Shark Reef Resort

10/09/2026

Well, apparently it’s time for a little Shark Reef family update! 😂🦈

We’ve heard from quite a few people lately who thought Shark Reef Resort had been sold or was under new ownership, so we figured we’d clear that up!

Some of y’all aren’t completely wrong. Shark Reef WAS listed for sale for a while, but Jennifer decided to take it off the market.

And nope, we haven’t changed owners! ❤️

Jennifer is still the owner, and she’s still very much involved. After all these years, she’s just ready to slow down a little and enjoy some well-deserved time away from the day-to-day craziness with her husband and grandbabies. 😂

I’m Mary, her daughter-in-law (although around here, we usually skip the “in-law” part 😂), and I’ve taken over much of the daily operations. And for those of you who’ve been coming here for years, the boys are still around too! Tyler, Josh, and Jake haven’t gone anywhere.

We’re still the same family that’s been running Shark Reef Resort since 2005. We’ve just been shifting some responsibilities around, making improvements, and trying a few new things along the way.

We know some things have changed over the years, but one thing that hasn’t is how much we appreciate the families who keep coming back.

Some of y’all have watched our family grow up, and now we’re getting to watch yours grow up too. That’s one of the things I love most about this place.

So if you’ve been wondering whether Shark Reef is still Shark Reef… it sure is. Same family, just a few different faces behind the desk these days. 😂❤️

And to everyone who’s been recommending us lately, thank you. We see those comments, and they really do mean a lot.

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas. 🦈

10/07/2026

Looking for something to do next weekend? 🦐🌴

Shrimporee is happening over in Aransas Pass, and we’ve still got plenty of rooms available here at Shark Reef Resort!

Go enjoy the food, music, vendors and festivities, then head back to Port A for a little beach time. Because why not make a whole weekend out of it? 😂

We’ve got everything you need to kick back and relax:

🌴 Pool & hot tub
🔥 Grills and picnic areas
🚤 Plenty of boat parking
🐶 Pet-friendly rooms
🏡 Cozy cottages with full kitchens

Come enjoy a little fall weather on the Texas coast! ☀️

📞 361-749-6993

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas. 🦈

09/30/2026

Some of our longtime guests have already noticed something has been missing from the front of Shark Reef… ⭐️

Earlier this summer, our old star finally lost its battle with the Port A salt air and rust, and we had to take it down.

And honestly, that thing was TOUGH. 😂

It even made it through Hurricane Harvey. When we were finally able to come back to the property after the storm, we couldn’t believe that star was STILL hanging above the office.

But apparently years of salty island air finally accomplished what Harvey couldn’t. 😂

The good news: it’s coming back!

Our new star is officially being shipped today. Same iconic star, but she’s getting a little makeover this time: WHITE! 🤍⭐️

The front office just hasn’t looked right without it, and we know a few of y’all have noticed too. Some things are just part of Shark Reef. That star is one of them.

Can’t wait to get her back where she belongs! 🦈⭐️

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas.

09/27/2026

Had a walk-in tonight who has been coming to Port Aransas for years. They had a really rough experience at another hotel and ended up leaving without refund and coming over to see if we had anything available.

They asked if they could see the room first, which I normally don’t do, but we were literally about to steam it so I said absolutely, come take a look.

They ended up taking the room, and while I was checking them in they told me I was the nicest person they had ever met out here.

Y’all. 🥹

I’m not sharing this to toot my own horn TOO much lol, but this is exactly what I want Shark Reef to be. We’re not fancy. We’re a little family-owned motel with some casitas, a pool and hot tub, and people who actually care.

I genuinely want you to enjoy your vacation. If something is wrong, tell me. If I can fix it, I will. If you need something, ask me. Sometimes just being nice to somebody after they’ve had a bad day makes all the difference.

That’s it. That’s the whole Shark Reef Resort experience. 🏝️🌊💙🦈

.

-Mary

09/26/2026

UPDATE: Y’all got ’em! 😂🙌

We are officially SOLD OUT for tonight!

Thank you to everyone spending this gorgeous Saturday with us at Shark Reef. 🦈🌴

Now excuse us while we go get everybody checked in. 😂

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas. ❤️

09/25/2026

There’s just something about evenings like this at Shark Reef. 🌅

The pool gets quiet, everyone starts settling in for the night, and the whole sky over the courtyard turns pink and orange.

Summer may get all the attention, but these calm evenings heading into fall are pretty hard to beat.

Sometimes Port A really does show off. ❤️

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas.

09/24/2026

Only 10 rooms left for this weekend! 👀🦈

If you’re wondering what’s bringing everyone to Port A this weekend, Wings Over Port A is one of the events happening around the island!

And despite the name… no, it’s not an air show. 😂

Wings Over Port A is an annual Parrot Head weekend that raises money for local causes, with live music, a beach party, a poker run around the island and more.

So if you’re looking for an excuse to make a last-minute Port A trip, there’s plenty going on, and we still have 10 rooms left for the weekend!

Come grab one before they’re gone. 🌴🌊

📍 Shark Reef Resort
🌐 www.sharkreefresort.net
📞 361-749-6993

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas.

For over two decades, our family has welcomed guests to Port Aransas with clean rooms and friendly service.

09/13/2026

📸 PORT ARANSAS HISTORY HELP NEEDED! 🏝️

I’ve fallen pretty deep into a Port Aransas history rabbit hole trying to piece together the story of the property that is now Shark Reef Resort at 314 S. Cut-Off Road, and I’m hoping somebody out there has a piece of its history hiding in an old photo album, shoebox, scrapbook, or postcard collection.

I’ve already managed to find some amazing old photos, including the ones in this post, but I’m trying to fill in the missing years and figure out more about the people who stayed, worked, ate, swam, and hung out here over the decades.

Names I’m currently researching include:

-Paradise Isle Motor Hotel / Paradise Isle Motel
-Treasure Isle Motor Hotel / Treasure Isle Motel / Treasure Island
-Pirates Inn / Pirate’s Inn

I’m especially looking for anything from the late 1950s through the 1990s, and it absolutely does not need to be a professional photo.

Family vacation pictures, kids in the pool, people standing by their cars, room photos, employees, the roadside sign, restaurant or coffee shop, menus, postcards, brochures, matchbooks, keychains, advertisements; honestly, anything that might show the property or mention one of those names could help.

I’ve also been researching some of the people connected to the property over the years, including W.C. (William Clement) and Geraldine Price, Jake Stevens, Billie Howell, Bill and Jean Stephens, Frank Lazenby, and Paul and Stacy Bisbikos.

If any of those names ring a bell, please tell me!

And even if you have an old Port Aransas photo and you’re not sure what motel is in the background, send it anyway. 😂 At this point I’ve spent so much time staring at old aerials and postcards that I can recognize this little U-shaped motel from some truly terrible pictures.

❤️ Please share this with longtime Port Aransas residents, former employees, and families who have been vacationing here for generations.

I know there are more photos of this place sitting in boxes somewhere. 😂 Help me find them!

09/11/2026

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, the families whose lives were forever changed, and the first responders and everyday Americans who showed extraordinary courage.

25 years later, we remember. 🇺🇸

Never forgotten. ❤️🤍💙

09/09/2026

Okay, before these disappear forever… 🦈

We’re officially retiring our old Shark Reef Resort keychains and switching over to these big blue sharks!

The orange shark was our original style, and when those were no longer available, we switched to the smaller red style. Over the years we’ve had them in all kinds of colors: orange, green, red, black, silver, blue… and probably a few I’m forgetting. 😂

If you’ve been staying with us for a long time, you might recognize one (or several!) of these.

And I just cannot bring myself to throw them away. 😭

So I have to ask our longtime Shark Reef families - do you remember which color/generation you have had? And more importantly… what should we do with the old ones?! 🦈💙

Stay where Port Aransas still feels like Port Aransas.