Southwest Florida’s biggest surge in hotel development in 10 years is under way

Among other projects, construction of a 254-room Margaritaville resort in Fort Myers Beach is expected to start by December

Drury Hotels property under construction in south Lee County (Credit: Ryan Mills/Naples Daily News)
Drury Hotels property under construction in south Lee County (Credit: Ryan Mills/Naples Daily News)

Southwest Florida is seeing its biggest surge in hotel development in more than a decade. About two dozen hotels are in various stages of development in Collier and Lee counties.

Hotel developers overbuilt in Southwest Florida in the go-go years before the Great Recession. But worry about possible overbuilding in Collier and Lee is muted now.

The pace of local hotel construction is “pretty moderate,” given current economic conditions, Bobby Bowers, a senior vice president of hotel industry tracker STR, told the News-Press.

Among other projects, construction of a 254-room Margaritaville resort is expected to start by December in Fort Myers Beach, according to Tom Torgerson, chairman of developer TPI Hospitality.

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Farther south, in Collier County, much of the current hotel development centers on extended-stay lodging in the Naples area and Marco Island.

Two 123-room, extended-stay WoodSpring Suites hotels are under construction in Collier County at locations in Golden Gate Estates and East Naples.

Construction of 131-unit, extended-stay hotel under the Marriott Townplace Suites brand is expected to start in September of a site east of Naples along Interstate 75.

Just off U.S. Highway 41, an extended-stay Staybridge Suites hotel at 9401 Triangle Boulevard is also under construction. [News-Press] – Mike Seemuth