GETAWAYS • The Keys
If you hit traffic just right, impromptu getaways to Key Largo are a breeze. The distance between that feeling of escape as you pass the final mainland stoplight and arrival in paradise is beautifully brief. The fact that it’s one of the islands named in the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” has lent it a certain allure ever since I was a little girl. And the place that most embodies that sense of breezy magic is Playa Largo, one of Key Largo’s only newly built resorts in the last 30 years.
Situated bayside at Mile Marker 97, the resort spans 15 acres with 144 accommodations spread across four wings. Tin roofs and big white balconies hearken to Key West vernacular architecture. The resort is anchored by a lagoon-style zero-entry swimming pool and beautifully landscaped beach. There’s also a marina, spa, fitness center, and basketball and tennis courts. Not to mention hammocks swaying in the breeze.
The grand, central lobby is decorated in a style blending Miami’s midcentury modern glamour with subtle nautical touches: sparkling terrazzo floors inlaid with a compass rose, a fountain, lanterns strewn about representing lighthouses, a dramatic spiral staircase leading to the ground floor, and a “cheese hole” decorative wall. Rooms are modern and spacious in a soothing neutral color palette with wood-paneled walls that mimic old clipper ships and washes of blue in accent furniture.
It’s also home to four distinct dining destinations, including Las Olas, a sexy lobbyside ceviche bar; La Marea, a modern steakhouse in a breezy setting that sources beef from a local South Florida purveyor; poolside Sand Bar; and the spot that represents the true distillation of Playa Largo’s Kokomo spirit for me, Sol by the Sea. Situated inside a reclaimed boathouse overlooking the bay, it offers incredible sunset views and locally caught seafood in a rugged, yet stylish setting. Paradise. –Shayne Benowitz
→ Playa Largo (Key Largo) • 97450 Overseas Hwy • $427 late July king