The pandemic, a labor shortage, on-site fires and Hurricane Ian delayed the opening of Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor five times, but the resort will be open to the public Dec. 15.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Co., which owns Allegiant Air and the Aileron Golf Club in Charlotte County, built the massive resort at a cost of nearly $700 million.
Spread over 22 acres along the Peace River, Sunseeker Resort has 785 hotel rooms, 189 suites and 60,000 square feet of conference and meeting space.
In addition, it has a 25,000-square-foot food court called Harbor Yards. Altogether there are 20 food and beverage concepts, which include seven stand-alone restaurants, 11 bars and lounges and two poolside offerings.
For guests staying at the resort, they will have access to a 7,100-square-foot fitness center, spa and two pools, plus the golf club.
Recently, Sunseeker began to sell memberships to those not staying at the resort for some of its amenities.
A hospitality spokesperson said although some of the individual restaurants are booked and accepting reservations only, the public can visit the Harbor Yards food court beginning Dec. 15, which has multiple food and beverage choices—craft pizza, Asian food, charcuterie, cheese and antipasti, pastries and dessert, a raw bar, classic American and cantina food, a coffee bar and beer and cocktails.
Among the stand-alone restaurants are Maury’s, Stretto, Allegiant Stadium, Half Cracked, Blue Lime and more.
If parking on premises and not a resort guest, it costs $3 an hour. Valet parking is $30.
Several Sunseeker executives and local officials will be at the resort’s noon ribbon-cutting Dec. 15, after a number of setbacks that delayed Sunseeker’s opening by approximately two years.
The resort was scheduled to open in late 2020, but the pandemic caused it to shut down for 17 months.
Things got up and running until Hurricane Ian hit, causing giant cranes on the work site to crash into parts of the resort.
The storm caused $35 million in damages, and in addition to damages from cranes, there was water intrusion, delaying construction by another three months.
Along the way, three relatively minor fires on the construction site caused even further delays, as did a shortage of construction workers.
Sunseeker Resort advertised for 1,200 workers, competing with other local businesses, including restaurants that were suffering from a labor shortage.
To up the ante, Sunseeker offers what it calls a “living wage,” full benefits, including free flights on Allegiant Air and a $100,000 bonus after 10 years of employment. After year 10, employees would receive $10,000 a year over their second decade of employment.
