FAMILY AFFAIR

ONE MAN'S VISION FOR BUNGALOWS KEY LARGO REACHES BEYOND HIS RESORT-TO STAFF AND GUESTS ALIKE.

- J. MICHAEL WELTON

Hotelier Jerry Johnson had a singular vision for the resort he calls Bungalows Key Largo when it opened in 2019.

He knew the kind of people needed to run it-and the way he wanted to deal with them.

Like Cynthia Costa, its general manager from the get-go. She'd worked for Johnson when he owned the Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, 18 miles south.

"They treat you like family," she says of Johnson and his nephew, Jeremy. "I have deep roots with them, and work as hard as I can because I have that much respect for them."

Once he'd bought his 12 acres on Buttonwood Bay, Johnson designed 135 identical bungalows himself. At the rear of each, he added outdoor seating, a shower, and a bathtub. Out front is a porch with Adirondack chairs, a ceiling fan, and a pair of bikes. And he laid them all out in a master plan worthy of any New Urbanist practicing today.

He also demonstrated a deft understanding of landscape design. He planted his property with native ferns, towering palms, and flowering bougainvillea. "He was responsible for every plant and tree," Costa says. "He knew where he wanted to put things."

The result? A sanctuary that's known as the only all-inclusive, adults-only resort in the Florida Keys-and a destination unto itself. "Everyone who goes through those gates has an 'Aha!' moment," she says. "They instantly become relaxed."