On a hot July 29 afternoon, the La Venezia Ballroom in Cape Coral transformed into a lively mix of business casual and carnival fun as hundreds of job seekers gathered to apply for positions at South Seas Resort on Captiva Island. Applicants from across Lee County arrived with resumes in hand, donned red and purple leis, took part in 4-minute interviews, watched jugglers in costume, played cornhole and learned about employee perks like a 401(k) plan and bridge toll reimbursement.
Cape Coral resident Twyla Grant, 37, applied as a front desk agent and considered other positions that could align with her range of skills. For example, she holds a Commercial Driver’s License that could be a benefit for employers.
“I’m a people person,” said Grant, whose forehead and cheek had been embellished by a South Seas face painter with an intricate, sparkling pattern. “I love making people smile.”
Roughly a third of the 330-acre resort’s staff lives in the Cape, South Seas management said, and most of the rest live in Lee County.
It is the second job fair that South Seas hosted after reopening in May after suffering significant damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022. The resort plans to hire about 100 new employees in 90 days for jobs that range from a chef to trolley drivers and everything in between.
South Seas staff at the job fair had the chance to observe and interact with applicants as they moved in groups through a series of games and activities. The 2-hour process played out twice July 29, from noon to 2 p.m. and later from 4 to 6 p.m. More than 300 potential hospitality industry professionals participated in the festivities.
“You’ll learn about South Seas,” Scott McGregor, South Seas director of food and beverage and MC for the job fair, told candidates. “But most importantly, we’re going to learn a lot about you. By the end of the event, you’re either going to be dying to work for us or maybe not, maybe next time.”
Before the winter season is in full swing, the resort’s hiring team plans to seal the deal with a head of housekeeping, a food and beverage manager, servers and bussers, bartenders, security guards, reservations personnel, golf and retail attendants, front desk agents and more.
South Seas now employs about 200 people or roughly half its pre-Ian staff. But from guests’ point of view, they’ll find the resort offers everything it had before Ian with soon-to-come new amenities, such as motorized water sports, the Beach House expected to open late this year and The Spa at South Seas coming in 2026.
“We’re back at full capacity to everything we had to offer before Ian,” said Wendy Nicodemus, South Seas director of commercial strategy.
The resort plans to not only reach its pre-Ian level of staffing but over four years double it with more than 800 jobs filled by 2029. At that point, South Seas management estimates that it will generate $100.5 million in annual income for staff, $9.8 million in property tax revenue, with a property value 16 times higher than before Ian, and $7.2 million in tourist taxes.
