The two Naples couples were already considering a huge renovation for their boutique-style Florida Keys resort.
Then HGTV called, and that clinched it.
The resulting, multi-million-dollar project is featured in the new HGTV series “Renovation Island: The Adventure Continues.” The six-episode series premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 7.
The show — a spin-off of the popular reality series “Renovation Island” — will show all the joy and trauma the Naples couples experienced during the six-month renovation at Islamorada’s Pines & Palms Resort. The four-acre, ocean-front property is jointly owned by Nick and Raynie Reizen and Chad and Katie McKimm.
“It was very stressful — the most stressful experience I’ve ever been through in my life,” says co-owner Nick Reizen. “There are so many different things that you’re juggling. Whether it’s the budget. Whether it’s ‘Do we keep the resort open? Do we close it? Do we need to lay off staff?’”
Despite the headaches, Reizen says it was fun working with show hosts Bryan and Sarah Baeumler.
“It was an interesting process,” he says. “I think we all enjoyed it.”
Naples couples met on school field trip, bought Florida Keys resort
The two couples bought Pines & Palms Resort in 2022 after visiting the Keys together for several years. They all love Islamorada and have second homes there.
None of them had stayed at the resort before, but The Reizens saw it as a good investment opportunity and The McKimms saw it as a way to get more involved in the Islamorada community.
“We had been traveling there so much, and we loved everything about Florida Keys life,” says co-owner Katie McKimm. “And we’re really excited to be a part of something bigger in the community.”
The couples have been friends since 2018, when Katie McKimm and Raynie Reizen met at an elementary school field trip in Naples with their kids. The couples soon started going to the Keys together.
Now they manage Pines & Palms Resort together, too. And one or more of them travels there — by boat, car and sometimes even plane — at least once a week.
“I think what started purely as an investment has become more of a passion,” Nick Reizen says. “We love the guests, and we love the community. So we are much more involved in the operation and the property than we ever thought we would need to be. But I think we all kind of enjoy that aspect.”
HGTV’s Sarah Baeumler calls: Want to be on new ‘Renovation Island’?
They never thought the resort would lead to them being on a national television show, of course. But then HGTV’s Sarah Baeumler reached out to The Reizens and pitched the idea of renovating the resort and featuring it on their new show.
They started filming in May 2024 and broke ground in July 2024, Katie McKimm says. They wrapped up in December 2024.
The couples hired contractors to do the work, but the Reizens and McKimms oversaw the budget, redesign and planning.
All 25 rooms and the lobby were renovated, including new walls, windows, plumbing, appliances and landscaping, Nick Reizen says. “We took it down to the studs.”
During that stressful and hectic time, the families traveled back and forth from Naples to Islamorada for filming, meetings and more. They’d often have a film crew of six to eight people following them around.
“Obviously a lot of construction things would come up with the contractors and the budget,” Katie McKimm says. “But also, there were just unforeseen things that we’ll save for the show. You’ll have to tune in to see. … Some big decisions needed to be made.”
Naples photographer’s nature images used on ‘Renovation Island’ remodel
The Pines & Palms project also features work by Naples photographer Dennis Goodman in several rooms and the lobby. Raynie Reizen is a client of his wife’s photo-scanning business, and Reizen asked Goodman if they could use his photos for their resort renovation.
HGTV personality Sarah Baeumler eventually visited his Naples gallery, Dennis Goodman Fine Art Photography, to see the photos for herself. She ended up using his photos for a second renovation featured on the series, a beach resort on South Andros Island in The Bahamas.
“She came in and was just blown away,” Goodman says. “She’s like, ‘Oh my God, Dennis, I want you to do my resort in the Bahamas.’ So I ended up shipping art over to her resort.”
Goodman looks forward to seeing himself and his wildlife and landscape photography on national television. Early publicity for the show has already generated interest, he says, and his work has been selling well in Naples and at Islamorada’s at Purple Pineapple Boutique.
“I’m very thankful and grateful,” he says. “And it’s such a great opportunity.”
‘It’s very good TV’
Now, more than two years after filming started at Pines & Palms Resort, the show is finally getting ready to air on HGTV. And The Reizens and The McKimms look forward to watching it with the rest of the country.
“We’ve seen clips of it,” Katie McKimm says. “It’s very good TV, but it was real life. I mean, we lived it.”
Despite the stress, the McKimms and The Reizens say they’re glad they got to do it together — just like they got to buy the resort together.
“It comes with challenges,” Katie McKimm says. “But working together and just seeing the exciting things like filming a TV show and renovating and all that — it really has been fun.”
To learn more about “Renovation Island: The Adventure Continues,” visit hgtv.com/shows/renovation-island, facebook.com/realsarahbaeumler or instagram.com/bryanbaeumler.
Charles Runnells covers arts and entertainment for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. To reach him, call 239-335-0368 or email crunnells@usatodayco.com. Follow or message him on Facebook(@charles.runnells.7), Instagram (@crunnells1) and X (@CharlesRunnells).
Please support local community journalism and stay informed about Southwest Florida news by subscribing to The News-Press and Naples Daily News. Download the free News-Press or Naples Daily News app, and sign up for daily briefing email newsletter, food & dining and growth & development newsletters here and here.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Stressful HGTV makeover for Naples friends and their FL Keys resort
Reporting by Charles Runnells, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
