Since mid-October, Bass Pro Shops has had a stake in Cheeca Lodge, the Islander Resort, World Wide Sportsman and Islamorada Fish Company, and a lot of people in the Upper Keys have been asking what happens next. Bass Pro owns Cheeca outright and is partnering with Schulte Hospitality Group on the Islander. The one dollar figure announced so far is $500,000 for the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center, the museum on the Islander grounds at mile marker 82. The rest of the plan is still being written.
That means the most useful thing for a local this fall is knowing what's open and when. The resorts' futures can wait for an announcement that hasn't come yet.
Four landmarks, one partnership, as of October 14
Bass Pro already had a base in central Islamorada before 2026. Its World Wide Sportsman store and marina sit at 81576 Overseas Highway, and the official site of Islamorada Fish Company, the restaurant next door at MM 81.5, describes it as Bass Pro-owned and operated.
The company added Cheeca Lodge in June. Keys Weekly reported that the price wasn't disclosed, though the seller, Northwood Investors, had been asking as much as $300 million. According to Bass Pro's October 14 announcement, the Islander came up for sale after the Cheeca purchase. Bass Pro and Schulte Hospitality Group then agreed to partner on it and to run both resorts.
| Property | What it is | Tie to Bass Pro |
|---|---|---|
| World Wide Sportsman Store & Marina | Retail store and marina, 81576 Overseas Highway | Already part of Bass Pro |
| Islamorada Fish Company | Waterside restaurant, 81532 Overseas Highway | Already Bass Pro-owned and operated |
| Cheeca Lodge & Spa | 254 rooms, suites and casitas; Jack Nicklaus nine-hole par-3; 525-foot historic fishing pier | Acquisition announced June 2026 |
| Islander Resort | 24 oceanside acres, built in 1951; 114 bungalows and suites plus 25 bayside villas | Bass Pro and Schulte partnership announced October 14, 2026 |
Bass Pro's announcement says the two resorts "will join World Wide Sportsman Store & Marina to create a remarkable landmark adventure destination in the heart of the Florida Keys." That's the stated goal. The announcement doesn't include a site plan, a timeline or a list of changes.
What has actually been decided
Keys Weekly's report on the Islander deal says both resorts will keep operating normally through the transition while plans to "enhance and unite" them are developed. It adds that "every effort will be made to retain much of the charm and character" of the two properties. Bass Pro's June release on Cheeca, published by its Big Cedar Lodge division, used similar language about enhancing the resort while keeping its character. It didn't name a renovation scope, a closure or a new name.
Two concrete decisions have come out of the October announcement, and both involve people and programs, not buildings.
The first is leadership. The same Keys Weekly report says Joy Michelle Boyd, the Islander's current manager and president of the Florida Keys Resort & Lodging Association chapter, will lead both Cheeca and the Islander. She'll report to Debbie Bennett, president of Bass Pro's Nature-Based Hospitality Division and a 39-year leader at Big Cedar Lodge. The paper also says the partners plan to keep many key team members from both resorts.
The second is the money. Bass Pro Shops, founder Johnny Morris, Darryl Schulte and other donors committed $500,000 to the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center at the Islander. Keys Weekly describes the gift as celebrating "the people and places that have helped build the rich fishing heritage of Islamorada."
"We have great respect for the history of Islander Resort and the people who made it such a beloved destination," Morris said, as quoted by Keys Weekly.
Since there are no renovation plans to review yet, the museum is the clearest sign of where the new owners are putting their attention.
The museum is the easiest part of the deal to use this fall
You don't need a room key to visit the Florida Keys History & Discovery Center. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $15, visitors 55 and older pay $12.50, students pay $6, and military visitors get in free. There's no separate Monroe County resident rate on the center's site. The Islander's own page says resort guests get half off general admission, which is one more thing to watch as the two resorts are combined.
The permanent exhibits cover the Keys from the First People through Spanish treasure fleets, pirates, wreckers and salvagers, Indian Key, Flagler's railway and the 1935 hurricane. There are also three aquariums and Mote Marine Laboratory's Coral Reef Exploration exhibit.
The evening lecture series is the easiest way in for locals who've already seen the galleries. Each night starts with a social hour at 5 p.m., and the talk begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are free for members and $10 for everyone else, according to Keys Weekly. Two fall lectures remain:
- November 11: The 14th Colony, the American Revolution's best kept secret.
- December 9: The Florida sponge war, the conflict between Key West and the Gulf towns.
The center takes questions at [email protected] or 305-922-2237. On lecture nights you can stay on the property for dinner afterward, since some of the Islander's restaurants are open to the public.
Where non-guests can eat and drink right now
The Islander's dining page says outright that Coccoloba serves resort guests, families and locals, and the hub lists it as open daily. The restaurant's own page shows different hours, Friday and Saturday only, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call before you plan a weekday lunch there.
Tides Beachside Bar & Grill is the more dependable choice. It's listed as open seven days, and the kitchen serves 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday. Sandy's Bar by the pool keeps seasonal hours, and the resort asks visitors to check with Guest Services.
At Cheeca, the dining page currently lists Atlantic's Edge, Nikai, Mia Cucina, the Tiki Bar, 25 South, Pierre's and the Green Flash Lounge, and The Beach Café. Atlantic's Edge is listed as open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with reservations available online. The hub lists the Tiki Bar's hours as 11 a.m. to midnight, but the bar's own page shows a different start time, so confirm before you go. Cheeca's FAQ describes pier fishing, with pole and license, as an amenity covered by the resort fee for guests. Treat the 525-foot pier as a guest amenity unless the resort tells you otherwise.
The Bass Pro places that were already open to everyone
The two Bass Pro properties at MM 81.5 have always been public, and their listed hours haven't changed with the resort deals.
- World Wide Sportsman: The store is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The marina runs 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
- Islamorada Fish Company: Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Breakfast runs 8 to 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
Together with Cheeca and the Islander, that puts a store, a marina, a waterside restaurant and two oceanfront resorts under Bass Pro's umbrella, all within a few mile markers. The announcements so far don't say whether that will mean shared memberships, shared programming or new access for locals. When something changes, the Discovery Center is likely to show it first, since that's where the funding went.
A short fall calendar around the resorts
The rest of the season's Islamorada events fit easily around a museum visit or dinner at Tides. The Islamorada Chamber lists the Morada Way Art Walk for November 19 and December 17. The Chamber's 22nd Annual Holiday Fest runs Friday, December 4, from 4 to 10 p.m. on the Great Lawn at Founders Park, and the Holiday Parade starts at 7:30 p.m. If you're heading to Founders Park, our guide to the park's new ball field and pool covers what's changed there this year. In January, the Chamber calendar lists the Florida Keys Celtic Festival on January 9 and 10 and the Island Boat Show on January 22 and 23.
For now, the lecture on November 11 is the next date to plan around at the Islander, and the museum is open six days a week until then.
If you own property near MM 82 and want to know how the plans for Cheeca and the Islander could affect your part of Islamorada as details come out, BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty follows these announcements from our Islamorada office and can tell you what we're seeing. Our Islamorada and Upper Keys neighborhood page is a good place to start, and our agents are always glad to talk it through. Contact Us.
