07/06/2026
RICO REPORT:
A Successful Key Largo Holiday Weekend is when the Incident Report fits on ONE page.
Every great Fourth of July weekend needs an opening ceremony. Ours started with a boat catching fire across the water from Gilbert’s at the Anchorage.
Around 11 p.m., someone noticed smoke coming from the boat and apparently decided the best course of action was to set up a fan so the smoke wouldn’t bother the guests. Unfortunately, this innovative firefighting strategy failed to impress the fire.
A short time later, flames broke out. One guest by the pool immediately jumped into action with a garden hose while others called 911. Within minutes, the Key Largo Fire Department arrived in full force and quickly took over. Not exactly the fireworks anyone was hoping to see, but thankfully the situation was brought under control.
Apparently, all the excitement was happening tacross the way this weekend. The next day’s feature presentation was an adult mother-daughter fight that escalated far beyond a simple disagreement. Multiple people immediately ran over to stop it, and thankfully the situation was quickly under control. Contrary to popular belief, the Fourth of July is not an official family fight championship. Alcohol apparently missed that memo.
Then came our featured guests.
A nice couple checked in and seemed to be enjoying the afternoon by the pool. At some point, it became apparent they had likely been drinking before arriving, so we brought them bottled water and suggested they hydrate. Oddly enough, they seemed offended by the gesture.
Not long after, they announced they were heading to The Big Chill for more drinks.
That plan ended there.
We weren’t about to let anyone drive in that condition, so bar hopping was officially canceled.
The evening continued downhill. At one point, the gentleman stormed to the front desk insisting his room key didn’t work.
After a quick investigation, it turned out the key worked perfectly.
He was simply trying to unlock someone else’s room.
Unfortunately, his customer feedback quickly escalated from “my key doesn’t work” to felony-level complaints, including threats toward the front desk staff. At that point, we had no choice but to end their vacation early.
As it turns out, the fastest checkout isn’t express checkout—it’s threatening the front desk.
Despite a few incidents that kept Rico’s notebook busy, the rest of the weekend was exactly what the Fourth of July is all about.
Our staff showed up dressed in their red, white, and blue, the music never stopped with great performances from Ray Nichols Band, Angel Riot, Silver Spine. They all are very talented musicians. The tiki bar was full, the beach was packed, familiar faces returned, plenty of new ones discovered Gilbert’s, and together everyone made it a fantastic holiday weekend.
Finally, Rico would like to thank everyone who spent the holiday weekend with us… including those who accidentally earned a cameo in this week’s Rico Report. 😄
Let’s be honest—we’ve all done something we’d rather not have become a story. The important part is that everyone can laugh about it afterward, learn from it, and make better memories next time.
Thank you all for your continued support. You’re the reason Gilbert’s keeps thriving, and we truly appreciate every one of you. ❤️🤍💙
