Blue Key Properties

08/22/2026

Decades of strategic investment and public-private partnerships are creating opportunities for independent, chef-driven concepts across the region. >> See the full article below ⬇️

08/01/2026

Henry Flagler's Ponce de Leon Hotel didn't just open a new hotel in St. Augustine, it essentially launched Florida's entire tourism industry. 🏨 Completed in 1888, it was one of the first buildings in the world constructed using poured concrete, an engineering choice ahead of its time.

The hotel drew wealthy Northern travelers south for the winter season, offering a level of luxury previously unheard of in the state, and its success convinced Flagler to expand his railroad and hotel empire down Florida's entire east coast. What started as a single ambitious building in a sleepy colonial city ultimately reshaped how Americans thought about traveling to Florida for generations to come.

It's incredible to think one hotel essentially set the entire trajectory of Florida's tourism industry into motion. Have you ever visited or seen photos of the Ponce de Leon Hotel today?

07/20/2026

07/19/2026

🇪🇸CONGRATULATIONS TO SPAIN! FIFA World Cup 2026 Champions!

Spain founded St. Augustine on September 8, 1565! Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was sent by King Philip II to oust French colonists at Fort Caroline, near present day Jacksonville, Florida.

St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited, European-established settlement in the continental United States. Menéndez de Avilés was the first governor of La Florida (1565–74).

📸 Photo of Lightner Museum/City Hall (former Alcazar Hotel) and statue of Menendez by Paul Fowler

07/19/2026

Before St. Augustine was fully established, Spanish commander Pedro Menéndez de Avilés led an expedition against the nearby French settlement of Fort Caroline in 1565. The action helped secure Spanish control of Florida and marked one of the earliest conflicts between European powers in what would become the United States.