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Talk of the bay

Captiva resort reborn after Hurricane Charley damage

By MARK ALBRIGHT
Published September 26, 2005

South Seas Island Resort, the sprawling retreat on Captiva Island that was decimated by Hurricane Charley, has begun taking bookings for its reopening in February.

Charley washed and blew much of the 600-unit resort down to the foundation, so owners MeriStar Hospitality Corp. and dozens of individual unit owners agreed to pour more than $140-million into a 17-month rebuilding. Most of the bill is supposed to be paid by insurance, but how much is being negotiated.

"The result is a brand new property," said Chris van der Baars, general manager of the resort once known as South Seas Plantation. "It's so different that sometimes I end up in a spot where I have to wonder for a second exactly where I am and what it used to be."

Designed to be a four-star waterfront property, the replacement is done up in more of a West Indies decor with bamboo, teak and dark wood furniture. All the restaurants and entertainment venues have been rethemed. A new marina capable of handling 120-foot yachts was built. The new family pool boasts an elaborate water slide and game area. The new adult pool, which unlike its predecessor will be accessible only by guest key card, offers rental cabanas equipped with air conditioning, TV, DVD player and a personal steward. The gulf-front executive golf course also was rebuilt from scratch.

Rack rates for the 24 types of accommodations range from a $350-a-night standard hotel room to $1,100 a night for a $2.5-million condo with a gulf view.

"My last job was managing during the renovation of the 500-room Doubletree Westshore Airport (on Cypress Street) in Tampa," van der Baars said. "I thought that was a complex project, but it was child's play compared to this."

[Last modified September 23, 2005, 20:34:02]