At the southern tip of the Florida mainland, where U.S. 1 ends and becomes the Overseas Highway, the Florida Keys begin.
Hopscotching between the Atlantic Ocean and Florida Bay for 125 miles, the Keys are stepping stones to the unforgettable. Though they’re well south of Florida’s oldest communities, St. Augustine and Pensacola, they boast a similar longevity. Sixteenth- and 17th-century Spanish galleons sailed back and forth past these islands, turning Key West into a bustling center for Caribbean commerce centuries before the first cruise ship.
Today’s meeting and incentive groups are greeted by accommodations of every kind, from Keys rustic to extra-luxe, while activities span an ocean’s worth of watersports.
Flamingo Lodge and Restaurant
At Everglades National Park, an all-new 75-seat stand-alone restaurant is open at the 24-unit Flamingo Lodge and Restaurant, unveiled in fall 2023 with studios and one- and two-bedroom suites, kitchenettes and balconies overlooking Florida Bay. Offering catch-and-cook options and casual fare, the restaurant is open to all park visitors. Groups will want to stop at the park’s pink Guy Bradley Visitor Center, with a Florida National Parks Association bookstore, interactive nature and art exhibits, and expansive views overlooking Florida Bay. At 2,400 square miles, Everglades National Park is the continental United States’ third-largest national park; guided group tours and other ranger-led activities are available. flamingoeverglades.com
Baker’s Cay Resort
In Key Largo, the 200-room Baker’s Cay Resort is revitalizing its rooftop garden with fresh herbs, tomatoes, edible flowers, cucumbers and other vegetables to enhance the resort’s garden-to-table fare. Executive Chef Carolann Wheeler is developing the resort’s Chef’s Garden to seasonally infuse menus with fresh produce. Sustainability elements throughout the resort include no single-use plastics in meeting setups, handmade organic confetti for wedding packages, refillable and recyclable bottles of water by Florida-based Proud Source, and team activities involving local conservation groups. A resort teambuilding activity includes group raft building using repurposed materials. But it goes beyond building—groups of up to six can build rafts to race on Florida Bay. bakerscay.com
Islamorada Resort Collection
Islamorada Resort Collection will be offering 379 guestrooms and a world-class fishing fleet when its newest resort, the 214-room Three Waters Resort & Marina, a Tribute Portfolio Resort, is unveiled this fall. Billed “as an unexpected oceanfront experience unlike any resort currently in the Florida Keys,” the resort joins Tribute Portfolio, Marriott Bonvoy’s collection of independent hotels, as the brand’s first in the Keys. The new resort is to offer The Cove, an adult-centric resort-within-a-resort with island-inspired rooms and suites with only king beds, a private beach lagoon, and the resort’s Wave Motion Studio, a fitness center overlooking the beach. A rum library will offer tastings on check-in. The property, with 80,000 square feet of meeting space, also will feature nine dining concepts including an island-style pizza restaurant and those featuring wood-fired fare and Central American cuisine; two retail shops; a water taxi for guests; a full-service marina; and a renovated Tiki bar. Planned activities include fly-casting and kayak fishing; offshore and backcountry fishing; and ocean adventures by Spray Watersports, with a 26-mile personal watercraft tour of backcountry mangroves and wildlife preserves. The collection currently includes the 110-room Amara Cay Resort and the 55-unit La Siesta Resort & Villas. islamoradaresortcollection.com
Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club
Located in the heart of the Keys in Marathon, the legendary Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club has rebranded to Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club, Curio Collection by Hilton. The property, known for its iconic 65-foot-tall Faro Blanco Lighthouse from the 1950s, is unveiling fully renovated guest rooms, the restored historic Parrish House featuring a private suite, and additional experiences throughout the resort by late this year. Faro Blanco Resort & Yacht Club and the adjacent Courtyard Faro Blanco Resort, combined, are to feature four pools, four dining options, a white sand beach, watersports and 250 guest rooms. Also new are one-story bungalows, a multilevel pool deck with bar and infinity pool, poolside cabanas, and a spa and fitness center. faroblancoresort.com
La Concha Key West
In Key West, the downtown La Concha Key West offers 160 freshly renovated rooms and 14 additional 7th-floor suites named Grande Dame Villas at the Rooftop. Suites feature textured furniture, diagonal square wooden tile patterns, gold and rattan details, floor-to-ceiling windows and Bose sound systems—as well as concierge services and amenities such as fresh flowers, stocked fridge, welcome gift, seasonal fruit, assorted beverages and a La Rubia Panama hat. Undergoing complete renovations are the property’s public spaces including the lobby, exterior facade and rooftop pool. Food and libation venues include Tropicado with classic crafted cocktails; Perla and El Dom Coffee Shop with fine and casual Cuban cuisine; and Epicurean with gourmet grab-n-go items as well as gifts from local Key West shops. La Concha originally opened in 1926 as a luxury hotel with marble floors, private baths and ocean views. The hotel is expected to join Marriott’s Autograph Collection when renovations are completed. laconchakeywest.com
Casa Marina Key West
The landmark 311-room Casa Marina Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton has opened its newest beachfront restaurant Dorada, the resort’s outdoor oceanside dining outlet serving “Baja-Med” fare and cocktails. Additional food and beverage venues include the signature Flagler’s restaurant with outdoor patio, the Canary Room lobby bar and lounge, and Morrison’s Market with takeaway provisions, goods and gifts. Casa Marina Key West’s renovation includes a new 5,000-sf oceanfront event lawn, added to an existing 11,000 square feet of indoor event space—including the newly enhanced 3,100-sf Flagler’s Ballroom, 2,600-sf Grand Ballroom and versatile 5,000-sf Keys Ballroom. All guest rooms—including 63 suites, many with large oceanfront balconies and patios—are renovated. Two upgraded piers accommodate watersports and group activities such as personal watercraft tours, sunset sails and private snorkeling trips on a luxury catamaran. casamarinaresort.com
Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa
Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa now offers restaurant Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Key West Kitchen, at 601 Front St. as a waterfront sea-to-table venue that launched as a pop-up in May 2023. It features fresh catches, hand-crafted cocktails and a daily 5-6 p.m. happy hour. In addition, Hyatt Centric Key West is the first Hyatt resort to implement “The Infinite Bottle Project,” serving Proud Source Water in “infinitely recyclable” aluminum packaging. Working toward a goal of becoming a single-use plastic-free resort, the Key West resort has marked a milestone collection of one ton of aluminum from the property and surrounding community. fourflamingoskeywest.com
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