Allegiant Travel Co.’s Sunseeker Resort, a $618 million project on Charlotte Harbor in Port Charlotte, suffered $35 million in damages from Hurricane Ian and will delay its opening three months.
Damage to the resort included falling cranes on the construction site and water intrusion into unfinished parts of the building. Sunseeker estimates it will delay its opening by roughly 90 days, pushing it from May 26, 2023 to Sept. 1, 2023.
“We believe all storm damage to the resort is fully insured, including business interruption,” Allegiant CEO John Redmond said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call Thursday.
The initial estimate of damage is subject to change after further assessment and understanding of impacted supply chains, he said.
Gabriella Gandarillas, who handles communication for Sunseeker, declined further comment outside of providing a press release.
Construction resumed on the resort’s reflections pool, a 117,074-square-foot ground level pool deck adjacent to the resort’s main tower.
All five cranes on-site prior to Hurricane Ian will be replaced during the next week and the project will finish with new mobile cranes for the duration of construction. 
Sunseeker is also continuing hiring efforts, as the human resources team is finalizing the schedule for job fairs and outreach in local communities, with an anticipated start in spring 2023 where it will begin interviews to hire more than 1,200 employees for the resort.
All 550 Allegiant and Sunseeker team members were safe and accounted for following the storm, said Greg Anderson, Allegiant president and chief financial officer.
Sunseeker will occupy more than 22 waterfront acres with 785 guestrooms, including 189 signature Sunsuites. The resort will offer 20 original food and beverage concepts, including seven stand-alone restaurants, 11 bars and lounges, two poolside offerings and a 25,000-square-foot multi-dining experience.
Additional hotel amenities include a waterfront promenade, two rooftop and waterfront pools, full-service spa and salon, three retail and market shops and an 18-hole golf club exclusive to hotel guests only.
