Robbin Webb sold her business in Virginia before investing in real estate a couple of years ago. She began by purchasing an Airbnb property in the Outer Banks in North Carolina and, most recently, a half-acre property about 5 minutes from downtown Punta Gorda.
Solstice, a new retreat resort and event space, opens in Punta Gorda on Jan. 5 on property formerly occupied by Cabana Joes vacation rentals.
“I had been looking at retreats just to get away for a little while after I sold the business and I couldn’t find anything,” Webb said. “I couldn’t find anything in a tropical setting, so I knew there was a need for that and I knew I wanted to be in Florida.”
Operations Manager Barbara Brement, who also worked at the property under different ownership, said Webb did a complete renovation. “The place has really been recreated entirely, from top to bottom,” she said. “Just the entire vision and mentality, the energy here is completely different than it was in the past.” 
As a yoga teacher, Webb and her husband Thomas, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, wanted a space where wellness is the top priority. While wellness means different things to different people, wellness for Webb means constantly trying to improve oneself.
“It can be big improvements or teeny improvements,” Webb said. “It’s your health, your mind, your body and spirit growing toward something better. Instead of just being stagnant in everyday life, I think we should always be on a mission to grow.”
Solstice offers six bungalows, each with its kitchen and bathroom and each themed around a tropical fruit. While visitors won’t see a bunch of oranges in the Orange bungalow, it is apparent the fruits inspired some aspects of design. The other bungalows are called the Avocado, Grapefruit, Mango, Guava and Papaya, ranging from a starting cost of $199 to $252 per night.
Reservations can also be made for the entire venue, accommodating 17 people, starting at $1,590 a night.
Individual bungalows have a two-night minimum requirement for reservations, with a three-night minimum for the entire property for intimate weddings, retreats, reunions or other gatherings.
Amenities at the retreat resort include a waterfall pool with a hot tub grotto, a smoothie/margarita bar, daily breakfast and yoga, multiple hammocks, hidden meditation spaces and a large tiki hut event space.
Different types of retreats are offered at Solstice, with some already booked, including a women’s church retreat, a vegan wellness retreat and an awakened woman’s retreat centered around living in connection with Mother Earth, honoring the sacredness of truth with self-love and compassion. 
“We allow any kind of retreat here as long as it’s based in love and improvement,” Webb said.
Along with hosting different retreats, yoga classes are also offered, with Webb teaching some of the classes herself, having 20 years of experience.
Originally slated to open in September, Solstice took on some damage to roofing, fencing and landscaping from Hurricane Ian, pushing back its grand opening to the new year.
However, Webb hopes to offer some silver lining amid recovery for the community she just moved to in April, anticipating people may find solace in a place she created to provide just that.
“You have to be able to get your nervous system back to a place where you can regroup and see things with a new, a fresh perspective,” Webb said. “You can’t just go, go, go in the midst of a huge devastation like that. It’s just not healthy. You need to take a break.”
Reservations to stay at Solstice, described as ‘where the sun-and your world-stand still,’ are now available on the retreat’s website.
“A space like Solstice is extremely important after devastation, because hurricanes are emotionally and financially stressful,” Brement said. “This space gives you solitude. It’s a place to decompress and really reevaluate what’s important in life.”
