Sandpiper Gulf Resort under contract to London Bay
Fort Myers Beach hotel dates back to the 1960's
The Sandpiper Gulf Resort is under contract to be purchased by London Bay Development Group.
The Fort Myers Beach hotel property is located mid-island at 5550 Estero Blvd. The 63-room resort dates back to the 1960’s and has undergone multiple renovations over the years.
The resort had a consortium of condominium ownership and the majority voted to sell after London Bay made an offer to the condo board.
London Bay CEO Mark Wilson confirmed the property was under contract and said the plan was to rebuild the property. He said the resort would not be saved. “It’s severely damaged,” Wilson said.
“It’s under contract. We are not through closing,” Wilson said. “It’s a great beachfront. We love the sight. It’s prime beachfront. It’s too early to talk about what we might be doing with it.”
Though Wilson said he is holding out on discussing specific plans for how the property may be reshaped, he said it will be a “new build.”
Though it incurred damage during Hurricane Ian, the property wasn’t as injured as many others, two condo owners said.
The property would have needed renovations that may have taken a couple years, said property manager Robert Boykin. A posting on the Sandpiper’s Facebook page regarding the closure directed guests to the Pink Shell Beach Resort, which Boykin co-owns. Boykin said the Pink Shell Beach Resort had a cooperative agreement with the Sandpiper, allowing its guests to use the Pink Shells pool, spa and other amenities.
Boykin, who owned one of the units at the Sandpiper, said he would have liked to have held on to the property but the majority of the owners voted to sell. “A lot of the owners have been there a long time and are old,” he said. “It’s going to take a couple years (to rebuild) and you are going to have to put in a few bucks,” Boykin said of the prospects facing the resort’s condo owners.
Boykin said he was among a small group of unit owners who wanted to hold on to the units and see through the rebuild, but they were outnumbered.
The property has four buildings with 63 units and was known for housing guests on extended stays, with a large European clientele, unit owner and Realtor Chris Loffreno said. “It was a really good rental property,” he said.
“I wanted to see it get restored and keep the classic look that it had but other owners had different views,” Loffreno said. “It’s kind of sad because the character of the beach is changing so much.”
Eric Schieler, another condo owner at the resort, was also looking to rebuild and save the property. “We had good momentum and collaboration between owners on developing concepts to give the architecture firm a running start, until an unsolicited offer was made,” Schieler said. “The Sandpiper could have been a really special small-scale vintage old Florida experience that’s impossible to duplicate today.”
London Bay recently acquired The Outrigger Resort and Charley’s Boat House Grill and Wine Bar on Fort Myers Beach. They are in the midst of constructing the Grandview at Bay Beach off Bay Beach Lane on the southern end of the island.
Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at Nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com