My family spent the weekend at the Blackfin Resort in Marathon in the middle Florida Keys, and we had a great time. We were very late with planning our trip, as we originally intended on going camping last week, so finding an available room at a decent rate in the Florida Keys was very difficult.
We almost booked another Marathon resort until we read some very unflattering reviews, and we eventually decided on trying out the Blackfin Resort and Marina. I knew it was an older hotel, so I was not expecting big luxury, but I was hoping for clean and comfortable.
The Blackfin Resort and Marina was in fact clean, and the cleaning service was impeccable. The room showed signs of being built in the 1960s or 1970s, but for the age they were in great condition, and again they were very clean and bug free, which is a plus in Florida.
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| A room at the Blackfin Resort with two queen beds |
We had a basic room with two queen beds, a small tv, a fridge and a microwave. We did not get to use the microwave, but I can definitely see it as a plus, and having a fridge in the room worked out very well.
The beds were comfortable, and again clean! We had brought our own baby bed, as I always prefer to bring our own, and it fit perfectly in between the two queen beds.
The room had cable television, and there was supposed to be free wi-fi; however, I would have to say that the wi-fi was very spotty. In fact, we only had an Internet connection on the first evening, after that it was not possible to get a connection, and we were told that the office did not have anything to do with the Internet.
The A/C worked perfectly, and it was very effective. We do not have the A/C on at home at this time of the year, so it was quite a comfortable change. A properly working A/C means a lot in Florida, so this was a great bonus.
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| Outdoors eating areas at the Blackfin Resort |
To save money we had our own breakfast foods, and every morning we would have breakfast bagels in one of the outside eating areas. We also had dinner at the hotel grounds one evening, and I was amazed that we were not bothered by mosquitoes. Two of our sons always tend to attract mosquitos, but neither of them returned home with a single bite. Throughout the hotel grounds there were several picnic and patio chairs and tables, and there were plenty of barbecue grills as well.
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| Barbecue area by the marina at the Blackfin Resort |
The area around the Blackfin was lush with tropical flowers and plants. I spotted several banana and papaya trees, and the beautiful bougainvillea bushes added a nice touch to the surroundings.
Since we have vacationed at the Florida keys for many years, we did not expect the beach at the Blackfin to be anything special, and it surely was not. If we had not had low-expectations to begin with, we would definitely have been disappointed.
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| The beach at the Blackfin Resort? |
We did not come to the Blackfin for the beach, as we knew Sombrero Beach and Bahia Honda State Park were both nearby, so for my family the lack of a beach did not have any effect.
However, the Blackfin marina was great, and the sunset was marvelous. In the evening the locals and visitors all come together to watch the beautiful sunset from the Blackfin marina, and it is definitely spectacular.
Our kids used the pool at the Blackfin, and while it was nothing out of the ordinary, it was perfectly located to get the afternoon sun, where many pools usually end up in the shade after a certain point in the day. The pool was clean and well-kept, and the kids had a lot of fun.
The location of the Blackfin is definitely a strong selling point. The Blackfin Resort is located right off US1/Overseas Highway at mm50, less than a mile from Sombrero Beach boulevard, which will take you to Sombrero Beach (1.5 miles) one of the best beaches in the Florida Keys.
Within walking distance you have Crane Point (0.5 miles), a nature center and historical museum, the Marathon Garden Club (0.3 miles), where you have free access to a tropical garden, and within a short drive you can get to either the Rotary Park (has a fantastic playground for kids), or the Marathon Community Park.
Other areas of attractions within close proximity to the Blackfin Resort is the Turtle Hospital (Sea Turtle Center), The Seven Mile Bridge, Bahia Honda State Park and historic Pigeon Key.
As for shopping and dining possibilities, the Blackfin Resort is also located at a prime location. Within walking distance and just across the busy US1 you can find a Publix, Winn-Dixie and Kmart. Papa Johns, Burger King, Quizno's Subs, Mc Donalds, Taco Bell and KFC are located within a 1 mile radius of the Blackfin. You can also find local restaurants such as the Panda House (Chinese),
Pros About the Blackfin Resort
- Clean and great cleaning service
- Great marina and pool
- Fridge and microwave in all rooms
- Good mattresses
- Bug free
- Great A/C
- Free Ice
- Laundry facilities
- Great location
- Close to shopping and dining
- Close to Sombrero Beach
- One of the most affordable rates in the Florida Keys
- 15 minutes from Bahia Honda State Park.
Cons About the Blackfin ResortPoor Beach
- Spotty Internet
- Older hotel
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| Sunrise from the Blackfin Resort Marina |
My family had a great time at the Blackfin Resort, but we knew what we were going into. If you want the Hilton or a five start resort, do not book a room at the Blackfin Resort. If you are looking for a comfortable and clean place to spend the night, the Blackfin can highly be recommended. The Blackfin Resort will take you in with the old charm Florida Keys, and enjoying the sunset with locals and tourists will make you feel at home. In the Florida Keys you pay a lot for a hotel room, but the off off season rates start on May 1st, and if you like frugal, I definitely recommend going in the off season.
You can find more information about the Blackfin Resort at their website.
The Blackfin Resort and Marina
4650 Overseas Hwy,
Marathon, FL 33050
305-743-2393
MM50
Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation for writing this review, and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
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