SANIBEL, Fla. — The beaches of Sanibel attract visitors from all over the world. Now, experiencing the shores has become easier as one of Sanibel’s biggest resorts, the Sundial Resort, has reopened its doors to guests.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Thursday to celebrate the resort's comeback.
Watch Sanibel Community Correspondent, Anvar Ruziev's report
"It's been a slow process, very slow and steady," said Becky Miller, the Sundial Resort’s General Manager.
Nearly two years after Hurricane Ian, the Sundial Resort welcomed its first guests on Thursday and hosted its first event. The resort’s reopening was made possible by a team of staff members and contractors, some of whom had to adapt to entirely new roles.
“A lot of people that were servers, bartenders, housekeepers, have learned all new trades, become welders, learned how to operate big equipment, and stayed with us as part of our cleanup crew,” Miller shared.
With the reopening, the resort has launched three bars and restaurants and has begun selling day passes for access to the resort’s amenities. Since guests are not able to stay overnight until November, the day passes temporarily turn Sundial into a beach club—a designation that wasn’t allowed on Sanibel until recently. The Sanibel City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to permit temporary beach clubs as the island continues its rebuilding efforts.
John Lai, President of the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the island's recovery progress.
“Not only do we have 32% of our hotel units back up and running, but we also have 76% of our non-accommodations businesses, like shops, restaurants, and attractions, open and ready to serve our guests," stated Lai.
An FGCU study commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce revealed that the island is nearly a year ahead of initial forecasts regarding the return of hotel rooms. The Sundial Resort plans to open 150 rooms for guests in November, which will increase the total percentage of available hotel rooms on Sanibel and Captiva to 35%.
Other resort managers on Sanibel are targeting December as a potential date for reopening their hotel rooms, allowing more guests to once again enjoy the island’s beaches.
