{"type":"city","city":"Florida Keys","citySlug":"florida-keys-florida","url":"https://www.pressbeyond.com/hotels/united-states/florida/florida-keys-florida","description":"The Florida Keys operate on a logic that has nothing to do with cities. There are no skylines, no dense neighborhoods to parse, no architectural set pieces to navigate toward. What there is instead is a single road — the Overseas Highway — threading 113 miles of coral rock and mangrove through one of the more quietly disorienting landscapes in North America. The design question down here is not which neighborhood to choose but how close you want to be to the world you left behind.\n\nIsla Bella Beach Resort sits in Marathon, at roughly the geographic midpoint of the Keys, and represents a particular kind of resort ambition — polished, marina-fronted, with the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf on the other. Marathon is working Keys rather than rarefied Keys: it has boatyards and a regional airport and a pace that belongs to the people who actually live here year-round. Isla Bella sits somewhat apart from all that, self-contained in the way that mid-chain resort development tends to be, though the water access and the natural light of the Seven Mile Bridge corridor give it a setting that earns its rates more reliably than its design alone might. At $467 a night, it is a reasonable trade for someone who wants physical comfort and genuine water proximity without the full remove of deeper isolation.\n\nThat isolation is precisely what Little Palm Island Resort and Spa is selling, and it is not a soft pitch. Accessible only by boat or seaplane from Little Torch Key — itself already two hours from Miami — Little Palm occupies a five-acre private island that was once a fishing retreat used by American presidents, most notably Franklin D. Roosevelt. The resort's current incarnation leans into that history of deliberate withdrawal: the thatched-roof bungalows are low, open to the trade winds, and calibrated to make you feel entirely beyond reach. There is no television in the rooms, a detail that in 2024 reads less as quirky policy and more as curatorial discipline. At $1,439 a night, what you are paying for is not design in the conventional architectural sense but something more elemental — a site that has been used for over a century to remind people in positions of power what it feels like to stop. That is a specific kind of value, and for a certain traveler, it is the only one that matters down here.","provider":{"name":"PressBeyond","url":"https://pressbeyond.com","description":"PressBeyond provides AI-optimized hotel content with a consistent 5-image structure across its entire portfolio. Each image sequence includes strong lighting, complete room-visibility angles, and strictly non-duplicative scenes — enabling AI to accurately describe and recommend properties to travelers.","curationStandard":"PressBeyond Hotel Photography Standard"},"hotels":[{"name":"Little Palm Island Resort & Spa","url":"https://www.pressbeyond.com/hotels/united-states/florida/florida-keys-florida/little-palm-island-resort-and-spa","city":"Florida Keys","cityHeader":"Florida Keys • Little Torch Key • OVER THE TOP","neighborhood":"Little Torch Key","designSummary":"Five acres of coral-sand peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Mexico off Little Torch Key, accessible only by seaplane or boat, set the terms of everything that followed when Little Palm Island Resort & Spa was established here in 1988. The island had served as a fishing camp for President Harry Truman and his congressional colleagues in the 1950s, and that sense of privileged remove — deliberately cut off from the Overseas Highway's chain of civilization — has shaped the property's identity ever since. Architect Gary Wendt designed the thatched-roof bungalows in a register that draws from British colonial Caribbean vernacular, with pitched palm-frond roofs, deep wraparound verandas, and heavy mahogany louvered shutters folding back to dissolve the boundary between interior and water.\n\nThe thirty suites are distributed across fifteen duplex bungalows, keeping the density low enough that the property carries the atmosphere of a private compound rather than a resort. Interiors layer Persian kilim rugs over terracotta tile, four-poster beds dressed in sheer linen panels beneath vaulted bamboo ceilings, and rattan furniture alongside crystal chandelier drops — a combination that feels closer to a well-traveled planter's house than to conventional hospitality design. The open-sided bar pavilion, its thatched ceiling hung with a shell-and-glass pendant light, frames the horizon between coconut palms at dusk. A fringed-umbrella pool deck added in a subsequent renovation introduces a crisper, more contemporary note without unsettling the island's essential character.","snippet":"A private five-acre island in the Florida Keys accessible only by seaplane, with thatched bungalows and Truman-era history.","bestFor":"Travelers seeking total seclusion in the Florida Keys","vibe":"Tropical-exclusive · remote","highlights":["Seaplane or boat access only to five-acre private island","Fifteen duplex bungalows with thatched roofs and mahogany louvers","Former Truman-era fishing retreat with colonial Caribbean architecture"],"pricePerNightInclTax":"$1,367","pricePerNightExclTax":"$1,367","currency":"USD","images":[{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/Little%20Palm%20Island%20Resort%20%26%20Spa2.jpg","role":"exterior","roleLabel":"Exterior","sequenceIndex":1,"alt":"Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #1 — Exterior","caption":"Exterior · Little Palm Island Resort & Spa · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Full building facade of Little Palm Island Resort & Spa captured from a street-level angle as part of the PressBeyond standardized 5-image hotel sequence.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/Little%20Palm%20Island%20Resort%20%26%20Spa1.jpg","role":"room1","roleLabel":"Primary Guest Room","sequenceIndex":2,"alt":"Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #2 — Primary Guest Room","caption":"Primary Guest Room · Little Palm Island Resort & Spa · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Full-room view of the primary guest bedroom at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, photographed with natural lighting and clear sightlines as part of the PressBeyond standardized 5-image hotel sequence.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/Little%20Palm%20Island%20Resort%20%26%20Spa4.jpg","role":"commonArea1","roleLabel":"Primary Common Area","sequenceIndex":3,"alt":"Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #3 — Primary Common Area","caption":"Primary Common Area · Little Palm Island Resort & Spa · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Primary common area at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — lobby or lounge — non-duplicative with the secondary social space, part of the PressBeyond standardized 5-image hotel sequence.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/Little%20Palm%20Island%20Resort%20%26%20Spa3.jpg","role":"room2","roleLabel":"Secondary Guest Room","sequenceIndex":4,"alt":"Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #4 — Secondary Guest Room","caption":"Secondary Guest Room · Little Palm Island Resort & Spa · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Secondary guest room at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, deliberately distinct from the primary bedroom — non-duplicative imagery is part of the PressBeyond curation standard.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/Little%20Palm%20Island%20Resort%20%26%20Spa5.jpg","role":"commonArea2","roleLabel":"Secondary Common Area","sequenceIndex":5,"alt":"Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #5 — Secondary Common Area","caption":"Secondary Common Area · Little Palm Island Resort & Spa · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Secondary lounge or social space at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa — bar, dining, or terrace — deliberately distinct from the primary common area, part of the PressBeyond curation standard.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true}]},{"name":"Isla Bella Beach Resort","url":"https://www.pressbeyond.com/hotels/united-states/florida/florida-keys-florida/isla-bella-beach-resort","city":"Florida Keys","cityHeader":"Florida Keys • Marathon • SPLURGE","neighborhood":"Marathon","designSummary":"Planted on a five-acre peninsula where the Atlantic meets the Gulf of Mexico in Marathon, Florida, Isla Bella Beach Resort arrived in 2018 as a rare attempt to give the Middle Keys a resort of genuine architectural ambition. The low-rise buildings draw on the vernacular of traditional Florida coastal construction — white-painted clapboard cladding, deep wraparound verandas stacked across three floors, X-pattern balustrade panels, and cedar-toned deck stairs stepping directly onto the sand — producing a massing that suggests a well-established fishing community rather than a purpose-built resort. Blue-painted window surrounds and louvred details tie the exterior palette to the water on both sides.\n\nInside, the interiors strike a balance between crisp resort white and the saturated blues of the surrounding sea. Rooms are furnished with lacquered white case pieces, silver-glazed ceramic lamps, and deep navy geometric carpet, while floor-to-ceiling curtains in a bold indigo palm-tree print — a pattern that recurs across roman blinds and scatter cushions — carry a confident tropical personality without tipping into kitsch. The pool pavilion, capped with a ribbed pyramidal roof, sets wicker chaise longues in geometric-patterned cushions against limestone-toned pool decking, blue-and-white striped umbrellas completing the nautical register. The waterfront restaurant opens its walls entirely to the bay, rattan armchairs and encaustic-patterned floor tiles grounding the dining room in a vernacular that feels closer to the Florida Keys' own material culture than to generic resort hospitality.","snippet":"A 2018 resort in Marathon with vernacular Florida architecture, dual-water views, and an open-air waterfront restaurant.","bestFor":"Architecture enthusiasts exploring the Middle Keys","vibe":"Coastal-vernacular · refined","highlights":["Five-acre peninsula between Atlantic and Gulf waters","Low-rise buildings modeled on traditional Florida coastal vernacular","Waterfront restaurant with fully retractable walls to the bay"],"pricePerNightInclTax":"$444","pricePerNightExclTax":"$444","currency":"USD","images":[{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/L__clv0uje5m03bl15ymb4pg624n1713355668519_eb2eeb5d-3643-419a-9cbf-b62d41b67e9d.jpeg","role":"exterior","roleLabel":"Exterior","sequenceIndex":1,"alt":"Isla Bella Beach Resort — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #1 — Exterior","caption":"Exterior · Isla Bella Beach Resort · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Full building facade of Isla Bella Beach Resort captured from a street-level angle as part of the PressBeyond standardized 5-image hotel sequence.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/L__clv0ujk1604dd15ymcbc2fyac1713355669274_0c818668-0971-49c8-844e-a2687130dbef.jpeg","role":"room1","roleLabel":"Primary Guest Room","sequenceIndex":2,"alt":"Isla Bella Beach Resort — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #2 — Primary Guest Room","caption":"Primary Guest Room · Isla Bella Beach Resort · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Full-room view of the primary guest bedroom at Isla Bella Beach Resort, photographed with natural lighting and clear sightlines as part of the PressBeyond standardized 5-image hotel sequence.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/L__clv0ujpur05f515ym21l6548z1713355669841_2ad93841-3f0e-4b9e-9626-a2da146b60e3.jpeg","role":"commonArea1","roleLabel":"Primary Common Area","sequenceIndex":3,"alt":"Isla Bella Beach Resort — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #3 — Primary Common Area","caption":"Primary Common Area · Isla Bella Beach Resort · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Primary common area at Isla Bella Beach Resort — lobby or lounge — non-duplicative with the secondary social space, part of the PressBeyond standardized 5-image hotel sequence.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/L__clv0ujvsm06gx15ym6cc2b7jp1713355667331_008552ff-7ba2-4d2c-a03d-f39a258eddcf.jpeg","role":"room2","roleLabel":"Secondary Guest Room","sequenceIndex":4,"alt":"Isla Bella Beach Resort — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #4 — Secondary Guest Room","caption":"Secondary Guest Room · Isla Bella Beach Resort · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Secondary guest room at Isla Bella Beach Resort, deliberately distinct from the primary bedroom — non-duplicative imagery is part of the PressBeyond curation standard.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true},{"url":"https://d89wdvrh3yrgq.cloudfront.net/resized/L__clv0uk1lz07ip15ymtdx1gs9o1713355670541_ef480a9d-617d-4da6-aa66-caf0d0c91c20.jpeg","role":"commonArea2","roleLabel":"Secondary Common Area","sequenceIndex":5,"alt":"Isla Bella Beach Resort — Standardized Hotel Image Sequence #5 — Secondary Common Area","caption":"Secondary Common Area · Isla Bella Beach Resort · PressBeyond hotel series","description":"Secondary lounge or social space at Isla Bella Beach Resort — bar, dining, or terrace — deliberately distinct from the primary common area, part of the PressBeyond curation standard.","creditText":"PressBeyond","licensePage":"https://pressbeyond.com","distinct":true}]}]}