Cheeca Lodge is newly rebuilt.
Cheeca Lodge and Spa
81801 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, Fla.; 800-327-2888;
www.cheeca.com. 212 rooms, suites and bungalows from $249.
The Florida Keys can be a tad schizophrenic. Shops hawking T-shirts and shell trinkets elbow for position on this beautiful string of islands and sea-swept beaches. But focus too much on the tawdry and you'll miss the gems: oceanfront retreats such as Cheeca Lodge and Spa, hidden away from the highway by lush gardens and giant banyan trees.
Built in the 1940s as a small inn, Cheeca soon became a magnet for celebrities, politicos and outdoorsmen who descended on the island of Islamorada for world-class sport fishing. The resort grew from quaint to luxurious, until a late 2008 fire razed the main lodge. After a $39-million rebuilding, the hotel has reopened, welcoming guests to redesigned rooms, a new lobby space and an environmental awareness that saves precious water, reduces solid waste and protects the fragile sea.
DESIGN A comfy Old Florida style prevails here. There are screened-in porches, fishing poles and fly rods waiting in the rooms, and palm leaf ceiling fans that evoke the era of Bogey and Bacall. Regulars will be happy that the renovation maintained some of the resort's classic features. The torch-lit pathways and fishing pier are still there. Guests are greeted at the front gate, their arrival announced by radio to the bell staff at the porte-cochere, where they are escorted concierge-style to the front lobby for check-in and champagne.
AMENITIES An additional resort fee of $40 daily gives unlimited access to two saline pools, tennis courts, a nine-hole par three golf course, fishing rods, beach cruiser-style bicycles, sea kayaks, snorkelling gear (there's a stocked saltwater lagoon), windsurfing, kiteboarding and Hobie cats. Fishing charters ("anything that swims comes by here," said a staff member), scuba diving, kids' camp and local tours are extra.
The destination spa emphasizes organic reinvigoration (think spa, fitness centre, yoga and capoeira). In addition to the usual spa hoo-hah, the menu includes the signature Lava Shell massage, Cheeca's twist on the hot stone treatment often offered at spas. Polished tiger clam shells are filled with a heated lava gel and then used to massage points of your body that need relaxation. It's a luxurious, deep treatment. There's also a series of "personal spa rituals" that can be delivered in the treatment rooms, on the outdoor spa island, in-suite or in the poolside cabanas (equipped with flatscreen TV, refreshments and pool butler). Free Wi-Fi reaches all the nooks and crannies; and a small business centre has computers with printers.
THE ROOMS The resort has 18 room styles, from beachfront bungalows to one-bedroom suites with full kitchen. The showpiece is the new tower, built by stacking prefabricated units that were trucked to the construction site complete with bathrooms and all electrical wiring in place. The new fire-resistant modules contain 30 per cent recycled material and meet a LEED Silver efficiency rating.
My oceanfront suite was outfitted with two pillow-topped queen beds (being a bit of a sheet snob, I loved the Frette cotton sateen linens), comfy corner couch, and a plasma TV that hogged wall acreage (there's a DVD library for guests). Nifty energy efficiency sensors automatically disable the air conditioning when a door opens on the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Although it was only a minor annoyance, the sound of voices travelled between units more than I thought was reasonable.
The spacious bathroom has glass vessel sinks, mood lighting, and a tile and glass enclosure with overhead rain shower that can diplomatically be described as "party size." A few steps away, sliding glass doors open to a deep spa tub on a wide lanai. I was caught off guard by the dramatic way the tub fills: water streams from a ceiling-mount bath filler. With all this careful attention to detail, a curious shortage of towel racks was surprising.
SERVICE There are minor bugs to be worked out as the new staff learns the ropes. On the first night I was served a dinner entrée ordered by the next table (but I opted to keep the dish and loved it). And it took three or four tries to get the front desk operator to make a connection when I tried to phone the spa. Also, TVs should be turned off in the restaurant during service (better yet, remove them entirely - there is no place for televisions in a high-end restaurant, even in Florida). But all the staff members I encountered seemed genuinely enthusiastic.
FOOD Duck and rib eye are on the menu at the signature Atlantic's Edge restaurant… but why bother? You can practically dangle an outstretched toe in the ocean as you scan the menu, so the thing to order is seafood. The selection reflects local catch (no endangered species), organic veggies and tropical-inspired flavours. My barrelfish was sweet, moist and fresh. The side of Parmesan risotto was creamy, the maitake mushrooms rich and woodsy.
A second eatery, Nikai, serves traditional sushi and fusion dishes, plus 35 varieties of sake. A beachfront tiki bar serves snacks and drinks. Room service runs 24 hours a day.
THE VERDICT Service and luxury like this comes with a price tag, but there's not a hint of pretension as the hotel rolls out the welcome mat.
Special to The Globe and Mail