Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor is ready to welcome its first guests on Nov. 20 after numerous setbacks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian, which caused damage while the complex was under construction. 

Ground was broken in March 2019 for the 785-room resort on more than 22 waterfront acres at 5500 Sunseeker Way on Charlotte Harbor. 

Design plans have changed since the resort’s original concept, but the finished product is near. Sunseeker has begun to accept reservations for its luxury rooms and conference center encompassing 60,000 square feet of space. 

Beside the event and conference space, there are 20 wholly owned and branded food and beverage concepts, which include seven signature restaurants, 11 bars and lounges and the 25,000-square-foot Harbor Yard’s Food Hall. 

There are two pools and seven retail outlets, Sunseeker described in a recent statement. 

During recent hiring events, spa workers were among those sought to fill positions for Sunseeker’s state-of-the-art fitness center and spa where massage therapists, yoga and fitness instructors and others related to that industry are needed. 

The resort’s fitness center alone comprises 7,100 square feet of space with four group-exercise studios. 

There are also seven retail and market shops in addition to the resort’s restaurants, bars and hotel and conference rooms, which is why Sunseeker needs to hire some 1,200 workers to staff the enterprise. 

As of early September, all of the jobs had yet to be filled. 

The resort is owned by a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Co., headquartered in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin, Nevada. The company is publicly traded on Nasdaq under the stock ticker symbol ALGT. 

Its airline, Allegiant Air, flies out of some 117 airports in the U.S., servicing small to medium size cities, including top destinations, such as Las Vegas and Florida. It is the only commercial airline servicing Punta Gorda Airport. 

In June 2018 Allegiant Travel Co. purchased the Kingsway Country Club in Lake Suzy. The golf course is on the border of Charlotte and DeSoto counties, off Kings Highway.  

Sunseeker fully refurbished and redesigned the course, renaming it Aileron Golf Club. It is now an 18-hole championship-level golf course available for Sunseeker guests about 15 minutes from the resort. 

According to the company, Sunseeker Resort will be the first completely newly built resort with more than 750 rooms to open in Southwest Florida in more than 13 years. 

In February, Sunseeker Chief Operating Officer Micah Richins appeared before Charlotte County commissioners during their public meeting and answered questions about traffic implications because of the large resort’s presence in the county. 

At that meeting Richins assured commissioners the resort had already purchased transport vehicles, which would shuttle guests to and from Punta Gorda Airport, the resort and the golf course. 

In a recent statement, Richins said the Sunseeker project “represents the culmination of our efforts to create a resort that will undeniably enhance the hospitality experience in Florida and beyond.” 

About the rooms 

Sunseeker has put its emphasis on the comfort of its rooms in its marketing plan. Amenities include: 

• Sealy Posturepedic state-of-the art mattresses for comfort 
• Luxury linens 
• Smart phone-enabled side tables 

• Laptop safes 
• Double sink vanities 
• Oversized walk-in showers  
• Mobile check in and check out