The Florida Keys have never needed much of a sales pitch — 113 miles of islands strung along the Overseas Highway, warm water on both sides of the road, and a pace of life that slows down the further south you drive. But if you wanted a shortcut to the best places to stay, Condé Nast Traveler's readers have done the sorting for you. Their 2026 Readers' Choice Awards list ranks the top ten resorts across the Keys, from Key Largo down to Key West.
The Readers' Choice Awards are one of the longest-running hotel rankings in travel, and their value comes from the method: tens of thousands of regular travellers score the properties they've actually stayed at, rather than a panel of editors making calls from a distance. That means the top ten reflects what holidays there really feel like — service, pools, beaches, food, and whether a place is worth what it charges.
The Keys suit this kind of crowd-sourced ranking well, because the resort offer varies enormously along the chain. Key Largo and Islamorada lean towards diving and fishing lodges with a relaxed, sporty feel. Marathon and the lower Keys sit quieter, with bigger grounds and more of a switch-off atmosphere. Key West has the nightlife, the history and the walkability, so resorts there trade space for location. A ranked list is genuinely useful here — the "best" resort depends on whether your ideal week involves a dive boat at 8am or a sunset cocktail on Duval Street.
For anyone planning a Keys trip, the practical takeaway is to pick your island first and your resort second. The Overseas Highway makes it easy to base yourself somewhere central like Islamorada and still day-trip in both directions, while Key West works best if you'd rather park the car and stay put. Rooms book up fastest in the winter dry season and around spring break, so if a specific resort from the list has caught your eye, reserving well ahead pays off.
The full ranked top ten, with reader scores and booking details, is in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards coverage — well worth a scroll before you lock anything in.
