Update | Friday, July 19, 2024

Good morning to our VO Ownership!

We are happy to report we finally have some more positive updates on our hurricane repairs and improvements around the property:

Completed Projects:

  • The new beach area with activities and lounge chairs has been completed and is now open to all guests (please see pictures below). As a reminder from past updates, this $400,000 beach renovation project (450 tons of new sand, dune plantings, walkway mats, tables, chairs, and professional development fees) has been at the Developer's expense and in no way has any of this expense been charged to the Association. It is an upgraded amenity and service area for our Vacation Ownership Owners, hotel guests, and Cabanas Bar and Grille guests. Our updated Cabanas commercial liquor license has allowed us to redesign our new Cabanas sand serving area to accommodate a more significant event space adjacent to the pool deck that will allow for future special events. We are excited to start planning future entertainment options in this new, enlarged beach area, where we have set up a volleyball court and cornhole lanes.
  • Since opening the new Cabanas Bar & Grille, along with the dining and stage, in mid-April, we have focused on re-building the Cabanas kitchen adjacent to the downstairs bar. The kitchen renovation has been a lengthy process as we conform to the new FEMA codes. Once the kitchen is operating, which we hope will be the end of July or the first week of August, we will ramp up our menu offerings again to have dinner options and your favorite lunch items from past menus. We plan to tile the wall of the back elevators on the ground level to bring a cohesive look as you enter Cabanas.
  • Yesterday, we finally passed on our pool fence inspection, which started a year ago when the fence company installed a “non-conforming” fence due to 15 pickets being more than 4 inches apart, which would have allowed a small child to fit their head through. The fence company took so long to correct the problem that we retained half of their payment and completed the repairs ourselves. Now that this project is complete, we can install a fence around the pool equipment and beautify that area.

Projects still on the go:

  • Although we have three functioning elevators (two at the front of the resort and one at the back) and a brand new ADA elevator next to Cabanas, we continue to wait for parts for the fourth and final elevator.
  • The Cabana kitchen renovation is close to completion, and we hope to get our final inspections, C/O, and health inspection by the end of July.
  • We are still waiting for the Double Dwarf Royal Palm trees to be planted along the parking lot and pool deck fence like before the hurricane. The palms will finish off the pool deck landscaping and add excellent tropical privacy from the parking lot again. In addition, we will be planting Sabal Palms in the new beach area to further enhance the tropical vibe.
  • The pool equipment panel fence will be installed in the coming weeks.
  • As part of the state-mandated Milestone Study, where buildings above three stories must get a certified structural inspection by the end of 2024, we have had our contracted engineer walk all guestrooms and lanais looking for structural imperfections. This study will be completed in a few months. This will lead nicely to our future lanai aluminum railing and screen project in the summer of 2025.
  • We are currently getting bids on replacing all 121 lanai aluminum screens. We are moving away from the white frames and moving to black anodized aluminum, which will have greater longevity and hold its color in our salt-air environment.
  • The Coste restaurant space continues to be renovated, and we are currently waterproofing the second-floor lanai slabs of Units 207, 208, and 209 due to a cosmetic hairline crack in the stucco that is allowing water to seep down along the Coste windows. It is an easy fix but creates a time-consuming mess for us. We’re working to move this along faster, and we have started interviewing Chefs with a plan to re-open Coste again in the fall.
  • The Estero Island Beach Sand Renourishment project is underway and staged just north of the old pier. The plan is to pump sand from a mile and a half offshore onto our beaches to increase the height of sand close to the existing height of the new sand berm. They will also add more sand to the coastline, giving us additional beach seaward of the existing mean high water line. In effect, we’re getting more beach real estate!

We continue to fight for our outstanding insurance claims. The wind claim still has an outstanding payment amount of roughly $1.3M in unpaid invoices, and the flood claim still has approximately $460K of the approximately $620K in invoices related to our elevators, electrical, and plumbing repairs. Our broker is telling me that he is seeing wind premiums being reduced by 15-16% after last year's peak, but we’ll believe it when we see it in writing. Our Wind Renewal is at the end of this month.

Please let Cherrie or Kim know if you have any additional questions and we'll try to answer each personally as information is available.

Update | Friday, April 5

Below is a summary of completed projects and current projects.  The last section addresses questions and concerns that we have received from our owners.

Completed Projects:

  • After six months of juggling room inventory and availability, the guestroom slider project was finally completed on schedule on February 2nd. Kudos to Cherrie and Kim for all their work ensuring we could fit as many Owners as we did into available units after we offered the opportunity to use lost 2022/2023 weeks in 2023. This was compounded even more when an Owner floor was removed from inventory for slider change-out.
  • The original domestic water pumps (3) and system were replaced mid-February. This was a huge project to complete, as we were down to one pump for the entire hotel after the FPL power surge in September 2023 knocked out equipment to these pumps.
  • The new cooling tower and shut-off valves were installed and functioning in mid-March. After Ian knocked the old tower offline, we now have two fully capable towers.
  • The new bell stand area has been completed (see attached picture), and furniture is in place. This room is half the size of our old bell stand space and will unfortunately not allow us to store Owners' beach chairs and umbrellas like we used to be able to.
  • The generator repair, again due to the island FPL power surge that fried several of our equipment panels within the hotel (and was thankfully covered by insurance), is finally complete, and we can now remove the temporary generator. The generator is the last piece of equipment on the west side of the building, and we can now clean this side up.
  • We have installed two showers and two-foot wash stations next to the beach as you walk into Cabanas off the sand.
  • The new Mojo's breakfast truck is in place and serves specialty coffees, smoothies, and select breakfast sandwiches. This first week is a soft opening while the Owner waits for an electric oven that will allow them to offer additional breakfast sandwich-type items. This Mojo's truck will be open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
  • We have received our new TunaSkin DiamondHead logo t-shirts, ballcaps, microfiber towels, silicone tumblers, and coffee mugs. After the initial demand for these items, we will soon place our third order of everything else.

Current Projects:

  • The elevator repairs continue to be lengthy as we wait for parts for the final elevator cab. The ADA elevator that runs from Cabanas Beach Bar to the pool restrooms is projected to be complete in a week once the elevator glass door on the ground level arrives. Elevator #3 at the back of the hotel by Cabanas is still waiting for parts to come before that cab can be refurbished.
  • The Cabana Bar renovation was one week away from a CO until the countertops were brought this past Wednesday with incorrect widths and no mounting brackets to secure them. We need the countertop in place to allow our draft company to finish installing the two 6-tap dispensers to the bar top. The final fire inspection requires us to have the retractable stage in place, and that is what we are hoping arrives next week to complete the project along with installed countertops.
  • Our Cabana kitchen permit was approved and is in the process of being rebuilt. The kitchen is a crucial asset for our overall Cabanas service delivery, and we intend to be operating downstairs by July of this year. Once we get the entire Cabanas outlet operational, we will focus on reopening Coste Island Cuisine. Until the Cabanas kitchen is open, we will use the Coste kitchen to generate the Cabanas food requests and then run all food items downstairs to the Cabanas tables. In the meantime, we will renovate and repair the Coste dining rooms and bar areas. We will reopen this area for indoor dining with the Cabanas menu until Coste fully reopens in the fall.
  • We have ordered a panel fence to enclose the pool equipment to make it less unsightly.
  • We met with the landscape designer and plant installer this past Tuesday to schedule all the plants, grasses, and palm trees to be installed in our beach area seaward of the pool deck and Cabanas. We will be planting the new FEMA sand berm first, per the DEP's field permit requirements, ahead of turtle nesting season, which starts May 1st. They look to be ready to install starting next week.
  • As part of this beach landscape project, we plan to install seagrasses along the perimeter of the pool deck in the sand and in front of Cabanas in the sand. The goal is to stop all the sand from blowing onto the pool deck, into the pool, and through Cabanas under the hotel. Blowing sand was never much of an issue with our old preserve buffer, and another reason why we want to get plants and tall grasses planted as quickly as possible to create our future buffer.

Owners' Questions and Concerns:

  • Adjoining Unit Doors Accessibility – We were planning to complete this project before the hurricane due to the corrosion of the door frames and existing lock tumblers. During the storm, most of our maintenance keys stored downstairs in the old maintenance office were lost with the storm surge. The cost before the storm was $10,000 just for the replacement tumblers, and we put that on hold while we focused on the more pressing expenses of opening the hotel again. I am happy to report we have finally received these tumblers and are now scheduling their installation. This is not as simple as just changing out the tumbler, as each door will need to be removed and the corrosion of the past two years stripped and cleaned from the frames. As we come out of peak season, we plan to take one floor down at a time to complete this adjoining door project. Unfortunately, due to how many Float Owners come down in May, we cannot start taking the Timeshare floors down until June. We hope to have the adjoining doors ready to open by 3rd and 4th quarter of this year.
  • Complimentary Bikes - A few Owners have shared their concern that we no longer have complimentary bikes available and that this was a considerable amenity for them in the past. Unfortunately, this comes down to our insurance coverage and premium after a claim was made by a guest using one of our complimentary bikes, falling off and breaking her leg. The insurer wants to avoid this kind of exposure moving forward, and the main reason we offered the space to a 3rd party is to look after this amenity for us and reduce liability. The positive feedback from guests and Owners who have used the bikes is that they are a much better ride than previously offered, and the exposure to the liability premium that Owners pay as part of their annual dues is reduced.
  • Mid-Week Unit Refresh - As Owners occupy their regular deeded weeks again, there have been questions about what type of cleaning an Owner receives as part of their deeded week. As part of your maintenance dues, we have factored in one Check-out and Check-In clean when you leave after your 7-day stay or arrive for your 7-day stay (so EVERY Friday or Saturday, depending on whether you are a Phase 1 or Phase 2 Owner), as well as one mid-week refresh to take out your garbage, provide fresh towels and provide additional amenities. If you would like a full clean service (instead of just a refresh), there will be an extra charge of $50. A full clean will include replacing sheets, making the bed, kitchen, living room, and bathroom cleaning, replacing towels, washing dishes, removing garbage, and sweeping and mopping the floor around any personal items left on the floor.
  • Guestroom Floor Cleanliness - We have received feedback that, in some cases, your floor was not as clean as it should be on check-in. The human element of this is currently being addressed as we weed and feed the department of those employees who are unwilling to clean to our standards. A second undertaking is the purchase of 3 Bissel Cross Waves for our inspectors to steam clean the floor as part of all our guestroom cleaning protocol inspections. A lack of cleanliness should never be on a guest comment card and one we take seriously!

Regarding our outstanding insurance claims, the wind claim still has an outstanding payment amount of roughly $1.3M in unpaid invoices, and the flood claim still has an estimated $460K of the approximately $620K in invoices related to our elevators, electrical, and plumbing repairs. I have now involved our insurance brokers after being ghosted by the flood representative.

I will transition these Owner Updates to a quarterly report now that a large percentage of our Hurricane repairs are complete. I will continue to keep an open line of communication with each of you to address any recurring questions or concerns as they arise and update you on how we are improving our guest experience, as you had come to expect pre-COVID and pre-Ian.

Update | Friday, JANUARY 19

Happy New Year to all our owners!

Since re-opening on April 15, 2023, we had 5,764 owner nights (roughly 823 weeks) used through the end of the year. Our team worked diligently to accommodate as much lost time as possible due to the resort closures during Q4 of 2022 and Q1 of 2023. We heard from many of you during this process and we are grateful for your patience and understanding throughout. Moving into 2024, we are back to our normal timeshare week schedule!

That being said, we are hitting the ground running in 2024. The property continues to improve its appearance as various projects are still underway. Here is a summary and status updates on those tasks:

  • The guestroom slider project will conclude on the 6th floor this week and will start the 9th, and final, floor on Monday, January 22nd. The noisy part of this project will be complete by February 2nd. This has been a huge improvement to the facility that words simply can’t describe. When you open the slider in your suite, you will know what I am talking about.
  • The generator repair is about 2 weeks from completion after a few setbacks. An island power surge fried several of our equipment panels within the hotel (thankfully covered by insurance). Once complete, we will be able to remove the temporary generator that was positioned by the dumpster.
  • The elevator repairs have been a lengthy project as we wait for parts for the final elevator cab and the ADA and F&B lift elevators. We have the equipment for the F&B lift elevator on site but are waiting on the install due to the labor shortage the elevator companies are experiencing.
  • The new cooling tower will arrive at the end of this month and will be installed in February barring any further delays. This will give us two fully functioning towers for A/C and heat.
  • The original domestic water pumps (3), and its supporting system, will be replaced in February once the equipment arrives (roughly the same time as the new cooling tower). This is an important project to get completed as we are down to one pump for entire hotel after the power surge knocked out vital equipment.
  • The Cabañas Beach Bar renovation is moving along nicely and will look fantastic once complete. You will love the long bar, additional seating, and stage area for entertainment. Next week, we will start closing the ceiling before finishing the pavers on the floor. We anticipate an opening date towards the end of February if we get the CO approved in a timely manner.
  • We are pushing the Cabañas kitchen design through permitting again after a setback with the permit inspector. The inspector informed us we couldn’t have a kitchen or coolers on the ground level unless we could prove we had prior approval. After providing the info, the Town of FMB overruled the inspector to allow for our ground-level kitchen and cooler space. We hope to have more clarity on this by the end of the month.
  • Once we get Cabañas up and running, we will focus on re-opening Cōste Island Cuisine. Now that we have seen how Margaritaville’s upscale JW Grille copied our concept, we will look to take Cōste up another notch for an additional wow factor.
  • The Florida DEP approved our field permit to re-design our beachscape area along the pool deck and in front of Cabañas. This will afford us additional lounge/beach cabanas in the sand along the pool deck, an activities area for volleyball and cornhole, and a slightly larger table area for beach service. This will clean up our beachscape and provide additional vegetation in the old preserve area.
  • Once the Cabañas bar area is complete, we also have a plan to add a towel pick-up/drop off on the pool deck just inside the main gate, along with an activities and retail area.
  • We have submitted the application for the new bell stand area and we should be starting that project by the end of January. We should be receiving our new bell stand furniture package the middle of February.
  • The new bike rentals are in place and have already been utilized by guests. This is all done through a third party which assumes all risk and liability.
  • We are in the process of ramping up our retail sales by partnering with local apparel company TunaSkin. We will offer DiamondHead branded shirts, microfiber towels, ball caps, thermoses and cozies.

Regarding our outstanding insurance claims, the wind claim still has an outstanding balance of roughly $1.3M in unpaid invoices. The insurance company is claiming that the majority is mold related, but our rep knows it is related to the wind-driven rain, and therefore covered. We are confident that we will succeed in this fight but it will take some additional time.

The flood claim has stalled after our rep sent us the last $108K, getting us to $158K pay-out on roughly $620K in invoices related to our elevators, electrical and plumbing repairs. All of a sudden, I have lost contact with our flood rep so either he has been on vacation or we are about to receive a new rep. If I don’t hear back from him this week, we will get our broker at Brown and Brown involved.

Below are some photos of the progress at Cabañas and the bell stand area. I will send another update in February with pictures of the progress in these areas.

Update | Friday, DECEMBER 8

The slider installation team is finishing up the 11th floor today and hope to have an inspection this afternoon. I say “hope” because Lee County has lost several inspectors lately and there are only two gentlemen inspecting all permits at this point. Next week, we begin the demo on the 2nd floor, followed by the 3rd floor the first week of January 2024. The 6th floor will start around mid-January and the 9th and final floor should begin the last week of January. We are hoping to conclude this large project by mid-February. As a reminder to those Owners staying with us in December, January and the first half of February, there will be construction noise from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm six days a week. Many owners have expressed that the noise isn’t that bad, but we want to make everyone aware there will be noise from time to time during your stay.

The Cabañas Beach Bar renovation is moving along a little quicker now that we have the concrete slab poured and the electrical conduit run. We elected to extend the awning overhang towards the stairs to the restroom to keep the new service area covered and had to pour four new concrete columns to support this addition. We are also in the process of running the water lines to the new footwash and shower area at the top of the new beach ramp. If everything continues according to plan, we hope to open the new long bar at Cabañas sometime in January.

Our new hotel Fire Alarm System is in the final steps of completion. This is a very nice upgrade to the property with brand-new alarms and heat/smoke detectors. We also received word that our new Domestic Water Pump equipment will be delivered at the end of this month and installed in January 2024. In addition, our new Cooling Tower is being delivered at the same time and installed in January as well.

The Wind Insurance Carrier is still in the process of reviewing the remaining $1.3M in invoices we sent, and the Flood Insurance Carrier is still processing roughly $500K in submitted invoices.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection approved our beach landscape design and has issued a Field Permit. I have included the approved design below. This project will be executed in multiple stages as we source licensed companies to complete the work. While some details are still in the works, just getting the Field Permit approved was a huge accomplishment. The first task will be to bring in roughly 15-20 dump trucks of the exact same sand from a licensed quarry inland. More to come on this project but the expanded activity area and lounge seating along the pool deck is sure to be a significant upgrade our guests and owners will enjoy.

With the cooler temperatures, everyone has enjoyed the heated pool and hot tub. Unfortunately, only one hot tub is operational as the other heater failed after only a month. This heater is covered under warranty and will be replaced soon.

We have submitted our permit for the construction of our new Bell Stand. For those that have stayed with us this year, the new area will be closer to the parking lot where our brochure racks used to be. We are hoping to have this completed in the first quarter of 2024, but like many of our projects, this depends on the timing of the permit process and building inspections.

We are preparing the billing for the 2024 Maintenance Fees, you should receive your invoices in the mail from Centennial Bank by the end of the month. In the meantime, here is the breakdown of the fees:

BREAKDOWN OF 2024 MAINTENANCE FEE PER WEEK:
Maintenance Fee $ 674.39
Interior Reserves $ 65.73
SBA Loan $ 26.70
Shared Use Reserves $ 40.98
Property Taxes $ 82.25
2023 Tax Credit $ ($7.05)

Total Per Week Owned $ 883.00
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Cherrie or Kim.

Now that we are winding down our hurricane repair projects, we will reduce the frequency of these owner updates. However, we will continue to periodically send updates as new information becomes available. Our beloved beach community continues to recover, and we are encouraged to see substantial progress every month. The Beached Whale was approved to start construction and should be completed in 12-14 months. Shuckers/The Cottage has also been approved to rebuild along with Neptune Inn. London Bay will host a meeting at DiamondHead at the end of this month to showcase their design proposal for the old Outrigger parcel on the south end of the island. It's nice to see owners and land developers trying to maintain the old Florida look that has always set Fort Myers Beach apart from other beach destinations.

Update | Friday, October 20

Our slider installation project continued to pick up steam this week as we completed the 7th floor and began demo of the old sliders on the 5th floor. We are scheduled to begin the last timeshare floor (4) on October 30th and conclude by November 17th. After completion, all timeshare rooms will be back online for peak season. Once all timeshare floors are complete, we will move to the 12th floor to finish the standard units. This is estimated to take 2 weeks per floor. As a reminder to those owners staying with us in the 4th quarter of 2023, there will be construction noise from 8AM to 5PM, six days a week, as we aggressively try to complete this project by year end.

We have recently had several owners express frustration with the unit we reserved for them because it was different from their initial reservation or was a room configuration they were unfamiliar with. In addition to fulfilling lost time from last year, Cherrie and Kim are also juggling inventory issues because of our slider installation. We are on target to resume normal operations by the first of the year. We apologize for the frustration and appreciate everyone’s understanding as we work diligently towards returning to normalcy.

The heightened construction on Estero Boulevard has been impacting our CenturyLink fiber line that comes into our property, and feeds our Internet, TV's and Phones. On several occasions, construction crews have accidentally cut the main fiber line coming down the boulevard. Hotwire/Fision, our triple-play provider, has just installed an antenna on our roof to provide and maintain a signal when these outages occur. Testing of this back-up system will commence on the next fiber cut, which seems to happen every other week.

The Cabañas Bar renovation is under way, and we have laid the conduit for the draft beer lines, soda lines, and basic electrical service. The plumber will lay the floor drainage lines next week and we can then we can pour the slab over top. At some point, we will need to close our current beach access through Cabañas as the renovations continue. To address this, we have installed a temporary beach access ramp in the parking lot to the left of the pool (see attached pictures). We will install directional signage to this new access when we close the current beach access.

We submitted our Cabañas Kitchen hurricane repairs for permitting, and we are in the process of drawing and submitting our new Bell stand area for permitting as well. It will be in the same general area as the previous Bell Stand. As part of the Cabañas Kitchen permit, we have designed a new shower and foot wash station for guests that are returning from the beach.

Lastly, we received an email response from our Flood Carrier adjuster, who will be sending us roughly another $100K as they analyze all the documents we have provided.

Update | Friday, September 29

There was a very nice ceremony held Wednesday in the Times Square area to commemorate the one-year Anniversary of Hurricane Ian. It was a celebration of the island’s resilience and remembrance of those that were lost. Our local NBC affiliate broadcasted live from DiamondHead and did a nice job covering the event. We would like to extend a huge “Thank You” to all of you. To the Owners I have personally spoken with, and those that have shared their support via email and text, we could not have done this without your patience and support. Although we have come a long way in comparison to some of our neighbors and community, we have been very fortunate to be in the position we are today! We have had a number of setbacks over the past year, but the tenacity of our resort team is what has driven our success. By 1st quarter of 2024, I think you will be as excited as we are to have our resort back and better than ever.

After a successful inspection of the 8th floor rooms yesterday, we have now completed the 10th and 8th floors slider installations. We will now move to the 7th floor on Monday, October 2nd, followed by the 5th floor and finally the 4th floor which will conclude all the timeshare floors. As a reminder to those owners staying with us over the next three months, there will be construction noise six days a week from 8:00am to 5:00pm while we pick up speed to try and complete this project by year end.

We have been experiencing power outages and small surges as FPL repairs their main lines down Estero Blvd. It’s been a little frustrating as it shuts down our domestic water pumps, Cooling Towers, and operational systems that then must be restarted throughout the property. Our FPL Rep says it was especially bad these past few weeks while FDOT installed new traffic signals at the Margaritaville crossing. Their hope is that this project is near completion.

The Cabañas Bar renovation permit was finally approved earlier this week and we are just waiting on our electricians to include their scope on our permit before it is formally issued. In the meantime, we have started clearing the area under the building for the plumber to begin staging their supplies. If we don't experience any further inspection delays, we anticipate serving beverages and listening to live musicians by December. Until then, our temporary poolside bar has kept up with demand, along with the Cōste bar upstairs.

We are in the final stages of submitting our Cabañas kitchen repairs for permitting. Hopefully it will not take the 3 months it took for the bar permit, now that we have set some benchmarks with the County for being allowed to replace what existed prior to the storm.

Our wind claim adjuster approved a preliminary pay-out for a portion of the initial $1.9M in invoices we sent them. The adjuster will continue to work on approving the remaining repair expenses. This initial $655K payout has already had the deductible of $1M taken out as well as the depreciation amount of $256K that we should get back after showing successful completion of repairs. The remaining $655K will be split roughly 60/40 with the Condo Association, as is the case with any related expenses. This will be discussed in the Annual General Meeting on November 9th, 2023.

We also received an email response from our Flood Carriers adjuster, who is also working on our claim that totals $620,622 with a $4,000 deductible. Any proceeds from this claim would also be split 60/40 with the Condo Association.

I received an initial draft of our new beach landscape design. We have passed this along to the office of the Town Environmental Director for their feedback prior to sharing it publicly with this group. We would rather not over promise anything to the group if the town has immediate objections to anything that is proposed in the plan.

Lastly, our spas remain unheated due to a gas leak that was discovered in the supply line. Teco Gas will need to repair the leak before the heaters can be turned on. This has been a drawn-out process with several delays, and we are hopeful that it will be finished soon!

Update | Friday, September 8

Our first room is complete with brand new sliding glass doors (please see photos below). The installation will continue on the 10th floor, but our current challenge is getting the inspector out more frequently, and more timely. We are still waiting for the first room to be approved as we prep the others on 10th floor. The permit/inspection process in Lee County is very strained and we continue to experience significant delays.

The 12 Lanai railings that were damaged in Hurricane Ian have finally been repaired. The same contractor is also responsible for the Terrace railings and the stairs. They should be done by next week. Once complete, we will paint the Terrace walls overhanging the pool deck to freshen that area up ahead of the Cabañas renovations.

All parking lot light fixtures are installed and are 80% operational with turtle-friendly amber lighting. The company delivered 3 fixtures without the required shielding, so we are unable to use those at this time. Overall, the new lights add a nice array of soft amber light through the front parking lot and along Estero Boulevard.

Our Cabañas permit revisions have been resubmitted with the Town/County and now we wait for any further questions.....or hopefully an approval! As a reminder, as soon as we get an indication of approval, it will take approximately 2 months to complete the bar renovation.

We are anticipating getting our Spas hot and operational by next week.

Update | Friday, AUGUST 18

Our SBA Loan went through its final approval, and we just received our initial distribution of $1.6M in our Reserves Account. We will immediately use these funds to pay our outstanding condo hurricane expenses.

The Rep we have been working with for our Hurricane Ian wind insurance claim called me yesterday to review our invoices that total $2.8 million. Their initial analysis indicated that they were willing to pay $1.7 million of that $2.8M. After we reviewed several of the line items, they have agreed to reassess the expenses in question. The positive news is that we are moving closer to a payment solution for the Hurricane Ian Wind expenses. As a reminder, the deductible for the Wind Policy is $1,055,000 which will be deducted only from the first payment we receive.

I have sent another email to our Flood Insurance carrier requesting an update on the roughly $640,000 in Hurricane Flood expenses we incurred. We received an initial $50,000 check for these Flood expenses, but we are now due for the rest. The deductible on the Flood Claim is only $2,500 so we should cover most of our flood costs.

We were finally able to bind a new 2023-2024 Wind Insurance Policy after a couple of weeks of negotiations between our broker and the remaining carriers in Florida. Unfortunately, our premium went from $399,663 last year to $1,082,500 this year, a roughly 270% increase. The reasons for this is that many carriers do not want to insure property on a barrier island moving forward. In addition, insurance companies are trying to reduce as much monetary exposure as possible. So instead of 2-3 carriers covering us like in years past, we now have 6 carriers, each with less exposure. We are currently putting the 2024 Condo Budget together to see how this will impact our 2024 dues.

The Parking Lot light fixtures are being delivered this Monday and will take 2 weeks to install.

Florida Power & Light will be out this Tuesday to repair one of their meters. They are anticipating shutting power down to the entire property from 10:00am to 1:00 pm on Tuesday, August 22nd.

We have had some positive communication with the Town and the Permit Inspectors in regard to both the Cabañas Bar and the Cabañas kitchen renovations. I received an email from the Town stating that we can reinstall the kitchen within the same footprint of the previous kitchen. This is positive news as we were originally told that we could not do this. The bar renovation will commence as soon as the Flood inspector agrees that the original plumbing for the bar satisfies the criteria for a bar replacement. So far, it’s looking favorable for the renovation to begin in September.

While everything is hooked up for the spas, we now require 3 regulators to push the natural gas into the heaters. Our plumber has ordered the parts and will connect them as soon as he receives them. This should be the final step to get the spas heated and operational.

Our local NBC affiliate, who has their weather camera on our roof, will be running an all-day Hurricane Ian Anniversary Special on Thursday September 28th. They will broadcast their morning and evening news programming live from the resort.

The Guestroom Slider project will kick off this Monday, August 21st. Because it is a week late, we have asked them to start on the 11th floor as we try to maintain the existing schedule for owners that are coming in October. We may still need to move some owners as they get to the 10th, 8th, 7th, 5th and 4th floor to install these sliders. Cherrie and Kim have done a great job finding suitable units for our owners as each floor is anticipated to be completed. We will know more about the schedule after the first week of work is completed.

Lastly, I was able to provide our beach landscape company with an updated survey of the property so they can calculate how much sand is needed to make the area safe and usable. As soon as they submit the new design, we will share it in a future update.

Update | Friday, JULY 28

A tragic accident occurred at the Resort on Tuesday, July 25th, resulting in the death of an individual conducting electrical work throughout our parking area. We extend our sincere condolences to the individual's family, friends and coworkers and our thoughts and prayers are with them and those that responded to the incident. While our team has met with OSHA investigators and the Resort has been cleared of any wrongdoing or fault, we ask that everyone respect the privacy of the family and those involved.

The main portion of our new pool furniture package (lounge chairs, tables, umbrellas, and dining chairs) was delivered on Monday July 17th and has been set-up around the pool deck (see pictures below).

All of columns for our parking lot lights were installed over the past two weeks and have been wired for the lighting fixtures. We now await the actual fixtures which are scheduled to ship on August 11th. This will allow us to return the rented, diesel-powered light stand that is currently illuminating the front of our property and parking lot.

Our Fire Pump breaker panel was changed out this past Monday, July 24th. Florida Power & Light was supposed to fix one of their meters at the same time, but the second crew had a conflict and didn't make it out in time. FPL has scheduled another 3-hour power shutdown on Tuesday, August 22nd at 10:00am to allow them time to make their repairs.

I met with the Town's Community Development Director and Floodplain Manager this past Monday to discuss our Cabañas Beach Bar renovation permit and future Cabañas Kitchen renovation permit. Their primary concern is that all equipment can be relocated to the ballroom if another hurricane threatens our area, eliminating the debris field that Hurricane Ian caused. They also want to ensure that all new electrical is above the new floodplain that FEMA established. I explained to them that all of our equipment was moved ahead of the storm and that our new designs call for electric to be run from the first floor down, with independent shut offs installed. I left the meeting feeling hopeful about the Cabañas Beach Bar permit being approved, but we are still waiting for them to send us a letter detailing any additional requirements. The kitchen renovation will be a tougher battle because FEMA and local agencies do not want any kitchen equipment on the ground level moving forward, even though restaurants like The Yucatan, Snug Harbor, Nervous Nellies and Wahoo Willies all have commercial kitchens on the ground level. Because we too had this permitted several years ago, we are hopeful they will grant us permission like they did for these other restaurants.

The black pool railings and ladders have finally arrived, along with the amber turtle friendly pool lights. This is all scheduled to be installed next week.

CFS roofing has completed their work and all roofs are now finished.

The Guestroom Slider project is still on track to commence on August 14th. When they get to a Vacation Ownership floor, (4, 5, 7, 8 and 10) we will need to move any Owners staying that particular week to a similar unit as best as we can. Once we begin the project and have finished the 12th and 11th floors, we will advise any affected owners as needed.

I toured our SBA loan adjuster around the property last week to show him the repairs that had been completed, along with the repairs that are still pending. I think we have jumped through every hoop imaginable and are now awaiting our first distribution of funds.

I met with our Beach Design & Landscape company along with the Town's Environmental Director to discuss our plans for the beach area along our property. We were informed that we will have to replant the Sea Grapes, grasses, and native plants that Hurricane Ian destroyed to help prevent future erosion. We communicated that we wanted to make sure that our view from the pool deck is not compromised. The design company understands our desire to utilize the new sand area along the entire property line for lounge seating, activities, Cabañas seating, and the beach equipment for Holiday Water Sports. We will keep you updated as things continue to move forward.

Update | Friday, JULY 7

The Pool Day Pass Program has been successful in driving incremental revenue to our Food and Beverage operations. In addition, it makes the resort feel lively in comparison to the surrounding areas which are still pretty desolate. I have communicated with a dozen or so owners that were concerned when we announced this program. After explaining how barren the pool area is during the week and the temporary nature of this program, I believe that everyone understands the need for this. While things are still relatively quiet compared to a “normal” summer, the Fourth of July holiday brought nice crowds to the island which was encouraging to see.

Our new pool furniture package (lounge chairs, tables, dining chairs, and umbrellas) is scheduled to ship to us on two dates: July 18th and July 31st. This will bring a whole new look to the pool deck which will also carry into the new design concept of Cabañas Beach Bar.

The Town has been reviewing our Cabañas Bar Renovation Permit and is requiring us to submit additional information in regard to the Flood and Comprehensive Plan. We have not been sent a formal letter/email request, so we are unclear on exactly what they need at this time. We anticipate going back and forth with the Local and State agencies as it relates to the environmental (Turtles) and FEMA (Flood) requirements but as soon as we get a sense that we have a green light, we can begin the repairs. Our Construction company estimates it will take two months to renovate Cabañas. We are still working on the kitchen repair permit which we anticipate will take longer. We split the two areas into separate permits so we could get the bar and entertainment venue up and running as quickly as possible. Our hope is for a Cabañas grand opening the last weekend in September for the Singer-Songwriter festival. We may need to host the event in the Cōste/Terrace area if we continue to get delayed in the permitting process.

All the temporary fencing was removed late last week and our parking lot and property look much cleaner now. We still have construction debris (cinder blocks) by our trash compactor, but we plan to use those to build the new Bellstand area. That project will commence when our permit is approved.

Our plumber came to the property on July 4th (I was pleasantly surprised to see them working on a National Holiday) to hook up the Teco Natural Gas meter to our pool and spa heaters. We are now waiting for the pool renovation company to train our staff on the new heater system, install the new amber Turtle lights in the pool/spas, and install the permanent black railings and ladders to complement the black pool tile and finish.

Like a number of other Trades affected by Florida's new E-Verify system for all workers, CFS Roofing has lost a number of its crews and has experienced delays due to being short-staffed. They are still working on completing the wall caps on the 12th and 2nd floor roofs. Thankfully, they will also be able to finish cleaning up the metal awning on Cabañas and will prepare a proposal to replace it in the future.

The Guestroom Slider project is still on track to commence on August 10th, 2023.

Our Fire Pump breaker panel is still scheduled to be replaced on July 24th.

At the very last minute, the SBA loan personnel required us to get two more forms completed that we didn't need prior to filing. We finished and resubmitted these forms this past Monday. It is a wonder how any Condo Association or business gets funds from this program because it is a very tedious process, to say the least.

We received a response from our Wind Insurance Rep when we inquired about the status of our application. At this time, nothing else was needed and they are still sifting through the invoices. We were happy to get a response and encouraged to learn that one of our sister properties received half a million dollars from their Flood Carrier as an initial distribution.

The landscape company tasked with designing and installing our future beachscape area came to the property last week to do their initial field survey. They have some great ideas and I look forward to sharing them with the Owners once they send their proposal.

Be sure to check out our web cam for a live view of the pool and beach!

Update | Friday, june 23

A few owners have expressed concern over our decision to offer a pool day pass program and how it may impact their experience during their visit. This program allows outside guests to purchase a pool pass on days when demand is low. It will be adjusted daily, and we will never allow the pool to be filled over a comfortable capacity. While we haven’t tried this in the past, this will be carefully monitored to ensure that the pool experience is not compromised. Year to date, our food and beverage operations are at a net loss of over $100,000, and the day pass program is a creative solution to help offset this. These losses are in no way a burden to Vacation Ownership; however, it would adversely impact our Owners if we had to discontinue our food and beverage operations due to continued losses. This is a challenging time, and we have received so much positive encouragement as we deploy creative solutions to stay afloat. At the end of the day, everything we do is intended to contribute positively to the experience we offer our owners and guests. If you have any concerns about the direction we are taking, please feel free to email me at dhrgm@sunstream.com, and I can further explain our rationale.

The Cabanas Beach Bar renovation permit has been loaded in the town’s portal and is now under review. Although we have every right to rebuild the bar as an emergency hurricane repair/replacement, we are formally applying through the permit process because of the new modifications and upgrades we intend to make.

Our landscaping package is complete, and the property looks amazing! Please see the photos posted below.

Teco Gas installed a new natural gas meter for our pool & spa equipment this week. The plumber will finish the process and connect the meter to the heaters next week. Hopefully, we will have HOT water in the spas by our next update!

CFS Roofing continues to install the wall cap on the 12th and 2nd floor roofs to finish this project. Due to staffing issues at CFS, this is projected to continue through next week.

The guestroom slider project is still on track to begin on August 10th, 2023.

We had a delay in the installation of our fire pump breaker panel. Florida Power & Light must turn off power to the entire property and can only do so on Monday, July 24th. The installation will take approximately 3-4 hours that day and will begin around 10:00 am.

We continue to wait for our first SBA loan disbursement as we have filed all the required documents they have asked for. We have also sent our wind insurance and flood insurance representatives all the invoices that need to be processed to date.

I have had a few conversations with the company we will task with redeveloping our beachfront area, and they are currently working on a design for us to review. We intend to blend the new beach berm, native plantings, berm walk-over, activities area, and restaurant serving area into a multi-use educational opportunity that highlights the environmental benefits of this substantial project. More to come as this continues to develop.

Update | WEDNESDAY, june 7

We are pleased to report that after several inspections, by three different Inspectors, the pool is legally open! I emphasize “legally” because last week we had a couple of fence hoppers jump in the pool to test the chemicals for us (see photo below). We were ready to open a week ago, but our first Inspector cited us for installing a fence without a pool fence permit (which we were originally told we didn't need). Our new pool furniture is backordered and scheduled to arrive mid to late July. In the meantime, we are utilizing lounge chairs borrowed from our standard units and temporary umbrellas. We originally set up large market umbrellas but they were too much of a liability when the wind picked up. Check out the live beach cam here to see the pool back in its glory!

The Cabañas Renovation Permit has been submitted with the new design that features an extended bar. We anticipate this taking at least a month. The plans will go back and forth between the Town, County, and Florida DEP. Our hope is to have this portion of the Cabañas completed before the Singer Songwriter festival that takes place the last week of September.

Our landscaping package is almost complete, we are just waiting for the sod at this time.

All five roofs (2nd floor, 4th floor, 12th floor and two elevator shafts) are having their perimeter walls capped as the final task on this project.

We hosted the Fort Myers Beach Elementary 5th Grade Graduation ceremony yesterday and all who attended were very appreciative. The better news is the Town/County plan to renovate and re-open the school again in the Fall or by end of this year at the latest.

Our guestroom slider project is now confirmed to begin August 10th, 2023. The projection is to complete one floor per week. Due to the high occupancy of Vacation Ownership weeks starting in October, we will have the slider company complete the Vacation Ownership floors first.

Our new Fire Panel System and Fire Pump breaker panel have arrived, and we just need to coordinate a day with FPL to install.

The concrete pad under the resort has now been poured and is ready for the MoJo's breakfast truck. We will also use this area for future Bike, Motorcycle and Golf Cart parking among other amenities that are in the works.

We have submitted all the final closing documents for our SBA loan and are waiting on word of disbursement.

Publix on the Island has officially re-opened!

Lastly, we would like to share an update regarding those owners who lost their weeks when the resort was closed in October, November and December. After in-depth discussions with the Developer, we have reached an agreement for the affected owners. The two major challenges we faced in coming up with a solution were as follows:

  1. In our Condo Documents, the language states that weeks cannot be rolled over from one year to the next to "accumulate." The primary reason for this stipulation is there simply would not be enough inventory to accommodate all the float weeks, especially during peak periods. We are nearly sold out of float weeks in October, November and December so there really is not much flexibility as is.
  2. Because the entire property was closed due to a Hurricane, it was outside of the developer’s control and considered an “Act of God.” Like every other commercial business or residential homeowner in this area, we had expenses that continued even though our property was completely compromised. Unfortunately, lost time is not an asset that can be recuperated.

That being said, we are able to provide the following opportunity for those affected owners mentioned above. Because we have allowed sufficient time for the 2023 Float Owners to book their reservations, and because we still have sufficient inventory left for this year, we will allow these owners to rebook their lost week in 2023 as availability allows. This is limited to June, July, August, September and limited periods in December. The fixed Holiday weeks of July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years are excluded from this offer. We appreciate your understanding and are pleased that we could negotiate this opportunity. To rebook your unused time, please contact Cherrie Uselton at 239-765-7654, Ext. 7160 or by email at dhrgsm@sunstream.com.

Update | Friday, MAY 19

Our landscape renourishment project is near completion. Our landscaper added crushed shells in the areas along Estero Boulevard which really enhanced our curb appeal (see photo below). After looking at debris for the past 5 months, it is refreshing to see everything come together. Once the exterior lighting is complete, we will finish the project with some accent plants and sod.

The pool equipment finally arrived and has been installed! The conduit has all been connected and the team has started the process of refinishing the pool surface. We anticipate filling the pool with water this weekend! We are unable to heat the hot tubs for 30 days while the finish cures, but we can reopen the pool as soon as we pass our final inspection. The fence crew is still installing the fence but is nearing completion.

Our guestroom sliders are in production, and we are looking at July to begin the installation. We will start on the 12th floor and move our way down.

The town's emergency sand berm has been finished and we are waiting on FEMA to take pictures and approve the work before we begin moving any sand. We will start by creating two beach access points through the berm. Our landscape design company will then create conceptual drawings of how we utilize the beach area in front of the property. This is required by the Town of FMB and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. I will share these drawings when completed.

The 2nd floor roof and the 4th floor roof both have all the layers in place and only needs the wall cap installed around the perimeter. The 12th floor roof is halfway through the final layer and needs the wall cap installed as well (see photos below). This has been a long process and we are looking forward to having this project wrapped up.

Although we have not received final approval on our parking lot and pool lighting permit, we have made some positive headway with the Code Enforcement Director. They have all the required documentation, and we are just waiting on an official approval. We have ordered the parking lot fixtures as that was an emergency hurricane repair/replacement. We have selected our pool fixtures but will not order them until the height of the poles are approved.

We have completed the CAD drawings for the Cabañas Beach Bar redesign, and they will be submitted for permits in the coming days. We are in the final stages of the kitchen redesign, and they will be submitted soon as well. Once we have an approved concept, we will share it here.

Update | Friday, MAY 5

Our landscaping project is well underway and has significantly improved our curb appeal. Our landscaper planted royal palms last week which added a beautiful tropical feel to the front of our building. The hedge that lines our property on the east side of the building is almost complete and adds a bit of privacy between us and our neighbors. Grass will be the last item of the landscaping package, and we hope to have that done within the next few weeks.

The exterior painting project is now complete.

The pool equipment was delayed by another week, but we have been told that the equipment is on schedule to arrive on May 8th. With most of the preparation work already completed, we anticipate the rest moving quickly once the equipment arrives.

After months of waiting on our permit for our slider replacement project, we have finally received final approval. We are ready to move forward, and the sliders will go into production ASAP.

The town's beach recovery plan is almost complete along the beach area in front of our resort. The emergency berm has been constructed in the easement area. The goal is to provide storm damage reduction benefits to properties, enhance recreational space, and improve critical habitats for threatened and endangered shorebirds, tortoises, and sea turtles. Once the town has finished its portion of the project, we will create a path for our guests and owners to access the beach easily.

All three roofs are in the final stages of completion. We anticipate wrapping this project up within the next few weeks and just in time for the start of the rainy season.

The parking lot and pool lighting are still pending as we have not received an approved permit from the town. We are ready to move forward quickly as we have everything lined up once we receive approval to proceed with our desired lighting package.

Update | Friday, APRIL 21

We have spent the last few weeks focusing on the exterior of the resort and our efforts are starting to make a noticeable impact. We were finally able to remove the chain-link fence that was such an eye sore. Along with the new palms, you can see in the photo below that our curb appeal is improving dramatically!

We are still waiting on the large royal palms in front of the building. These were delayed due to due to the heavy rain that hit the Ft. Lauderdale area last week. These palms would typically come from a local farm on Pine Island, but it was completely wiped out by the hurricane. After the electricians complete the wiring for the parking lot lights, new grass will be installed.

The exterior painting project is about 75% complete. We recently completed painting under the terrace and are now moving to the front of the building. The roof work also continues and is making steady progress. The fourth floor is near completion and the twelfth floor is progressing nicely (see photos). After a few equipment-related delays, our contractors have added more resources to keep things moving.

The back parking lot near the pool was being used as a debris site and has now been cleared. This area will be used as a staging site for the pool equipment once it arrives. At this point, we are being told that the equipment has been delayed slightly and will arrive on April 26. The pool pavers have been reinstalled and the pool fence is currently in progress. Check the live beach cam to see the progress in real time. We are still waiting approval of the lights in the pool area and parking lot.

There are several other projects that are still in the works but do not have any significant updates to report. The guestroom sliders are still waiting for final approval from the town. We are also still waiting on a final proposal for the repair of the rear elevators and ADA elevator at Cabañas. The elevator company recently hired several employees which should help things move quicker. Lastly, the sand dune project has commenced on the other end of the island but has not made it our way yet.

Update | Friday, APRIL 7

As we prepare for our official re-opening on April 14th, our primary focus is the exterior projects that are underway. Our new landscape package is set to arrive and be installed on April 12th. This will immediately breathe some life into the exterior appearance of the resort and restore the tropical vibe that has been missing since the storm surge removed all of our vegetation.

Our new live beach camera has been reinstalled overlooking the beach and pool so owners and guests can watch our progress in real time. To access the live feed, please click on the following link: https://www.diamondheadfl.com/fort-myers/beach-cam. This link will also be added to the DiamondHead website in the coming weeks but bookmark this page for access in the meantime.

While it may look the same, we continue to make progress on restoring our beautiful resort pool. Our electrician completed installing underground electrical wire, data cables and speaker wire so we can officially begin reinstalling the pool deck pavers. Our pool equipment enclosures, or “coffins,” are scheduled to arrive on April 20th along with the exterior fencing. Both will be installed promptly upon arrival to get our pool area back online as soon as possible.

Although we have an approved sea turtle light fixture for the pool and parking lot, we are still waiting on the Town’s decision in regard to the light pole height. 15 ft is required for night swimming, yet a height of 12 ft is approved for turtles. I spoke to the Town Environmental Sciences director yesterday and we should be able to get the 15 ft poles approved because they were part of our original land declaration. This decision will not hold up the installation of the pool pavers and we are hopeful that everything will work out.

The new guestroom slider permit is basically approved, we just need to upload a picture of the proposed black-out curtains to verify we have proper window coverings. Sea turtles are nosey, and we want to be sure they can’t see inside our rooms  Guest privacy is important, and we won’t tolerate peeping turtles!

The 2nd and 4th floor roof is near completion. We are waiting for the lightweight concrete pumping truck to return so they can apply the final topcoat. We are also in the process of repainting the lower levels of the resort that were discolored and damaged from the storm surge.

We are waiting on a proposal to replace the ADA elevator adjacent to Cabañas, the service elevator on the west side of the building, and the two ground floor elevator doors next to Cabañas. These elevator expenses will be covered by our flood policy, with a deductible of $3,000.

We have nothing new to report on the new sand dune project mentioned in previous updates. The town had surveyors out this past Wednesday taking measurements but with Turtle Season beginning May 1st , we likely won’t see much progress until later this year.

Lastly, we have sent our design concepts for Cabañas Beach Bar to the engineers for official CAD drawings. The new design utilizes a poolside bar that will separate the pool deck from the restaurant area. This means the bar will be accessible from both the pool and restaurant side. Our plan is to locate the stage where the previous bar was located and will retract under the building when it’s not in use. Once we have conceptual drawings available, we will share them with you!

Update | Friday, MArch 24

We have had a positive couple of weeks as we work towards reopening on April 14th. The interior of the hotel is in the final stages of updates as we shift all resources to the exterior projects.

Our pool repairs are in limbo as we wait for the “coffin” enclosures that house the pumps and filtration equipment. These are shipping from overseas and are scheduled to arrive in mid-April. Unfortunately, we can't install the interior finish to the pool until the equipment is in place and water can be pumped into the pool to cure the new finish. The new accent and bullnose tile have been installed, and the pool deck pavers will be re-installed after our electrician runs the conduit and wire to our new lighting package.

The pool and parking lot lighting package has been a challenge as we navigate the updated Turtle Code requirements. We found an approved light fixture but are working through a height restriction challenge that is holding up our progress. A taller pole emits more light over a larger area. A shorter pole emits less  light and requires far more poles, adding additional expenses. Pole placement must be determined before the pavers can be re-installed which is in turn delaying this project.

The exterior fencing is scheduled for delivery in mid-April and will be installed shortly thereafter. Our new irrigation system has been installed and the new landscaping package should arrive in the next two weeks. I will send pictures as soon as this begins.

The permit for the new guestroom sliders is in final stage of approval. The sliders will take six weeks to produce, and we are looking at a May/June timeframe for the installation begin on the 12th floor. The entire project should take 5 months but should not be much of a noise burden on guests. Based on past guest feedback, the new sliders will bring a much-needed improvement that will enhance the room's functionality.

The new roofing project is in the final stage on the 4th floor (3rd-floor roof). They will complete this next week and move to the 12th floor for the final topcoat.

We have continued our talks with the Town of Fort Myers Beach regarding the new sand dune project on Estero Island. Because the storm surge tore out most of the vegetation along the beaches, the State and Feds have earmarked upwards of $30 million to create a new sand dune along the island's entire length. We are hopeful that this will provide additional protection from future storms and increase the amount of beach in front of the resort.

We are in the early stages of designing the new Cabañas Beach Bar & Grille concept. This would create a long bar along the pool deck where the two pool gates used to be. It would also include a larger entertainment stage and seating area where the previous bar used to be. This would afford our owners and hotel guests enhanced service on the poolside of the bar. As a reminder, any development updates related to the Food and Beverage areas would be at no cost to our Condo Association. We are just trying to keep you informed as we enhance the amenities we have to offer.

Lastly, we are still waiting on the new beach camera to arrive but hope to have it back online soon so you can visit us virtually from home or the office!

Update | Friday, MArch 3

We are happy to report that we are ahead of schedule on our room remediation and plan to reopen to Owners on April 14th, 2023. While this is incredibly exciting to announce, this comes with a few caveats as we patiently wait for several permits to get approved:

  • The pool is anticipated to be finished by early May if we don’t encounter additional delays. All the necessary equipment and fencing have been ordered and the estimated delivery date is mid-April. They are currently installing the accent tile and interior finish and should start re-installing the pool pavers by next week (please see updated picture below).
  • Construction noise is always possible while they continue repairing the 12th-floor roof, but I think we are past the worst of it. We will begin installing the new sliding glass doors in May and it will take 4-5 months to complete. While we hope this will be less disruptive than the roof project, the possibility of construction noise Monday through Friday is probable.
  • While both front elevators are completely operational, we are still waiting on parts to bring the rear elevators back online.
  • We are completely rebuilding Cabañas Beach Bar and construction will not be complete until later this year. In the meantime, Cabañas is operating out of Cōste meaning that our fine dining options are currently unavailable. We anticipate both restaurants returning to normal operations this fall.
  • There WILL be a beach access ramp, but we are working with the Town of Fort Myers Beach and Florida DEP to redesign our beach area.
  • Holiday Water Sports WILL open in mid-March. Unfortunately, we WILL NOT be able to offer owners complimentary chairs and umbrellas, but they will be available for a reasonable fee. Jet Skis and Parasailing will also be available.
  • There are 10 owner units that have lost a portion of their balcony, and we are waiting on inspections of the other 111 units by a certified State inspector. We MAY have to move you to another similar unit this year pending our inspection results. The affected units are primarily the 01, 07, and 09 stacks.
  • We continue to work with the Town on our Turtle-friendly parking lot and pool lighting and may still have our temporary diesel-fueled lights into May.
  • Although we have ordered fencing for the parking lot area along Estero Blvd., it will not arrive until mid-April so we may still have temporary fencing, for liability reasons, until the end of April.

I am also happy to report that the SBA loan that we applied for was approved. A huge thank you to Monica Flowers-Crews, our SunStream Director of Corporate Operations for spearheading this application. Justin and I walked the property with the inspector this past Monday and we should hear a decision in regard to the loan amount in the coming weeks.

The Resort plans to install a new "beach cam" overlooking the pool and beach area so everyone can follow our progress in real-time. This will be on our Resort webpage as it was before. We have ordered the new webcam and will install it as soon as it arrives.

The installation of our new irrigation system will commence on Monday, March 6th, and should take about two weeks. Once complete, we will plant new palms at the front of the building and along the sidewalk. We will also change/replace the rock in the planting areas with grass to really green up the property.

Update | Friday, FEBRUARY 17

Our pool repairs are well underway and there has been considerable progress made. After testing and repairing the underground infrastructure, the aesthetic work has now begun. New coping has been installed around the perimeter of the pool and the new accent tiles should arrive next week. The biggest hurdle at this point is the replacement of the enclosures that house the pump and filtration equipment. It’s estimated to be another 6 weeks until these are ready to ship. Once received and installed, we should be ready to fill the pool and spas with water!

The roof project is also making great progress. The demo and removal process is very loud and disruptive, and we are hoping that they will complete this phase in the coming week or two. They have completed this process on the second and fourth-floor roofs and are actively working on the twelfth-floor roof.

The exterior of the property has made some progress but still has a long way to go. Our monument sign has been installed which is very encouraging. We are currently working on a plan to replace the irrigation system so we can begin to replant the lush tropical landscaping that was completely washed away. This also includes the exterior lighting which is being planned as well.

The Town of FMB and the Florida DEP have secured funds to replenish the beach with sand and build new dunes if their renourishment proposal is approved. They are trying to build a 4-6 foot dune along the entire beach to add protection from future storms. This would also potentially increase the width of the beach in front of DiamondHead by adding sand seaward of our property line. This may allow us to utilize more of the beach area along the pool deck frontage, similar to the width of the Cabanas serving area. I am working with a landscape designer to create this visual that will be shared with the group once it’s completed.

The guestroom slider project has been submitted to the Town of FMB for permit approval. Once approved, all 242 sliders will take approximately 6 weeks to produce. This would put us in an April to May timeframe for installation. As a reminder, this project is being funded by the Irma Settlement we received after 5 years of battling our prior insurance company.

Lastly, our SBA loan was tentatively approved by our Case Representative. It will require the approval of their supervisor before we receive an official property inspection that determines our eligibility. This is a temporary funding solution that will provide cash flow while we wait for our insurance claim to be awarded.

Update | Friday, JANUARY 20

It has been a lengthy process, but we have finalized a contract with Quality Pools to completely restore the entire pool area including equipment, pool finish, paver installation, and retaining wall repair. They will start this Monday!

CFS Roofing has started the demolition phase of the 2nd floor roof. There is quite a bit of noise associated with this portion of the project, as we found out during the Town of Fort Myers Beach Local Planning meeting in the ballroom yesterday. Once they complete the second floor, they will move on to the 4th floor roof and then the 12th. Once the demolition phase is complete, they will begin to install three layers of new roofing material on each roof.

Our temporary beach access has been completed and is getting a lot of use. It is nice to see people walking to and from the beach.

Our guestroom slider replacement project is still in the permitting phase. Once approved by the Town of FMB, this installation will take approx. 3-4 months. This will provide enhanced protection from future storms and be a nice upgrade to our guest suites.

We have been trying to replace the black fence around the perimeter of the property. Our hope was to use the same company that installed it and piggyback on the existing permit. However, they have been unresponsive after many attempts. We are now exploring other companies to complete this project.

Lastly, the monument sign at the front entrance is in the final stages of repair. While it still feels awkward without the lush vegetation, it is encouraging to see this landmark come back to life. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and the promise of great beach vacations to come.

Update | Friday, JANUARY 6

Let’s begin this update with our most frequently asked question. When will the resort be open to owners and guests? While this is still a very fluid situation with several variables that could change, we are aiming to welcome you back by the end of mid-2023. Please understand that if we are able to achieve this goal, the amenities available to guests would be very limited. Based on some recent conversations, the pool may or may not be operational at that time. Cabañas is still operating out of Cōste and would be the only other resort amenity available.

Now that the Town of Fort Myers Beach has officially re-opened the beach, we are working to construct a new ramp to access the beach. We want to create a safe and secure way for guests to access the beach as we continue construction and recovery efforts on the ground level. Holiday Water Sports, our beach service provider, was completely wiped out by the Hurricane. They have not indicated if or when they will be operational again.

The roof contract was signed in December, but we are waiting for AT&T, one of the cell tower providers, to remove their conduit from the roof before we can commence work. If AT&T doesn't comply within the next week, we are within our rights to turn the power off and remove their equipment. In addition to the pool repairs, repairing the roof is a top priority.

We have been working diligently to get our back elevators operational and are waiting on the arrival of necessary parts. We also signed a contract with Glass by Marco to replace all 242 guestroom sliders with Cat 5 insulated, turtle friendly glass. Production will take 4-6 weeks and I hope the Town’s permitting process has improved with our new Mayor coming on board.

The 2000 Estero Condo Board had an emergency Board meeting Wednesday to address the mounting list of recovery items. They voted to approve applying for an SBA loan to cover expenses related to Hurricane Ian. We must apply by Thursday January 12th and the maximum loan amount is 2 million dollars. It is estimated that the Hurricane Ian Condo portion of the expenses is just over $2 million but the Board also approved the use of the existing Shared Use Reserves to pay a portion of expenses. If approved, The SBA loan would be in lieu of having to perform a special assessment to the Association. The pay down of the SBA loan would be over 30 years and part of the annual dues. Please understand this is a bridge for us as we wait for wind and flood insurance funds to be calculated. Any funds related to condo expenses that we receive from the insurance company would be applied to pay off the SBA loan and replenish our Shared Use Reserves. We are just looking for funding to get our property up and running as soon as possible.

That said, we continue to actively support our community when possible. With the ballroom being remediated this week, we are one of the only properties that has meeting space. We will be offering our ballroom, free of charge, to the Town of FMB, the Fire District and the Chamber of Commerce to hold their weekly/monthly meetings on property until their facilities can be rebuilt. Our progress would not be possible without these essential community entities, and we hope to support them as we all continue our recovery efforts.

Update | Friday, DECEMBER 22

On Friday, December 9th, our team was excited to reopen our food and beverage operations on a limited scale. We are currently offering the Cabanas Beach Bar & Grille menu on the Terrace and in the Coste bar and dining room from 11AM-8PM daily. Offering another restaurant location on Ft. Myers Beach has been well received by local residents who appreciate an option close to home for food, drinks, and great service. To top it off, we are committed to supporting our local musicians by bringing live entertainment several days a week.

Shortly after reopening Cabanas, and through the immense work and dedication of our team, we were able to open a limited amount of suites to displaced local residents through the FEMA emergency lodging program. We have several guests who were relocated out of the area following the storm due to no available hotels or lodging within the area. We are proud to serve our community and be able to assist in the recovery efforts while we continue the construction and repairs of the resort.

The pool has now been cleared, cleaned and free of all debris. We are scheduled to have a leak detection service take place next week, which will help us understand the full scope of repairs that may be needed. In the meantime, we are working to source the pool and spa equipment replacements, which are greatly affected by a supply chain shortage.

Finally, this week, we have begun working to create a safe access point from the resort to the beach. The beach has been inaccessible from our property since the hurricane. We have cleared the space and are working on a temporary ramp until a more permanent boardwalk can be built.

Update | Friday, DECEMBER 9

Our safety systems have passed the fire inspector’s criteria for welcoming guests back on property. This includes the fire alarm pull stations, fire sprinklers, exit doors from stairwells, and temporary railings. Below are some photos that depict this work.

With hot water now restored to guest rooms, we can bring a select number of rooms online beginning Wednesday, December 14. We will continue to add more as remediation and deep clean efforts are completed. We are the second property on Fort Myers Beach to open our doors to local displaced residents and emergency response teams and are so proud of hard work our team has done to make this possible.

Cabañas will officially re-open today utilizing Cōste’s space on the lobby level. The kitchen, bar and terrace are all fully operational. We will even have live music from local musicians Chasing Denver to commemorate the grand re-opening. There is currently only one other hotel property offering food and beverage services at this time.

All efforts are now focused on rehabbing our pool and spas. We received a referral from an owner for Nassau Pools but unfortunately, they would not come to Fort Myers Beach due to traffic. We have scheduled an inspection with American Leak Detection of SW Florida on December 27, they will repressurize our underground lines to determine if they are intact. If that passes, it’s just the equipment that will need to be replaced. We are being told that there is currently a 6-8 month lead time on equipment but we are not satisfied with this response and are confident we can find a more efficient solution.

The town and county have done a great job cleaning up the beach and removing debris. From a distance, the beaches look gorgeous. While they remain closed to the public, water quality is improving every week.

Update | Friday, DECEMBER 2

After numerous setbacks, our gas service has finally been restored! After many leaks were discovered along Estero Boulevard, the last hurdle was replacing and re-pressurizing all our meters. Our laundry facilities and main kitchen are now operational. Hot water will be restored to all rooms in the coming week after we replace the boiler roof vents that were blown off the roof.

Our roof replacement project should officially begin in the next week or so. We are hoping that the crane will arrive next week to place the supplies on the roof. It will take approximately 3 to 4 months to complete this project.

We are working through the details of a third quote to replace the sliding glass doors in every guestroom. The company that we are working with is currently providing the glass doors at the new Margaritaville Resort. Their bid could provide substantial savings compared to the other two quotes we received. We hope to award the contract soon pending scheduling and lead times.

We continue to work through the list of safety and security tasks that must be completed prior to allowing any occupancy of the property. Due to the limited nature of our amenities, we only anticipate FEMA and island contractors staying with us for the near future.

On a positive note, I am happy to share we will officially reopen our food and beverage operations on Friday, December 9! Our Cabañas team is excited to welcome guests back for a limited menu and will be operating out of Cōste on the lobby level.

Lastly, we are still trying to find a commercial pool company that is capable and willing to tackle our pool situation. If anyone knows of a company that may be interested, please email us their information. The scope of work exceeds the capabilities of all the companies we have met. With labor shortages and local resources spread thin, we are looking to broaden our search.

Update | Friday, NOVEMBER 18

We thought the week would begin with some promising news but that quickly changed. Our rep from Teco Gas called to inform us that our much-awaited gas service was going to be restored. Just hours later, we received a follow-up call to let us know that a gas leak was discovered between DiamondHead and the bridge. They are now projecting that gas will be restored the last week of November. We are still without hot water, laundry dryers and kitchen equipment until this service is restored.

We have contracted True North, a mold remediation company, to remove and clean the 26 rooms that were impacted by water intrusion. They will remove the compromised drywall on the interior wall between the bedroom and the living room. The good news is that the affected rooms have been limited to beachfront units and the 01 and 02 stacks. They took the brunt of the wind and rain. This company is licensed to remove and clean these units before we replace the drywall and put the rooms back together.

The ground floor and parking lots are now clear of debris, and we have a blank canvas on which we can begin rebuilding. We will need to replace the irrigation system prior to planting new tropical vegetation around the building.

We had the Fire Inspector come to the property to inspect the building and provide direction on what needs to be done to provide rooms to emergency responders and FEMA. The photos below show our outside stairwell doors that will need to be replaced. The back stairwell exit near the trash compactor also requires a new breakaway wall and hallway pad, but the fire inspector said we could build a temporary "egress" in the meantime. Several railings will also need to be repaired but we can construct a temporary railing to satisfy this requirement as we wait for materials.

Johnson Fire Controls will finally be out on Nov 22nd to formulate a strategy to get our fire safety system back online. All pull stations and smoke detectors will need to be replaced on the ground level. The big setback is that other necessary parts for the existing panel are unavailable so we will need to replace the entire panel.  Outside the need for natural gas, our fire system is the most critical requirement at this point.

We have signed a contract with CFS roofing to replace the twelfth, fourth and second floor roof. In addition, they will replace the roof over each elevator shaft. The replacement costs will be covered by the Hurricane Irma claim award we fought for over the past 5 years. We are still awaiting a third bid to replace all the exterior sliding doors. This too will be funded by the Hurricane Irma claim that we were awarded.

Several owners have voiced their concerns in regard to the mounting costs of rebuilding. While there are still so many unknowns, we are proceeding with the same strategy we have used after previous storms. We carry various insurance policies and our intention is to hold these companies accountable for the wind-driven rain damage that was so devastating. We are still in the very early stages of these claims and that is all we can share at this point. You can rest assured that we are working tirelessly in this process, and we will fully restore DiamondHead to the resort you love to visit.

Update | Friday, NOVEMBER 11

Over a month into our restoration efforts, we are most frequently asked about our opening date. While substantial progress has been made, we still do not know when we will be able to accommodate owners and guests. There are still several hazardous circumstances and town officials have not hinted at when tourism will reopen.

While it could be a while before we welcome guests back, we are working to make the resort available to FEMA and other emergency response teams. This will not be possible until gas service is restored and the Fire Marshall has approved the property for occupancy. We are in the process of negotiating rates with various organizations. Our intent is that any rental proceeds could offset yearly maintenance dues for owners that choose to participate. If you are interested in participating, please email dhrgsm@sunstream.com and we will send the necessary forms.

We do not have any update regarding the pool and spas. We are still searching for a pool company that is capable and willing to undertake a project of this magnitude. In preparation, our team has removed all the pavers from the pool deck to make the project easier to begin once we award the contract to a capable vendor.

Update | Friday, NOVEMBER 4

With power and water restored, we were eager to get the resort’s cooling system online. Our initial attempt was unsuccessful and we feared the worst. However, we soon realized that when our new transformers were installed, the 3-phase wires were crossed. After FPL returned to correct the problem, our cooling towers were operational. We now have A/C in the lobby and guest rooms. The restaurant power was just restored this morning so we can continue cleaning these areas under normal lighting conditions.

We were informed on Thursday that the natural gas would not be available for at least two weeks. They are still disconnecting residences and businesses before slowly turning the gas on and checking their lines. The lack of gas impacts our laundry services, kitchen equipment, and boilers for hot water. We are now looking to outsource cleaning all linens and towels to expedite our mounting laundry. With power and water restored, natural gas is the only thing stalling the cleaning process.

The Cōste kitchen has been thoroughly cleaned, and we are now assessing what is needed. The hood fans were ripped off in the storm which we hope will be an easy fix. We also lost three 15-tonne A/C units over the restaurant and ballroom. These were initially projected to take 3-5 months to receive but we have a lead on a supplier that may have them in stock. We have a goal to cook Thanksgiving dinner for emergency personnel and lineman as a thank you for all they are doing to restore our community. Natural gas is also vital to kitchen operations and is necessary to become operational. 

All the debris along the front of our property was removed on Sunday and Monday of this week. We have continued to add more debris this week as dumpsters are hard to come by. They will continue commercial debris pick-up for the next few weeks.

We have two functioning elevators (front elevators), but the two back elevators will be down for several months as we wait for new doors to arrive. In the meantime, the back elevator cabs will be refurbished as we did with the front elevators after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

We had a local pool company come out yesterday to give us an estimate for repairing the pool and spas. After a basic assessment, they declined the work as the scope is too large for their company. We have been referred to a commercial pool company based in Orlando and are awaiting their inspection. Until they arrive, this is still a considerable unknown.

With the significant storm surge, all landscaping was submerged in salt water and did not survive, including the 4 Royal Palms at the front of the building. We have removed all landscaping and now have a blank canvas to grow a new look for the property. Below are a few pictures of the resort at night. While its not the vibrant glow you remember, it's a hopeful reminder of progress and better days ahead.

Our Annual General Meeting will be Thursday, November 10th at 10:00AM EST. After giving the Ownership a status update on a few important items we are working on, we will answer any questions you may have. 

Update | Friday, October 28

Our new transformer was installed by FPL on Saturday. We received tremendous support from the Town Manager, Roger Hernstadt, and Councilman, Dan Allers. We were able to shut down the rental generators and switch to resort power for the fans and dehumidifiers. The island is still very dark at night and the resort lights seem brighter than ever. Our hope is that through these dark nights, it's a reminder of brighter days ahead.

Our water supply was restored yesterday but it had to be turned off almost immediately. We discovered that the water main was ruptured in another location between our transformer and diesel tank. This should be a relatively easy fix and we are hoping that we can try again tomorrow. Once the water is restored, we can begin testing the HVAC system.

Power and gas have still not been restored to the restaurant, kitchen or ballroom. Our hope is to have this completed in the coming weeks, so that we can provide a Thanksgiving meal for the amazing first responders and emergency teams that have tirelessly served this community.

We are still assessing the pool equipment and have hired a company to give us a scope of work. Unfortunately, this requires removing all the pool pavers and digging down to the PVC infrastructure to replace and repair. As we look ahead to rebuilding the pool area, we are exploring options for expanding Cabañas and adding a bar on the pool deck. This is just a concept at this point, but we are excited at the possibility of expanding  Cabañas.

We have moved almost all the debris to the side of Estero Boulevard where it will eventually be picked up. In fact, all businesses and residents are doing the same. The mountains of debris are a reminder of just how devastating this storm was (see picture below). To date, over 170,000 cubic yards of debris have been picked up. Beaches and water quality continue to be a major problem. Six fatalities and multiple sicknesses have been reported from people not heeding to cautionary notices.

Update | Friday, October 21

This week we continued to assess the property as we work towards completing the most critical tasks. Power and water restoration on the island has begun, and we are working hard to clear areas and prepare for reconnection. It is also imperative that we secure and stabilize the premises to avoid additional damage.

CFS Roofing quickly implemented a temporary plastic barrier on the 3rd and 12th floors. This repair is a huge accomplishment, as we have stopped the daily rain from entering the building. This week, the roofing company will finish waterproofing the damaged elevator shafts. This will conclude their work until a later date when the permanent roofing is installed.

With all the roof leaks addressed, Coastal Restoration of Naples is managing our moisture mitigation efforts. We have two commercial generators in the parking lot supplying power to a dehumidifier and fan in each room. We have been fortunate that only 15-20 rooms have shown signs of mold at this point. For those rooms that test positive for mold spores, drywall will be removed, and the rooms will be sanitized with a prescribed solution.

Our electrical checklist continues to grow as we realize just how devastating the storm surge was. In addition to replacing the main transformer, the lines that bring service to the building were damaged beyond repair. We have contracted Current Electric to work with Florida Power and Light to terminate damaged systems throughout the ground level. The Town of Ft. Myers Beach will require certification that the resort can safely accept power before approval is provided to FPL for reconnection. Once power is restored, we will have electricity from the lobby level to the roof.

Our snapped water main was repaired; however, the fire main is still compromised (pictured below). Damage like this was typical on the island. The resort cannot restore water service until all lines have been repaired and tested.

As you can see in the photo below of the pool deck, the damage to our equipment was significant. The underground PVC pipes that make up the pool and spas' filtration system will need to be replaced. Sinkholes have begun forming, with several concrete cracks becoming visible. The water below ground level is still so high that if we were to empty the pool, it would completely collapse, delaying any further cleaning of the pool itself.

While debris continues to be removed, the beaches and Gulf are still far from accessible. Officials have warned of sharp debris in the water and beneath the sand, with high bacteria levels. Sadly, a casualty has already been reported from people not heeding this warning. Access will remain restricted until the Army Corp of Engineers can properly dredge the beaches.

While the setbacks seem abundant, progress is all around. We are strong and resilient, and together we will push through the challenges ahead. Please mark your calendar for our Annual General Meeting, which will be held virtually on November 10th starting at 10 AM. We will discuss future visitation and address any questions you have. In addition, we will share some positive news as we work to restore the beach resort you call home.

Update | Friday, October 14

Our management team was allowed back on the island earlier this week, and we can begin with some very positive news. Before we could do anything, LCM Engineering completed a comprehensive analysis of the building. Their audit confirmed that the resort's structural integrity was sound and not affected by the storm surge. In addition, the massive cooling towers on the roof, a vital component of the resort cooling system, were intact. Losing these towers would have been a catastrophic setback, and we are beyond grateful that they survived.

We officially signed a General Contractor to address and repair critical systems. The top priority at this point is our roof, which was severely compromised by the 150MPH winds. Managing this quickly is crucial as it rains nearly every day, and the roof has significant leaks. A crane has been contracted to lift supplies for a new roof system to be installed in the coming weeks. Several other projects are being assessed, and we will share information as it becomes available.

While we are embracing the positive news, everything else is very uncertain at this time. Electric has not been restored to Fort Myers Beach; even when it is, it will be quite some time before we can restore power to the resort. Our electrical system was underwater and requires new transformers and multiple inspections before going online. The storm also destroyed our diesel generator. We are working on a temporary solution that includes placing a generator on each floor to temporarily air condition each room, as mold is our biggest threat.

Water service has also not been restored to the island. This is also critical to our resort systems, especially the cooling towers on the roof. Our 12-inch water main is completely broken, and a trailer is currently on top of the lines. Likewise, our fire main also snapped, leaving us without water in an emergency.

Progress is underway, but it is slow. A small team is at the resort daily, and it often takes about two hours just to get here. While the recovery effort is extensive, we remain optimistic and hopeful. The video below was posted on YouTube yesterday, October 13th, and shows the current condition of the resort and surrounding area.

 

Update | Friday, October 7

As you are likely well aware, Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday, September 28th. The devastation this storm left behind for our island paradise of Ft. Myers Beach is catastrophic and continues to mount. We will keep this update brief as our concern is now with our employees with immediate and critical needs.

Our team at DiamondHead is safe and accounted for; for that we are truly fortunate. Upon the mandatory evacuation ordered on Tuesday, September 27th, we evacuated all guests from the resort. A team of employees sheltered at DiamondHead with the intent of providing food and supplies to those in need once the storm had passed. The impact of Ian did not allow for this to happen.

Access to Ft. Myers Beach is closed to all with the exception of first responders and the urban search and rescue response teams. The island is without electricity, water, gas, and telephone service – these life systems will take time to rebuild. Our team will not be able to begin initial debris removal until we are permitted back on to Ft. Myers Beach with emergency resident and business passes.

The resort itself fared well considering the impact and destruction of the storm surge and high winds. Everything on the ground level has been extensively damaged or was forcefully removed and will require rebuilding. Much of the resort from the lobby up sustained limited damage. We will require roof repairs and replacement of infrastructure needed for operations. Photos of the storm damage can be viewed here.

The timeframe for the reopening of Ft. Myers Beach and DiamondHead to guests remains unknown. First and foremost, critical life services of electricity, water, fire suppression and gas must be restored. While it is too early to make a determination, we do not anticipate the ability to welcome guests back this year. Our priority will remain with our team and rebuilding efforts of first responders and emergency personnel.

Our team at DiamondHead that you have come to know not only work on the beach, but many are also residents of our island community. Their lives have been forever changed and their loss is incredible, many with nothing left but what they carried off the island and without work to come back to in the immediate future.

We sincerely appreciate the outreach and thoughts that have been sent with a request to help. Several efforts have been initiated to help support these families during their time of need, and we are incredibly grateful. If you would like to donate to a relief effort, the following funds have been established to help team members rebuild their lives and cover basic expenses. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.

GoFundMe – This online donation site allows for donations of any amount and is being distributed directly to employees with an immediate financial need. This is supported and managed by DiamondHead Beach Resort in conjunction with SunStream Hotels & Resorts: https://gofund.me/d55dca32

The Board of Vacation Club Owners has established the DiamondHead Employee Relief Fund, donations can be sent to:

Vermillion State Bank
Payable To: DiamondHead Staff Account
975 Lyn Way
Hastings, MN 55033

We remain committed to continuous support to the owners during the long recovery and rebuilding efforts that lie ahead. Our community is resilient and determined to rebuild Fort Myers Beach. Together we continue to be #FMBStrong and we look forward to a time when we can welcome you back.