Key West Hyatt Centric Resort – Perfect with Teens, Great Location

As our kids have gotten older it’s changed how we pick where to stay, and for a hotel in Key West that’s good with teens, the Hyatt Centric Key West is perfect. The property is beautiful with fun activities, it’s in a great location, and it’s still small enough that you can feel comfortable knowing your kids are nearby if you are just relaxing by the pool. The rooms are very nice and who doesn’t love a wonderful balcony with a view? The Hyatt Centric Key West is an easy choice for visiting with teens (or just adults).

If you’re not familiar with the layout of Key West, there are two areas you’ll no doubt end up: the Historic Seaport and Duval Street. Hyatt Centric KW is located right between the two, so it just sets up your trip for easy fun and relaxation. We’ve got the full scoop and staying at this fun, beautiful hotel and have some great suggestions for things to do in Key West. If you have any questions or need additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a memorable trip to the Florida Keys.

Why Stay at the Hyatt Centric Key West?

Of course the easy answer to why we really like the Hyatt Centric Key West is that it’s a beautiful property with great amenities, but there’s more to it. Most of the hotels and resorts in Key West offer a relaxing stay and nice rooms, so that’s usually a given, but here we found that it’s the whole environment and access to the water that set the resort apart from other places we’ve stayed. Don’t get me wrong, I love the all-suites hotels like the Laureate Hotel or Coconut Beach Resort, but having direct access to a great snorkeling spot is just top shelf. Dip into the salt water to see tropical fish. Dip into the swimming pool to relax with some mellow live music… It’s all great.

I am always looking for ways to make our trips fun and family-oriented while also trying to give our kids the freedom they need to ease into as they grow up. Staying at the Hyatt Centric Key West really fit the bill for this. We were able to all be around doing our own thing but then also easily come together for meals or swims. We were able to let the kids do their own thing while us parents relaxed or snorkeled from the deck. Independence and safety are two things that are really important with teens and we found that during our stay.

If you’re not traveling with kids and are just looking for a wonderful hotel that can be your whole visit or just a nice homebase, that’s also what you’ll find with the Hyatt Centric Key West. As adults, we look for a resort hotel that we can arrive and take time getting ourselves into vacation mode before we need to make any plans or head off on a tour. There are lots of wonderful outdoor spaces at the Hyatt Centric KW that are open to all guests, from loungers by the pool to a shaded patio with hammocks, a sandy lounge space with umbrellas looking out on the water to decks at the dock full of relaxing chairs and full sun or shade. There are two restaurants (more on that below) and poolside service if you want it. It’s just such an easy place to slip into your best vacationing self.

Book Hyatt Centric Key West here!

Room Options at the Hyatt Centric KW

When you’re booking your accommodations at the Hyatt Centric Key West you’ve got a few options for room types. All rooms have a balcony, so that’s nice, but some rooms do have much larger balconies and more space within the room. You also can book your room based on the view type ranging from “resort view” or what I always like to call the “garden view” to “ocean view” rooms. I love sitting outside and staring at the water, so even through this part of Key West has lots of boats coming and going, I really enjoy taking it all in (hence always trying to have an ocean view room).

Here are the options for booking your preferred room type:

• King Room – resort view
• 2 Queens – resort view
• King / Queens – partial ocean view
• King w/ Sofabed – resort view
• King Deluxe – larger w/ ocean view
• King Premium – the biggest, and some have larger terraces

When you’re booking, keep in mind that most of the king rooms also have a sofa bed, but if you’re unsure if what you’re booking does, you can always call the property to make sure you’re getting the right room type. Also, the Hyatt Centric Key West does have a good number of connecting rooms. We love when we’re able to get two rooms (and having teens, they love the space). If you’re budget and availability allows, try to secure adjoining rooms for family trips.

Key West Hyatt Centric Amenities

Amenities are what often set resorts apart from hotels, and the Hyatt Centric Key West has some unique ones. Yes, there are the lovely in-room amenities like bathrobes and coffee stations and such, but it’s beyond the rooms that make it different. The fitness center is very nice with well maintained weight and cardio equipment. There is a yoga space with mats provided. There are games and a foosball table…

There are lots of things to fill the moments you don’t want to be relaxing or exploring outside of the resort. And you cannot forget the small menagerie happening at the Hyatt Centric KW. There are several turtle ponds full of Florida native species, and the mascot of the resort: Odie. Odie is the resident blue macaw you can see when you stay. He’s the coolest bird and he’s even been immortalized in the mural in the lobby. Odie was a hit with our family.

Something else we enjoyed at the Hyatt Centric was the access to cold beverages at all times. There are several beverage stations all around the property, and upon check in you’re provided with reusable metal water bottles, so it’s easy to stay cool and hydrated at all times.

Note: there is a full service spa at the Hyatt Centric KW, Jala, but we have not gotten to experience it yet. When we do we’ll be sure to share.

Swimming at Hyatt Centric Key West

There is a very nice, large swimming pool at the Hyatt Centric Key West with a spa tub nearby. The hot tub is actually kept at a hot temperature, unlike many Key West properties, so you can actually enjoy a little added heat if you’re into it. Towel service is provided through the gift shop, and you don’t need to use towel cards or sign them out. Now for the best part. Staying at the Hyatt Centric KW you have your own private snorkeling cove.

Just off the pool area you’ll go down the steps to a sandy bottom entry and then have access to a variety of snorkeling habitats. You’ve got some great rock structures, a bit of mangrove, a sandy flat and docks that you can explore.

It’s such a treat to have such a vibrant ecosystem to explore directly from the hotel. Snorkeling just within the cove we were treated to some awesome wildlife. Here are just some of the species we saw snorkeling from the Hyatt Centric Key West:

• Caribbean reef squid
• southern sting ray
• stoplight parrotfish
• queen angelfish
• gray angelfish
• French angelfish
• scorpionfish (venemous)
• tarpon
• a variety of crabs and more conchs than we could count.

SAFETY: do not swim into the active boating area. It’s very clear where it’s safe to snorkel and beyond this is a very active marina.

Dining at the Hyatt Centric Key West

There are two restaurants on property at the Hyatt Centric Key West: the Blue Mojito and the Four Flamingos. We found ourselves dining at the Blue Mojito multiple times. This is the restaurant next to the swimming pool and decks, so it’s very easy to wander up still wet from swimming and have a good meal. The Cuban sandwich and beet salad were two of our favorite eats, having ordered them multiple times. The Blue Mojito also has a great happy hour (2 hours actually) with good drink and appetizer deals.

TIP: if you’re lounging around the pool, the poolside service is done through the Blue Mojito so you can enjoy it all without leaving your seat.

The other restaurant on property is the Four Flamingos. I’ve dined here when not staying at the Hyatt Centric KW, so you know I love it. I do think they have one of the best fancy breakfast menus in Key West, hence what’s brought me back here several times. From the crab cake Benedict to the Caribbean flare on other breakfast offerings, it’s always good. And it’s the best Bloody Mary in Key West, IMO. Dinner at the Four Flamingos is also wonderful, with seating both inside and out, which I’m always thankful for at the end of the day. I really like the fresh catch (you have to when you’re in Key West) and how varied the takes are on standard dishes, with a little Florida Keys or Caribbean flavor dashed into everything.

Key West Hyatt Centric Parking Information

For guests with their own car, there is self-parking located directly at the Hyatt Centric Key West. You can do standard self-parking for $40/ night or premium self-parking with closer, easier parking for $45 per night. It’s all very convenient, and once you’re parked, it’s not likely you’ll need to use your car again unless you have activities on Stock Island or if you need to run to the grocery store.

Location of the Hyatt Centric Key West

I love the location of this resort. Set directly between Duval Street and the Historic Seaport, either is less than five minutes walking distance from the Hyatt Centric. Just one block over the Fury Glass Bottom Boat to the reef goes out from that marina, and then in the Historic Seaport you’ve got Sunset Watersports snorkeling tours, Fury Key West tours, Honest Eco Tours and more. The historic sights, like the Key West Lighthouse or Hemingway Home and Museum are about ten minutes walk, and there are great museums even closer, like the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and the Key West Aquarium. You can’t beat the location.

Activities and Sights Near the Key West Hyatt Centric

So you need a plan for some fun things to do when you come to Key West? Here are some great suggestions that are all walking distance from the Hyatt Centric, so it’s easy just to head out from the resort and be to your activity in a few minutes.

• Dry Tortugas National Park day trip – plan in advance
• Do a sunset sailing – the Fury Commotion on the Ocean is really fun
• Key West Shipwreck and Treasure Museum
• Enjoy a Ghosts and Gravestones tour (night)
• Key West Museum of Art and History
• Hop on the Conch Train Tour of Key West
• Visit the Truman Little White House complex
• Fly over Key West with a parasailing adventure
• Do a family dolphin and snorkel tour

There are lots more historic sights and fun things to do in Key West, so do some exploring on your own. Also, there are some really fun places for cocktails if you’re on foot, so stop into the cool bars and iconic spots as you stroll around town.