ContestsEvents

Fort Myers Beach Margaritaville Hotel May 2023 Construction Update

Fort Myers Beach Pier near Margaritaville Hotel

Aerial photo Fort Myers Beach Pier

I love this video from Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The sun is shining, people are on the beach, and boats in the water. We still have a long way to go, but Fort Myers Beach is coming back. And nowhere is it more obvious than with the ongoing construction at the Margaritaville Hotel. Drone video from Brian Kennedy shows the outer shell of the hotel nearing completion. I love the colors they chose. Closer to the shore, you can see the framework of the water park really taking shape. And just as important, you can see the other buildings nearby also coming back to life.

I've been following the construction of the hotel closely. Once it opens, the big name of the Margaritaville Hotel will draw guests from all over the world back to Fort Myers Beach. And those guests will venture out to other businesses nearby. That's a boost the beach needs. And I'm ready to see it happen.

Businesses That Have Reopened On Sanibel And Captiva Since Hurricane Ian

When Hurricane Ian hit SWFL Florida in September, Sanibel and Captiva were devastated, but businesses are starting to reopen on the islands.

I love supporting local businesses and I think now more than ever they need our help. It's so sad to see what the storm did to our islands. While it'll take a long time for things to look like they did pre-Ian, I love to see businesses starting to get back on their feet. We live in paradise, so whatever we can do to support our local economy is important.

I've been spending my weekends either at Fort Myers Beach or Sanibel and it makes me so happy to see so many people out enjoying the beach. Almost like nothing ever happened. Also great to see some new things have opened or relocated and even some make-shift bars and ice cream stands (on Fort Myers Beach) set up.

If you want to go out to the islands, whether it's for a staycation, a beach day, or to grab a bite to eat, you have options! SanCap Chamber put together a list of the businesses that have reopened on Sanibel and Captiva. You can check out the full list here, but below we'll have restaurants, lodging, shopping and fun things to do.

Businesses that have reopened on Sanibel & Captiva:

Island Inn

3111 W Gulf Dr

Tween Waters Island Resort and Spa

15951 Captiva Dr

Jensen’s “On the Gulf"

15300 Captiva Dr

1500 Periwinkle Way

Nannys of Sanibel

1700 Periwinkle Way

The Island Store

11500 Andy Rosse Lane

Whitney’s Bait and Tackle

1554 Periwinkle Way

Jungle Drums

11532 Andy Rosse Lane

Traders

1551 Periwinkle Dr

Cielo Restaurant

1244 Periwinkle Way

Jerry's Food

1700 Periwinkle Way

Sanibel Deli and Coffee

2330 Palm Ridge Road

The Shack

1219 Periwinkle Way

Sanibel Grill

703 Tarpon Bay Road

Mudbugs

1473 Periwinkle Way

Blue Giraffe Food Truck

2075 Periwinkle Way

Captiva Island Pizza

11513 Andy Rosse Lane

Tutti Pazzi

1200 Periwinkle Way

Timbers

703 Tarpon Bay Road

New Wave Eco Charters

15951 Captiva Dr

YOLO Watersports, Inc.

11534 Andy Rosse Lane

Captain Brian On The Water

11401 Andy Rosse Lane

Adventures In Paradise Cruises

634 N Yachtsman Dr

Salty Wheels

11513 Andy Rosse Lane

Captiva Cruises

11401 Andy Rosse Lane

Joe Winner spends his days combing through memes and off beat stories to bring you the side of Florida not always seen.