ICONA Windrift

Jeff, the GM, made arranging our room block easy, and having guests stay in one place for the ceremony, reception, and night was a big plus. I got married at the Windrift on 11/21/25 and had an amazing experience. Ronda was knowledgeable, helpful, and quick to answer every question. Kelly and Reagan coordinated the day so well that I didn’t have to stress or worry about a thing. All the staff were professional and the service was impeccable. The cocktail-hour and reception food was delicious, and all my guests commented on it. The venue is beautiful and convenient. I can’t say enough good things about it, friends and family are still talking about how great the wedding was. I highly recommend the Windrift as a wedding venue.

The pool was incredible, and our two boys spent hours swimming every day. Having beach chairs and umbrellas ready for us so close to the beach was a great touch. My wife and I stayed with the kids earlier this week, and the Icona Windrift was awesome from start to finish. The resort looked gorgeous, our room was spotless, and most of the staff were very friendly. I’d recommend it to anyone, and we’ll definitely be back.

The steakhouse was the biggest plus, but make a reservation. The location is okay, though there’s really nothing nearby and you’re cut off from downtown. Stone harbor is a 5-minute drive, or about a mile on foot if you want to walk in the heat. It’s all right, better than a shore motel, but it doesn’t feel as much like a resort as advertised. You’re always working around Icona's schedules. They may have five bars, but not all of them are open. In winter it seemed more like a skeleton crew than the full summer operation.

The restaurant has a good location, lovely ocean views, and has been nicely refurbished, but the food and charges fell short of what we expected for a bill over $200. We were four adults and one child. Two adults ordered Tanqueray gin and tonic, then found a $2 charge for Seagram’s tonic on the bill. Nobody asked for it or was asked about it, and there’s nothing special about that tonic. The waiter said the calamari wasn’t homemade. Its flour coating was so flaky that at least a quarter fell onto the serving dish, table, and appetizer plate. The marinara was heavily spiked with red peppers, which the menu didn’t mention. When we asked for plain marinara, they said they didn’t have any. The hamburgers were the worst part. They tasted like warmed-over meatloaf, with nice grill marks on both sides, and weren’t juicy at all. A medium-well sticker was on one burger when it arrived, but the waiter hadn’t asked how we wanted them cooked. It made me wonder whether restaurants are starting to buy precooked burgers and warm them up. I asked for fresh onion rings on my hamburger and got two red onion rings, rings rather than slices, one wilted. They replaced them, then charged $1 for the two rings, even though I hadn’t ordered a slice of cheese on the cheeseburger. That charge for raw onion wasn’t disclosed up front. We wouldn’t have minded paying over $200 if the quality had matched the price. We visit the area regularly, but everyone agreed we won’t return to this restaurant. One out of five, or two out of ten.