South Seas Resort on Captiva Island, Florida, has secured a prominent placement in the print edition of the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, hosting an exclusive photoshoot that featured models, athletes, and WAGs against the backdrop of the property's coastal landscape. The feature, confirmed for the May 2026 issue, positions the resort alongside one of the most globally recognized media brands in sports and lifestyle. For operators tracking how luxury resorts build aspirational brand equity, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue represents a rare convergence of mass-market reach and lifestyle credibility. Placement in the print edition — not just a digital mention — signals a deliberate investment in long-lead, image-forward marketing that can sustain booking interest well beyond a single news cycle. Resorts competing in the Southwest Florida market will be watching closely to see how the exposure translates into occupancy and food-and-beverage revenue at the property. South Seas has positioned itself as an elevated coastal escape on the barrier islands of Lee County, a region that continues to attract high-net-worth leisure travelers. The resort's inclusion in the shoot alongside athletes and celebrity-adjacent talent aligns with a broader [hospitality industry trend](/hospitality/luxury-travel-trends) of properties leveraging entertainment and sports media partnerships to differentiate from competing destinations. This kind of earned media play is increasingly relevant as hospitality marketers look beyond traditional travel publications. As covered in [restaurant and resort dining coverage](/restaurants/destination-dining), destination properties are under growing pressure to make their food, beverage, and amenity programming newsworthy enough to attract both influencer and mainstream press attention. A Sports Illustrated feature delivers both in one package. While financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed, the strategic value of appearing in a globally distributed print issue — with accompanying digital and social amplification from the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit brand — is considerable for a resort competing at the luxury tier. 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)](https://www.amazon.com/Beverage-Magazines-Guide-Restaurant-Success/dp/1119668964), 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.