LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in Naples, Florida is running a three-month branded activation called 'Après Sea,' built around a partnership with lifestyle brand Draper James and sustainable outdoor furniture maker POLYWOOD. The program, live July 25 through October 25, 2026, layers food and beverage service, spa programming, and curated outdoor spaces into a single guest experience — a model that illustrates how luxury resorts are increasingly turning to multi-brand collaborations to animate underutilized property areas and extend dwell time.
The F&B and Wellness Layer
The Gulf Lawn serves as the activation's social hub, furnished with pieces from the Draper James by POLYWOOD Savannah collection and supported by a branded F&B program running from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on weekends. The menu features Southern-inspired bites and specialty libations alongside a kids' activity station — a deliberate move to draw multigenerational groups and keep guests on property longer during peak coastal season.
The SpaTerre Veranda takes a different angle, drawing aesthetic inspiration from the Tea Forté x Draper James Lemon Sunshine tea. The property serves artisanal iced pours of the tea during select hours and carries the citrus concept into three dedicated wellness treatments inside SpaTerre — a facial, massage, and soaking tub experience. The cross-pollination of F&B and spa is a tactic gaining traction across luxury resort hospitality, where operators look to theme programming cohesively rather than running disconnected amenities.
Why the Model Matters for Operators
For hospitality professionals tracking experiential food and beverage strategy, the Après Sea activation is a useful case study in packaging. Rather than a single co-branded item or one-night event, LaPlaya has structured a 90-day program that touches outdoor furniture, signature beverages, spa treatments, retail, and daily F&B service — giving each partner sustained visibility while giving guests a reason to return throughout the season.
"At LaPlaya, we believe that lasting memories are built in moments of genuine connection," said Marina Serret, Area Director of Sales and Marketing at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort. "The spaces we've created are more than just places where our guests will relax in style; they're where guests pause to reflect on the day's treasured moments."
The furniture component carries commercial weight beyond aesthetics. The Draper James by POLYWOOD line is backed by a 20-year lumber warranty, crafted from proprietary all-weather lumber with Solidcore™ durability and ClimateTuff™ materials engineered to resist fading, splintering, rot, and cracking — specifications that speak directly to resort procurement teams managing high-traffic outdoor environments on the Gulf Coast. Scott Miller, SVP of Commercial & Hospitality Sales at POLYWOOD, noted the collection is "engineered to withstand intense sun, coastal rain, and the demands of high-traffic resort environments."
A Draper James pop-up shop will operate on property for the duration of the activation, offering guests curated summer merchandise — a retail layer that converts foot traffic from F&B and spa into a secondary revenue stream without requiring additional staffing infrastructure beyond what a brand partnership provides.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
