FORT MYERS, Fla. — Three years after Hurricane Ian brought devastating flooding to Southwest Florida, the Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa as a testament to resilience, community support, and the unwavering dedication of its longtime employees.
The resort, located just off Sanibel Island, suffered catastrophic damage in September 2022 when Ian's storm surge brought 10 to 14 feet of water to the main hotel and 6 feet to the spa facility. The flooding reached nearly to the lobby level, destroying everything at ground level, including the pool deck, dock, and all landscaping.
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"Everything that you see outside, as far as foliage, was completely gone. Our pool deck was completely gone. Our dock was completely gone," said Anne Marie Copelin, director of catering and conference planning, who has worked at the resort for 22 years.
The recovery effort required a group of nearly 200 people, including staff and contractors from the corporate office, to gut and clean the damaged areas. The cleaning process alone took two months before renovations could begin.
Jim Hale, an 82-year-old bellman and valet who has worked at the resort for 21 years, was among the employees who stayed during the hurricane. He spent 13 hours in the lobby during the storm, working with colleagues to prevent the sliding glass doors from blowing out.
"We had sandbags holding our sliding glass door shut. The wind was so strong that they blew the sandbags were blowing off and the door started to blow out," Hale said. "We had to grab the door, hold it in, put a rope around the door, and then we had a huge marble table. We brought the marble table over, and we took turns holding the door back in so it wouldn't blow out."
The team worked for four to six hours holding the doors in place as the slow-moving hurricane battered the property.
Despite the extensive damage, the resort began welcoming guests again by late November 2022, just two and a half months after the storm. The first significant event was a wedding for a young couple from Cape Coral who had lost everything in the hurricane. The same weekend, the resort hosted the Animal Refuge Center's Starlight event for about 200 people.
The spa reopened in 2023 with a complete redesign featuring softer colors, grays, and light wood elements that create a relaxing, bohemian atmosphere. The renovation replaced the previous dark blues and greens with a more calming palette chosen with input from longtime spa staff.
"Our spa director and some of the spa recipients who have been here for 20 plus years, we're able to actually put some input into what you're seeing now," Copeland said.
The resort has implemented new hurricane preparedness measures, including hurricane-resistant windows and standard operating procedures for securing ground-level items prior to storms arriving. Staff maintain regular communication protocols to ensure the safety of both employees and guests during severe weather events.
Employee retention has remained strong, with many staff members having served for decades. The resort's culture of teamwork became especially evident during the recovery process.
"We have a culture of teamwork, you know, we're a family," Hale said. "Whatever has to get done gets done. I'm a Bellman, valet. I drive the golf cart. I wash windows if they need to be done. Everybody does what has to be done."
The resort is actively working to rebuild its customer base through social media promotion and special offers. They provide spa discounts, fitness center memberships ranging from three to 12 months, and day passes for guests to enjoy the property's four pools, eight pickleball courts, tennis courts, and basketball courts.
"A lot of people ask us, from the damage, they'll see things that have been done, was that done by Hurricane Ian? Absolutely," Hale said. "But people comment how well we've come back since Hurricane Ian, because a lot of them have been here before, and they know what happened."
For Copeland, who describes the resort as "an amazing gem" that's "off the beaten path," the recovery represents more than just rebuilding structures.
"I myself have been here for 22 years, and I love it. I love coming here every day, because it feels like I'm coming home," Copeland said.
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