Outdoor gear retailer Bass Pro Shops has agreed to acquire the Cheeca Lodge & Spa in the Florida Keys for an undisclosed price. According to reports, seller Northwood Investors was seeking more than $300 million.
The 27-acre oceanfront property opened in 1946 in Islamorada, renowned as the "Sportfishing Capital of the World." Over the years, the resort has had a star-studded guest list of presidents, athletes and Hollywood actors.
The luxury resort is home to 243 rooms and suites, three swimming pools, a full-service spa, a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, a 525-foot fishing pier, tennis and pickleball courts, and several food and beverage venues.
Cheeca Lodge sits adjacent to the World Wide Sportsman Store & Marina, a Bass Pro Shops-owned retail operation in Islamorada that's been part of the company's portfolio for roughly 30 years.
Bass Pro Shops said it intends to enhance the resort while preserving its existing character and heritage. In a statement, Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris said he has "enormous respect for the history of Islamorada and the generations of anglers and families who have made memories here,” adding that Bass Pro Shops is “humbled and honored to have the opportunity to help protect it and carry that story forward."
Additionally, Bass Pro Shops said it plans to continue its conservation focus in the Florida Keys, where the company says it has contributed more than 10% of its earnings in support of conservation programs over the past decade.
The acquisition expands the Missouri-based company’s existing hospitality portfolio, which includes Big Cedar Lodge, a 4,600-acre resort in the Missouri Ozarks; Big Cypress Lodge, a 105-room property that overlooks the Bass Pro Shops megastore inside the Pyramid in downtown Memphis; and two Angler’s Lodge locations in Springfield and Hollister, Missouri.