Almost a year after Hurricane Irma passed through the Florida Keys, Hawks Cay Resort, near Marathon in the Middle Keys, has formally reopened to visitors.
Widely offered by leading UK tour operators including Virgin Holidays, North America Travel Service and Hayes & Jarvis, the subtropical island resort underwent a $50 million construction project to repair damage caused by Irma.
The property’s owners, Carey Watermark Investors, used the opportunity to enhance the property’s appeal to travellers.
Enhancements include completely renovated rooms, two new restaurants offering both fine-dining and fast-casual options and Oasis Cay, a new adults-only relaxation area with pool, bar and grill that features its own menu of island-inspired bites and speciality drinks.
“After Hurricane Irma we didn’t just look at recovering from the storm,” said Hawks Cay managing director Sheldon Suga.
“That would have been the quickest and easiest way to do this, but it was an opportunity for us to reimagine Hawks Cay.
“We just took our time to do this right.”
The resort’s 177 hotel rooms will boost the Keys hotel capacity to 90 per cent operational following September 2017’s tropical cyclone, Keys tourism officials said.
Florida Keys & Key West UK sales director, Emma Cashmore, commented: “Hawks Cay is extremely popular with UK operators and their clients, and it’s great to have the resort back and even better than before.
“This is a big moment for the Middle Keys and the destination as a whole.”