"I'm confident the new owner will operate it as a gay men's resort," said Allen announcing his decision to sell the property he bought in 1999 with his partner of 23 years, Martin Kay, who died in December. "It has higher [average daily room rates] and occupancy than any comparable property in Old Town. There's no good reason to change its model. It's a success."
The plan is to have the management team and staff will remain and continue to run Island House as an all-men’s, clothing-optional resort where gay men can be themselves in a safe, comfortable environment, relax and meet other men.
"Yes, Jon is selling Island House, but it's not going away and, in fact, the reservation lines have been ringing off the hook with guests looking for an escape from their endless winter," Jeffrey Smead, Island House’s Director of Marketing said, noting that the resort was recently featured on RuPaul's Drag Race, airing on the LOGO network. He added that since “10 of the resort’s 34 rooms feature shared bathrooms, the likelihood of the property becoming mainstream are almost nonexistent. Jon’s looking forward to someday returning as a guest.”
The property appears in the MLS listings with an asking price of $13.5 million. Julie Fondriest, co-listing agent with Claude Gardner at Prudential Knight Gardner Realtors, can be reached at Prudential Knight & Gardner Realty, Key West; jfondriest@aol.com; 305-587-4208.
