[2] In 1958 Wilkins and his partner Harold O'Brien purchased Hotel Pocopaupack on the banks of Lake Wallenpaupack in Lakeville, Pennsylvania.
"[10] In January 1971 Life magazine featured a two-page photograph of a couple smooching in one of the red-tiled "sweetheart tubs" at Cove Haven.
[1][7] Author George Cantor wrote, "Wilkins's amorous innovation... helped transform the Poconos into America's premier honeymoon haven.
"[14] According to Local Flair Magazine, "These iconic tubs symbolized romance and luxury for couples looking to retreat to a scenic and quiet getaway without having to travel far.
I immediately ran down to the basement of my house and drew a big heart on the concrete floor and called Obie [O'Brien].
[18] Some of Wilkins's ideas, including mirrors on the ceilings, circular beds, and heart-shaped bathtubs, would appear at other Caesars resorts in Las Vegas and Tahoe.
[19] According to Wilkins, "We figured that we would have to build an extraordinary space to house this type of whirlpool, so we designed a four-level suite with a romantic spa-like environment.
"[16] After his wife Lois's death in 2002, Wilkins moved to Palm Springs, California, before finally settling in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He died of heart failure on May 25, 2015, at the age of ninety, and his funeral was held at Congregation Beth Israel in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
[1][2][5] At the time of Wilkins's death, Cove Haven and its sister hotels had 437 heart-shaped whirlpool-equipped bathtubs and 135 seven-foot-tall champagne glass tubs.
"[4][12] He believed that his resorts had lasting effects on honeymoon couples; "We feel the divorce rate from our places is much lower [than the national average] because they get a great start.
[6][17][19] In the 1982 television movie For Lovers Only shot at Cove Haven, Andy Griffith played hotel proprietor Vernon Bliss.