Bass Pro Is Stitching Two Florida Keys Resorts Into One

Bass Pro Shops has teamed up with Schulte Hospitality Group to merge two neighboring resorts in Islamorada, Florida: the Islander Resort and Cheeca Lodge & Spa. Bass Pro agreed to buy Cheeca Lodge in June, and says the Islander was put up for sale after that deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. The two companies will operate the combined properties jointly.

The Islander opened in 1951 and sits on 24 acres, with 114 bungalows and suites plus 25 bayside villas. Cheeca Lodge adds 254 rooms, suites and casitas. Once united, the resort would have nearly 400 accommodations, five pools, six dining venues, a spa, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course and nearly a mile of beachfront.

Both resorts will stay open while changes are made to enhance and connect them, though no completion date has been announced. Fishing is the through-line: Bass Pro’s World Wide Sportsman store and marina in Islamorada will serve as a launch point for guests heading out on fishing and adventure outings with other anglers.

The Missouri-based retailer has been building a hospitality portfolio that includes Big Cedar Lodge, a 4,600-acre resort in the Ozarks, Big Cypress Lodge, a 105-room hotel inside the Pyramid in downtown Memphis, and two Angler’s Lodge locations in Springfield and Hollister, Missouri. The Keys deal moves that outdoors-themed brand into one of the country’s best-known fishing destinations.

Sources: Travel Weekly