In the 1948 film noir classic Key Largo, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall weather a hurricane at the Hotel Largo. In the spring of 2019, a different catastrophe struck the Bungalows Key Largo: a fire that burned down the main lodge just five months after the resort had opened. Fortunately, the owners were able to rebuild in time for a December reopening. Read on for four Bogart movie quotes to help you enjoy the sole adults-only all-inclusive in the Florida Keys.
“Rosie, are you cracked? The currents down there are fierce!”
Bogie and Katharine Hepburn braved river rapids in The African Queen, but the main draw in the Keys is the warm, placid water of Florida Bay. The resort offers all sorts of ways to take to the sea, from free kayaks and water trikes to the 56-foot catamaran Lady B. The best watercrafts of all, however, are the six-seat floating tiki huts, the S.S. Rum Runner and S.S. Margarita.
“The stuff that dreams are made of.”
There’s no Maltese Falcon here, but visitors will feel as though they’re in a dream at the Zen Garden Spa. Loosen up in the Himalayan salt room, then take a seat in the black bamboo garden and feel the weight of the world lift away.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…”
Bogart’s characters liked their cocktails, and so will anyone who visits the Hemingway Bar, which is inspired by that other Florida Keys icon. (The walls are furnished with replica tiles from Hem’s house in Key West.) After finishing your Calle Ocho (a rum old-fashioned with chocolate and mole bitters), take a seat in Bogie and Bacall’s, the resort’s fine-dining restaurant, for a tasting-menu dinner. Offerings change daily, but you might see dishes such as chili-rum-glazed chicken roulade or almond-crusted mahi mahi with cilantro lime vinaigrette.
“I’ll bet you $105,000 you go to sleep before I do.”
The 135 bougainvillea-lined bungalows offer cool respite at the end of the day, but you don’t need to be on a treasure hunt in the Sierra Madre to find a reason to stay awake. One look at the soaking tub on your veranda (above) will remind you that some things are worth more than gold. Minimum two-night stay, from $1,200 per night, all-inclusive.
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