a resort.  The main reason is the fact that suites are disproportionately expensive compared to regular rooms. And my husband and I absolutely insist on having a separate bedroom door on trips longer than one night.

Baker’s Cay Resort in Key Largo offers mini-suites at standard award rates, which is why it got my attention and why I took my family there three years ago. We all had a fantastic time, and considering the fact that I paid just 42k Hilton points per night (5th night free), it was an absolute steal. If I could get that rate again, I would burn my points on this resort again in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, it now costs 100k Hilton points per night during peak season, though I paid 90k points and got last night free. Not exactly chump change, wouldn’t you agree? So my standards were much higher this time. Let me start with the good, and then mention areas that desperately need improvement.

The basics are still good

1) The setting of the resort is second to none

This is honestly the main reason to stay here in the first place. Of course, you have stunning beach and  a  pier where you can view sunsets with a glass of champagne:

There are also many quiet spots on a Hammock beach:

2) Lots of included activities for kids

There are foam parties on the main lawn, movies on some evenings, complimentary s’mores kits, fishing etc:

There is a lot to do for families without ever leaving the property.

3) If your kids love animals, they will be in heaven

The resort has resident cats, and is pet-friendly, so people can bring their dogs on vacation. You can also spot iguanas, though I don’t recommend petting them.

We didn’t spot manatees this time, but you might get lucky if you come in the winter.

4) Excellent value on points during holidays

If you are into CPP (cents per point) calculations, this resort presents an excellent opportunity to get great value out of your Hilton points. The rate during our stay was almost $1k per night including fees and taxes, and believe it or not, the hotel was completely full. We checked in during New Year’s Eve, by the way.

I do pay attention to CPP value, but it’s not the determining factor. Mainly, I ask myself if it’s a place where I would consider staying regardless. In the case of Baker’s Cay resort, the answer is Yes. In fact, it was our third time here. Clearly, I like it enough to keep coming back. It helps that we can reach the resort by car in a bit over 4 hours.

Areas where this resort is lacking

1) Cleanliness and maintenance issues 

This was a big problem with our recent stay. The main door didn’t work very well, and the lock on our bathroom didn’t work at all. We didn’t switch rooms, and I’m not even sure it would have been possible since the resort was completely full.

I’ve also noticed a musty smell in our hotel room that wasn’t there the last time. The paint was peeling off the bathroom door, which doesn’t exactly scream luxury. I get that Florida humidity and the resort’s beachfront location are hard on hotels, so was willing to give this issue a pass.

The thing that shocked me was how filthy the resort hot tub was on our second day. It didn’t look like it was cleaned from the night before, and had hair, plus all kinds of junk floating around. It made me wonder if the pools are safe to swim in. Granted, the resort was full and probably understaffed. Still, it’s not the kind of thing you expect when you pay $1k per night. And just to avoid any doubt, Hilton reimbursed the resort for our stay based on the going rate.

2) Service issues

Again, this likely has to do with the time of our stay. Still, most workers  looked absolutely miserable. One time two guys were walking in front of me and didn’t even bother to hold the door, a simple courtesy. Also, I messaged the front desk and asked for few extra blankets for my kids and was told they would bring them right away. They never showed up, so I went to the front desk the next day to get them myself. The worker acted like I was bothering her with this very simple request.

Speaking of, the resort advertises free champagne between 5 and 6 PM, in time for sunset. When we showed up at 5:45 pm, the worker was packing up and told us he was done for the day. It would  take him five seconds to pour me a glass of champagne, as all the stuff was literally in front of him. But nope.

Service in the restaurant was  hit or miss, though we did encounter a few  friendly servers. But once again, it seemed like we were bothering the workers most of the time. I thought maybe it’s just me, but heard other guests mention similar issues. It just seemed like something has changed since the last time we were here. So I Googled it and found out that the hotel was sold to Host Hotels and Resorts a few years ago. 

3) Nickel and diming, and putting profit over customer experience 

This isn’t a huge thing, but I thought it was annoying that they added a $10 per day parking fee. To be fair, if you are Diamond, it is waved. We had Gold status at the time, so no free parking for us. Also, they now add a 20% mandatory gratuity to all dining bills and even for simple ice cream purchases. Naturally, there is a line for additional gratuity. If I remember correctly, they used to add it to room service, but that’s about it.

I did ask one of our friendly servers if they actually get this money, and she said it’s split between all the workers and that the resort handles it. This is ripe for abuse and decentivizes the servers, so I felt compelled to add an extra gratuity to all of our bills. Not to moralize, but in situations like these I err on the side of generosity. But that meant that all the entrees cost us close to 50% more than the listed price.

The food was decent, but with coffee running at $6 ($9 all-in), the costs added up fast. Needless to say, the $36 daily allowance you get from being Gold or Diamond doesn’t go very far. You will be lucky for it to cover just one decent breakfast. This ain’t no Hyatt Globalist.

Fortunately, I was able to prepay about $450 of advanced deposit by using $50 quarterly credits from our two Amex Hilton Surpass cards. I also had two $50 Hilton gift cards. Good news: they had no issue processing the gift cards at the front desk. Bad news: one of them wasn’t reflected on my final bill and the manager had to get involved. I still had $150 balance at checkout, and we had many of our meals off the property. But it is a resort, and the cost of the meals is in line with what you can expect at other places in Florida.

Plus, you can’t beat this view at breakfast:

 

My final gripe.  If you are traveling during winter holidays, you have to expect crowds. However, what make the issue worse is the fact that the resort sells day resort passes during their busiest times. I saw a family pick up their passes  on January 1st, which seems nuts. As a result, a few times we went to the beach I could not locate even one empty lounger. Not once. We made do, but this is also something that wasn’t a problem the last time we were here.

Final thoughts

If my post comes across as super negative, I assure you that we all had a great time despite these issues. My daughter told me that I plan the best trips, as she absolutely loves this place. When I’m on vacation, I try not to dwell on the minor flaws. We mostly came for the view and it didn’t disappoint. However, for our next vacation in the Keys we will likely rent a condo. That way we can bring my MIL, who was sad to stay behind this time. And I was sad to leave her.

Maybe I expect too much, but the resort just doesn’t warrant a 100k points price tag. Yes, it’s easily accessible and no international flight is required, but that’s a lot of points that can be used elsewhere. After Hilton started partnering with SLH, you can do all kinds of fun stuff with your Hilton stash. Like staying in Rio Perdido or Tabacon resorts for 80-85k points per night. That’s a good value and most importantly, cool places to visit. If you are fortunate to find award availability, you can even burn points (150k points per night) on pool villa at Hermitage Bay, an all-inclusive resort in Antigua that goes for $3k per night.

That said, if you are planning to explore Florida Keys and have some expiring free night Hilton certificates, by all means use them at Baker’s Cay. You can even use your bi-annual $200 resort credit from Aspire credit card. There is a lot to love about this place, despite some flaws.

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