Casa Marina, the grande dame of Key West resorts, opened on New Year’s Eve in 1920 as Key West’s most glamorous destination.
The century-old resort, commissioned by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, will reopen to similar fanfare in the next six months, following a complete makeover and renovations to all 311 rooms, restaurants, outdoor areas, event spaces and the lobby. The building itself, with its sprawling verandas and Spanish-style architecture, will certainly not be torn down, resort officials emphasized.
A construction fence currently surrounds the entire resort, 1500 Reynolds St., a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection of hotels.
“We closed the resort … May 15, and the finished product is going to be beautiful,” said Andy Rosuck, director of sales and marketing for the resort. “Obviously, we’ll protect the historic integrity of the property, but will freshen everything up.”
The Sun Sun outdoor pool bar is being torn down to make room for a new restaurant concept with a rooftop terrace, Rosuck said.
The property will reopen in phases, with the first set of rooms available in mid-September. The entire resort should be completely operational in its renewed glory by early November.
“We have an army of people working on the property now, and the workers are staying on site, which makes things easier,” Rosuck told the Keys Weekly.
According to the resort’s website, “By reimagining the rooms and lobby with classic designs elevated by modern touches, enhancing the food and beverage offerings, adding a versatile 5,000-square-foot oceanfront event lawn, and fully restoring the activity piers, the Casa Marina experience will be further enriched for decades to come.”
More information is at casamarinaresort.com.
