Francis Scott Key Family Resort Reviews

The Good: The Francis Scott Key is a lovely classic throwback resort motel with a nice pirate theme with a fun year round indoor pool. I loved that FSK is very family oriented. I was happy to score a good deal for our 4person Spring Break ($88). The rooms are totally clean and the Tempurpedic mattress feel great. The indoor pool is very fun with a slide and splash pad water features. The whole thing is themed like a pirate paradise. The outdoor pools are closed until May. I suppose the owners don t want run up an expensive bill for heating the amazing outside water attractions in early-mid Spring. I would recommend this place to families, save for the incident below:

The weird: So on April 16th, a 20 something tough-guy life guard caused a bizarre and expensive, emergency pool closure over one beach ball stuck in a decorative palm tree. He ruined everybody s night at the indoor pool by breaking this tall, heavy thing. He gathered 3 guys together & shook it with so much force that the tree broke out of its base and fell to the ground. As it began to rip up the tile and metal, the tree was so heavy that they couldn t even hold it up to stop it from ripping itself out and collapsing. I think the lifeguard guy really thought he could sway this steel palm tree as if it were an authentic fibrous-wooden palm, instead of a steel/metal beam (which is what it was). It made no sense. Next, he yelled at dozens of families to vacate the pool. He was a real piece of work. He d already been blowing his whistle and making kids feel like outlaws- like the boot camp sergeants who are way over the top. (Far more yelling than the chill lifeguard from prior nights.) Again- let us recap: A cheap beach ball stuck in the plastic palm fronds and could have sat there for a week. Who cares? It s worth two bucks but that palm tree and all the families this lifeguard yelled at to leave premises were worth thousands of dollars to the owners.

Great place for kids to get out of the house during COVID. The only issue I have is kids run up and down the halls and steps non stop all day and I kept a headache. The staff are very friendly and helpful.

Great place. Very family friendly. We loved it. Rooms were clean, staff was nice.

The people are nice the rooms are clean and the kitchen was nicely stocked, And the pool is great and I love the hot tub.

We always get treated well even though we're a big group and only show up once a year. I look forward to returning next year.

It is a great time everyone is friendly and the drinks are good

Great place to bring the family, kids had a grand time at the pool, staff very friendly and helpful. Definitely coming back again

We are planning on staying here in July for a couple days this year. I'm one of those people who read the reviews of the hotels we stay at for our family vacation. It's nice to see the owner commenting on all of the negative reviews here. Looking forward to our visit. Ok it's a year later and I did enjoy my stay here. They have a really nice outdoor pool as well as indoor pool. They have a free shuttle that takes you to the boardwalk and brings you back. We would go back again.

Very old accommodations they need an update our room was full of flies had to buy fly spray stay wasn't worth the money we stayed at better for less

Many activities for the little ones.
They have a lockdown rule. No noise after 11pm

Amazing place for family vacation. So much entertainment on sight. Great food great drinks amazing time

The room had 3 beds which was awesome for the price, the room was clean, the indoor pool were very nice. Lots of parking which is a huge plus

Let's just say, it is a blast from the past in many ways and the folks are a little different than expected. Wasn't all that and I was just a guest of a guest for a couple of hours.. Disappointed...

Should go to the ranches because the larger complex s are dirty, there was a room with a blood stain on a towel and the area where you wash your hands seemed like a place where you would take organs out and sell to the dark web. Couldn t sleep no parent knows what controlling a child is because I barely got any sleep. It s is horrible never go there

The ground are very clean and the amenities very nice and well maintained. 1 indoor pool area, 1 outdoor toddler splash park, and 1 bar/pool area. They have a car wash and basketball courts and movie room. Lots of stuff to do on the property. They even offer a shuttle to Ocean City Beach south side. Now the room I stayed at was the main Lodge. Our first room 216 was big but very very outdated. Like 1980s. Window AC unit. Wood paneling and horrible green carpets. The room was infested with ants. We got a room change. It was half as big but no ants. The temperpedic mattresses were underwhelming as well as the pillows. The lodge rooms are a joke for almost 180 a night. If staying there would not recommend staying in the lodge. There is no elevator. And the Halls are super super muggy. Like being in Florida. The rooms suffer from it a little less.

This place is so degusting . The shower has standing water when you take a shower . Was told at check no maid service for 3 days that is really gross . The room was dirty. We have stayed here for years but this time it was beyond gross. Noone to come get your dirty towels and wash rags kids running all over the place . Just plain gross . Save your money and go someplace else . Never returning here again. Oh NO TABLE IN OUR ROOM THE ROOMS THEY REMODELED have NO TABLE YOU MUST SIT on your bed and eat. What hotel has no table to eat on WELL THIS ONE DOES . What a joke cannot wait to leave tomorrow.

Pros - friendly staff, clean pools, quiet location.

Cons - Our room wasn t ready until 5 when it says guaranteed by 3. Then it wasn t clean. The refrigerator was dirty and there was a clothes hanger in it. The mattress cover on the sleeper sofa was dirty. There was food under the sleeper sofa. We stayed 4 nights and did not have room service once the entire time. When I called to see if the water features were open and operating, I was told yes; however, the splash park, slides, kiddie water features and hot tubs were not operating. I booked here for those features and was disappointed they were not operating. I asked for efficiency rooms in my comments (i booked through Booking.com because it was cheaper) but was not accommodated.

We really enjoyed our vacation in Ocean City and our stay at the Frances Scott Key Resort, even though there were restrictions and things not open due to Covid. The staff was very friendly. The rooms was very clean as was the entire resort! We can not wait to come back next year!

It's got lots of stuff for kids and adults alike . Outdoor pool with a tiki bar and grill . Mini golf. Indoor pool with a slide . A spray ground for the kids . And a diner

Great resort for the whole family very clean and the staff is friendly we really enjoy the Free shuttle service to and from the beach saved a ton on parking we will definitely be back

I was a last minute reservation for a one night stay for the Fall Car Cruise. I had to take a more expensive cottage type room but they CALLED ME and did me a solid when somebody cancelled on a less expensive "standard" room allowing me to take that one for less money. They are not out squeeze every dollar out of you for sure. The bottle water in the room "is for you to drink, no extra charge" is another example. Free WiFI worked fine. You wont mistake this place for the Hampton or the Marriott nor did I mistake it on the bill either. But they were nice to me, they looked out for me, the room was clean and when I wanted to do something on the cheap at the last minute they helped me out. Not to mention over all it is a pretty nice place to boot. The next time I need a room in Ocean City I don't think I need to make but one call to the Francis Scott Key Family Resort.

So far our visit has been amazing! The pool bar is great.

Awesome place and staff with great shuttle service. Fun for the whole family.

Very. Nice. Resort. Great location kid friendly. Well come back. For you shopper directly across from Tanger outlets.

Clean room. Indoor pool was nice. Lots of stuff to do for kids

This is true family resort!! Such great amenities just like the previous reviews. You don t need to leave the resort other then to go to the beach. Indoor and outdoor pool, mini golf, pond with fishing, pavilion with grills, restaurant! Just fantastic!! However, I agree with the previous reviews.. thin walls (it is an older resort however it has been updated and they are currently still upgrading), bright hallway light that shines through the windows (curtains can take care of that). I would definitely stay here again because, the kids loved it. Staff was super friendly.

Acceptable alternative to regular hotel especially good for kids to have fun! Room sizes are good and beds comfortable but the linens could be better ! Noisy AC, and humidity smell in the room! Weekly vacation homes bookings are very good option. Shuttle to the beach is a plus. Will visit again !

This is are favorite family spot. Great rooms, staff, food ,drinks. You can't beat the shuttle back and forth to boardwalk. We won't stay anywhere else. Cannot wait for 2020 already!

Had a great childhood here, brought my kids here years ago for family vacations as well and recently visited. Things have changed so much for the better!! There's new pools, palm trees, a restaurant, mini golfing, new vacation homes!! They have thought of everything to make this place family friendly and a true resort! I will be back!!

Charming little spot for family fun, especially off-season.

First time here love it hate to leave Saturday but will be back

My family and I love this resort. We always receive top notch service and we always enjoy our stays.

Room was very clean! Great amenities here. Perfect place for a family trip. Lots to do. You can even rent DVDs from the lobby free each night to watch, and they offer movie night showings. Really neat place.

Lots to do for the whole family and beautiful grounds!

Bed are comfy. Good for the price. Could be a little cleaner

Family friendly, highly recommend.
The grounds were extensive, housing a mini golf, three pool areas, volleyball, basketball... Everything you need for babies and children is right there, including swim gear for all ages.
Staff was very very sweet, helpful, and in general a joy.
And can I talk about the beds! Tempurpedic mattresses! I was very tempted to take it home with me.
Only :( that I encountered... I wouldn't rate the cleanliness as great. It was ok, not disgusting but far from the best. Note how I still gave the place a 5 star rating, because even that didn't detract from the overall experience.
I fully intend to return!

they gave us a hotel room that has been used in 4 months with water looking like piss coming from
the sink in the tub the pool water smell of chlorine really really bad
me and my sister would just their February the 28th thru March the 2nd 2014

Nice family resort, great indoor pool for kids entertainment. Rooms a bit dated but very nice staff

The room is fantastic! Clean, and new. The amenities are even better than we thought they would be.

Its really nice because it has movie night a indpor pool and outdoor one and the rooms are really nice i like it how its not crowded

Great place to take a family. My toddler loved both pools and we will definitely stay here again

Great amenities for kids, our 4 year old loved the pools and water play area. We liked the fact it was fenced in and could relax while he played.

Location is good, rooms aren't too bad, service seems good also

The room was large and very clean. The staff was friendly. The price was great. The location is very close to everything. I will be back.

We stay here every year. Very family oriented. We love the shuttle bus to the beach, and the many activities at the hotel.

With a 2, 5 and 8 year old, this is the place we go to every year, I love the all inclusiveness (putt-putt, Pirate spray-ground, pool, games, scavenger hunts, ping pong, movies, board games, etc) Kids love this place. I would give it 4.5 stars if I could but only option was 4 or 5 so I went with five. The free shuttle to the beach its AWESOME and it really does pick up like every 15 minutes. Never had to sit and wait for it for very long. The housekeeping is outstanding. While the rooms aren't luxurious they are plenty good enough. This had become a family tradition over the years so I am sure we will be making trips back here for at least the next decade.

not in O.C. proper but in has everything you want in a family resort.

There were lots of activities for the kids, however the rooms weren't the cleanest. A little expensive for the quality .

Very friendly staff , the accommodations are extremely clean and well maintained !!

All the amenities are great, the room we stayed in was ok. We stayed in the Maryland rooms right across from the pool and mini golf which was convenient but also a bit noisy at night

Convenient to everything and really like having the shuttle to use.

Family resort?? How are you tryimg to kick us out because my brother and sister came to meet us so we can go out that night... they said no visitors allowed.. then calling the room multiple times harassing us to ensure they left.. first time and last.. some family resort... if you want to have fun with your family and friends this is not the place for you.. if it's just you and ur kid.. maybe only because of the pool.. other than that not recommended!! And rooms are small!!

Good and comfortable stay. Clean rooms and area. Rooms are dated but comfortable. If you are looking for luxury then this is not the place

This is a great resort! Outdoor pool, Shipwreak Cove outdoor sliding pool for the kids, and a great indoor pool. You'll love this place. Free movies, superheroes sometimes show up, 50 Diner, good food! We'll keep going back year after year! They even off a shuttle to the beach. Can't beat that.

Scott Francis Scott Key Resort is a very very family kid friendly resort there were plenty of things for the children to do from family movie night to miniature golf to several indoor outdoor swimming pools the rooms were spacious and the amenities work convenient it also had a very reasonably priced menu that was moderately priced and pretty plain and simple its located on route 50 across from the outlets which is right outside of Ocean City itself which to me makes it a good location because you can avoid a lot of the hustle and bustle of downtown Ocean City High will definitely be staying there again in the future and would highly recommended to any family and friends that have children

Excited about being here. Car show not many cars because of weather. Service is great and a family atmosphere.

Dope experience clean, friendly, nice indoor and outdoor pools close to everything shuttle service was awesome great place overall...

Terrible and unaccomidating. After being told that they have had problems like the one I had with third party sites before they did nothing and told me I was out of luck. Will never go back and also will tell everyone I know who goes to Ocean City not to give these people their money. Too bad I can't give them 0 stars.

Good place to stay with family in Ocean City. Plenty of kids' activities.

This is one of the BEST family resorts to be at while down the ocean!! They offer everything to their guests, including a shuttle bus into the inlet and back FREE of charge!! Book early because they fill up fast..

We come every few months! One if our favorite places ever!! And with the new renovations it keeps getting even better!

Ate here for breakfast with a crowd, we didn't wait long for a table and everyone found something delicious to eat. Old 50s style diner! The scrapple cheese steak was different but delish!

We found this place last minute and were very happy to find vacancy. The rooms are large, the beds are memory foam and the shower actually worked. The place focuses on family and it shows. I loked it enough that I'll probably bring my grand daughter back with the family.

Family stayed here from Sunday to Tuesday from 7/28-7/30/2019 (check out was supposed to be Wednesday morning and we decided to leave Tuesday evening to avoid another night at this place with our children). The only saving grace for this place if you have children are the pools (indoor pool and splash area were nice for our 4 year old and 1.5 year old). Location to the boardwalk is nice but there's a Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Suites nearby which I believe would have been the better choice for our family. We stayed in the Ohio section and the room needs serious updates when it is compared to what you would get at a Fairfield Inn, Mariott, etc. We would have been able to forgive the lack of updates if the room and bathroom would have not smelled like mildew (picture the strong smell you get when a basement is not sealed and gets very damp). It turned our stomachs every time we walked into our room. The rugs were gross. Our kids socks were dirty after a few minutes of walking around the room. Bathroom sink and bathtub both backed up when being used so needless to say, we bathed our 1.5 year old in the kitchen sink after thorough cleaning with a bleach spray we brought from home and our toddler stayed standing with the stopper in place during her baths.
The pools were clean and fun for the girls so that was the only saving grace for our short stay. I tried the Korean brisket taco by the pool bar and it gave me diarrhea and had a tough beef jerky texture. Breakfast at the 50s diner was mediocre and not worth the price (Bad bacon and pancakes out of a box and potatoes that were most likely frozen and heated up)-- McDonalds or IHop would have been a better option for what we paid. The shuttle service was not used due to driving distance not being too far for us to drive and parking not being too expensive (we also had to carry a double stroller which would have been a hassle to carry onto a shuttle). The movie watching area in the main building was not enticing due to it having nice recliner seats but then only a 55'' or so sized TV to watch the movies instead of a large projector screen. So looking back, even though the pools were nice, we would not come back due to the room conditions.

Love the place, we've been been going here for a long time, wouldn't go no where else!

Indoor pool was nice for the kids, but the rooms were outdated and needed updating.

If you stay anywhere else in OC Maryland you pay more get less. True Story !
It's called a Resort for a reason.. indoor aquatic center for anytime ANY weather .. putt putt golf .. outdoor pool .. pirate splash .. Huge pirate ship deck for parties .. volleyball.. basketball court.. pavilion/ grill.. movie theater.. restaurant.. hotel shuttle to board walk
Need I say more ...?

Very rude guests letting their children run around banging on doors

This was one of the cleanest places for as large as it is...I was totally happy with our accommodations..staff so nice and helpful...was a pleasure to say I stay at the Fancis Scott Key Resort..

Best to go in summer season when all of the amenities are available.

Our family LOVES this place!!! The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the rooms need major updating and modernization. However, every other aspect is incredible: it's in a great location, the shuttle to the boardwalk/beach is awesome, the onsite attractions are top notch (mini golf, in door pool, outdoor pool, little kid spaces, movie nights), and has a real family atmosphere. It's also SUPER diverse, so everyone can feel welcomed and right at home. Book early because rooms go fast, like before Thanksgiving. This was our 2nd year & we'll be back next year, maybe twice!

Me & my family recently stayed here this past week. We had so much fun and there was so much to do in & outside of the resort! My kids loved the indoor & outdoor pool. The concession stands made good food & drinks. The hotels were nice and simple (no bed bugs, rodents or bug of any kind) the room had basic cable channels which is a plus for down time in the morning/night. Rooms also had WIFI. The staff were very friendly. We will definitely be coming back!