$15 million renovation at The Westin
Major room upgrades made at Marina Village location
Based on the belief that people have an innate desire to connect with nature, room interiors at The Westin Cape Coral’s location at Marina Village now feature “a collection of natural elements in their purest form to create a contemporary residential aesthetic.” The makeover and expansion of the venue comes via a $15 million renovation that was unveiled this past week, debuting nearly a year ahead of schedule.
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The scenic views and natural surroundings of The Westin Cape Coral’s location at Marina Village have now been interwoven into the design and layout of the resort.
The makeover and expansion of the venue comes via a $15 million renovation that was unveiled this past week, debuting nearly a year ahead of schedule.
In addition to room enhancements that aim to truly connect guests with nature, the hotel renovation has increased room inventory from 293 to 308 by converting 15 three-bedroom suites into two-bedroom suites while upgrading the remaining accommodations into new deluxe guestrooms.
The ahead-of-schedule completion (finishing touches coming by July, completed rooms now available to book) comes as somewhat of a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic that at one point forced a shut down of the hotel completely.
“We’re excited about it,” said Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village General Manager Michael Tighe. “We found ourselves in somewhat of an advantageous situation with the hotel being closed and not having to worry about disturbing guests during the process. When we opened back up at a 20- to 30-percent occupancy rate, we were still able to maintain renovating half of the floors.”
The theme of the transformation was inspired by the concept of biophilia: a belief that people have an innate desire to connect with nature. Room interiors now feature a collection of natural elements in their purest form to create a contemporary residential aesthetic. Spacious guestrooms include a collection of locally sourced materials from Florida, including wood and glass elements, along with a soothing fluid pattern motif that plays perfectly in concert with the hotel’s stunning waterfront views.
“We’re surrounded by such serene nature, and we brought that from the outside, inside,” Tighe said. “We believe most people have an innate need to connect with nature. That’s kind of our link to the natural world. Our design kind of reflects that principal. What you see outside is what you see inside. It promotes a natural feeling of well-being.”
Another commodity the Westin Cape Coral boasts is The Tarpon Point Ballroom; a state-of-the-art, 30,000-square-foot meetings and events center that provides a comprehensive, one-stop destination for elevated meetings and event experiences.
The ballroom has played host to many community-based events throughout the pandemic such as fundraisers and special events, as the spacious room gave guests ample social-distancing opportunities.
With families around the country looking to travel as travel restrictions ease, businesses getting back into full operation and vaccine availability increasing, increasing the number of rooms at the resort, as well as size (58% suites), only better accommodates the current climate.
“In today’s trend, people are looking for larger spaces and larger rooms, and this renovation gives the guests all of that,” Tighe said. “We’re selling out suites faster than we ever have before.”
A normally “quieter” Southwest Florida summer when it comes to vacationers could be quite the opposite this year. Tighe said the hotel is “embracing” the fact that every-day-life is starting to resemble a post-pandemic world and people are looking to venture out. He hopes The Westin can be a place for those to enjoy an interactive and engaging setting while keeping the health and safety of guests at the forefront. The poolside area experience has been turned up a notch for guests, and kayak, boat and bike rentals on-site give an opportunity to explore the beautiful surroundings. The Westin also has been teaming up with local establishments and vendors that provide a taste of the local offerings. There’s even a water taxi that travels to-and-from Fort Myers Beach.
“As we settle into a new, post-pandemic normal — and we don’t take that word for granted anymore — we understand businesses, families and events planners are opting for venues with ample outdoor spaces, plenty of room for social distancing, and flexible accommodations for guests. By infusing natural elements into our guest rooms and expanding our room count, we’re providing guests with the experiences they are craving and offering them more opportunities to customize safe and memorable experiences, ranging from intimate affairs to larger banquet events.”
While all of these changes are welcome and seeing the resort hustle and bustle again is a welcome sight, what will remain in place is the sanitation and cleaning standards implemented over the past year. Staff are continuing to constantly sanitize keys, doors, remotes, surfaces and more. The Westin Cape Coral has implemented mobile keys that are accessible on a smart phone and added the “Fridge Fill” program that provides in-room ingredient baskets for restaurant-quality, ready-made meals to be enjoyed from the comfort of guests’ newly renovated suites.
“What we’re not compromising on is our guests’ safety,” Tighe said. “We think our environment is conducive to families to come out and feel safe. When you’re around the water and mangroves and nature, there is a sense of security that you’re not at a large theme park with thousands of other people. We want people to walk through out doors and know their safety and health is our highest priority.”
What Tighe said he misses most and looks forward to getting back to is just seeing the smiling face of a guest or employee.
“We value the interactions we have with our guests and our associates and we value the importance of the human touch and interactive activities,” he said. “How much does a smile cost? It doesn’t cost anything, but it can provide a lifetime memory.”
The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village is at 5951 Silver King Blvd. For more information and bookings, visit www.westincapecoral.com.
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To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com