The development of a Hilton-brand Home2 Suites hotel at Coconut Point outdoor mall in Estero is back on track after discussions stalled over whether to build the structure primarily out of wood or concrete.
Village Council members balked at developer Peachtree Group’s late request for the less costly option for a wood-frame hotel, made in part due to ongoing global tariff negotiations. Village staff said using wood is unusual for commercial buildings in Estero, less durable than concrete and a greater fire hazard.
Since the meeting last month, village staff and the developer came to an agreement to build with concrete, Estero Community Development Director Mary Gibbs told Council at its regular July 2 meeting. This time, Council unanimously approved the zoning ordinance for the new hotel without discussion.
The amended ordinance states: “Construction of the exterior walls of the hotel will be concrete masonry (concrete block), and all load-bearing elements will be concrete with reinforcing steel as required by relevant codes and engineering standards.”
The amended plan also includes deviations from Estero’s Land Development Code, which calls for a minimum of 30% open space surrounding the property. That was reduced to 28% for the new hotel. The code allows for a top building height of 45 feet, which was amended to 48 feet for the hotel’s main parapet and 58 feet, 6 inches to the top of an architectural tower element, records show.
The property also will include 116 off-street parking spaces, greater than the required 93 spaces or 1.2 per guest room.
The property was rezoned from agricultural to mixed-use planned development by Lee County in 2002. Coconut Point opened in 2006. Village of Estero was incorporated in 2014. Discussions about the hotel have been ongoing since December 2023.
The Peachtree Group proposed the Home2 Suites on a 2.37-acre spot in the outdoor mall’s back parking lot, north of The Residences at Coconut Point, south of the old vacant Regal movie theatre, east of the mall’s various retail stores and west of Seminole Gulf Railway. Ingenium Enterprises Civil Engineering & Planning and architectural firm RBA Group are developing the property.
Plans indicate a four-story stucco hotel with stone panels and a Mediterranean-style color scheme that includes muted green, beige and other accents that align with the rest of Coconut Point’s warm, earth-toned palette. The hotel is set to include 111 guest rooms with bicycle racks near the entrance, a fitness center, including a Peloton Cycle Bar, and outdoor pool. Primary access to the hotel would be at Via Monte Carlo Way.
