What's New - The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

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What's New

Close by. But far from what you'd expect.

The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is hosting its second annual Islands FallFest from Sept. 1 through Nov. 14, 2009. The program features special packages commissionable to travel agents that combine annual events and festivals with special rates and value added deals for visitors to Florida's Unspoiled Island Sanctuary.

The nearly 30 events spotlighted during the 75-day celebration appeal to a wide variety of interests. Visitors who participate can strap on their eye patches and join the mateys at the third annual Pirate Festival Oct. 9-11; watch artists from around the continent as they create amazing works of art at the 23rd annual American Sandsculpting Championship Festival Nov. 4-8; enjoy coconuts, multi-cultural food, carnival rides, water-ski shows, crafts and fireworks at the Cape Coral CoCoNut Festival Nov. 6-8; or celebrate German traditions at the 23rd annual Oktoberfest Oct. 16-18 and 23-25.

Visitors who attend one or more of the featured events can take advantage of Islands Islands FallFest vacation packages at more than 30 properties. Offers range from an extra night for free to discounts of up to 40 percent and room rates as low as $89 per night. Some attractions and retailers also are offering buy-one, get-one-free specials during Islands FallFest.

Fall is one of the best times of year to visit The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. Not only is the weather balmy and inviting - with average temperatures between 85 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit - but there's plenty of fun, relaxation and bargains to be had.

Visit www.IslandsFallfest.com for complete details on all events, vacation packages and special deals for fall.

Also find out more about meeting on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel with these latest destination developments:
Latest Air Service • Newly Opened Hotels • Hotels & Resorts Opening Soon • Resort Honors • Latest Attractions News • Beach Accolades

Latest Air Service
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) provides non-stop service to 37 destinations (35 domestic and two international) by 21 carriers. The latest air service news is as follows:

Air Berlin/LTU (AB / LT)

Air Berlin/LTU has added a fourth weekly nonstop flight to Düsseldorf (DUS) that will operate until October 18. Air Berlin /LTU's partner airlines offer convenient connecting flights to points throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia from DUS.

Air Canada (AC)

Air Canada will continue to operate through the summer one weekly flight to Toronto (YYZ) on Saturdays. They will resume daily service on October 25.

Northwest Airlines (NW)

Northwest Airlines now is offering daily nonstop flights to LaGuardia.

In addition, the Lee County Port Authority and the Lee County Alliance for the Arts recently installed an exhibit entitled "Children of the Everglades" at the airport as part of an "Art in Flight" program. The public exhibit, which is on display until May 2010, includes photographs of Florida's Seminole-Miccosukee Indians and artifacts on loan from the Hanson Family Archives, which currently is housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Anthropological Archives. The airport exhibit depicts the lives of the Seminole-Miccosukee Indian children, as well as authentic artifacts including patchwork dresses and jackets, sweet grass or pine needle baskets, palmetto dolls and historical documents. Exhibit items provide a unique insider view of Seminole-Miccosukee Indian life and the fascinating relationship between these American Indians and the "White Medicine Man." For more information on the exhibit, the Hanson Family Archives and the "White Medicine Man", visit www.Seminole-Lodge.com or www.ArtInLee.org.

Newly Opened Hotels
Homewood Suites by Hilton has opened a five-story, 133-suite hotel less than one mile from Southwest Florida International Airport. The hotel's one- and two-bedroom suites feature a variety of guest amenities, including a 24-hour on-site pantry, an on-site convenience store, a swimming pool, a hospitality center, and a business center. Guests also receive a daily complimentary hot breakfast in the hotel's hospitality center and a "Welcome Home" reception consisting of a complimentary light meal and beverages Monday through Thursday evenings. Additional guest services include complimentary grocery shopping services and laundry services. Five of the hotel's rooms are handicap accessible.

Also, a new AmericInn hotel has opened in Fort Myers just 1.5 miles from Southwest Florida International Airport. The new property offers the brand's Kids Stay Free program, a 24-hour fitness center, outdoor heated pool and spa, complimentary hot breakfast and high-speed Internet access, and a business center. Its 110 rooms include one- to three-room suites and whirlpool suites.

Hotels and Resorts Opening Soon
The Resort at Marina Village is scheduled to open this November on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. This luxurious full-service condominium resort located at Tarpon Point Marina in Cape Coral features 19 stories of sweeping views of the Caloosahatchee River, San Carlos Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Guests will enjoy richly appointed furnishings and accommodations, concierge and spa services, an upscale restaurant and bar, fitness center, sundecks, outdoor pools and spas. Plus, they'll be able to browse a variety of the finest shops at MarinaVillage with waterfront restaurants, cafés and a clean deep-water marina with 175 boat slips. The resort's 184 studio, 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom residences range up to 2,225 square feet, with grand rooms, master suites, guest suites, dining terraces and access to amenity decks.

The resort is one of five new properties slated to debut in the destination this fall. Also set to open are:

The 148-room Hyatt Place Fort Myers at the Forum with spacious guest rooms, complimentary daily breakfast and Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a 24/7 guest kitchen with made-to-order snacks and entrees, and an e-room with complimentary computers and a printer (scheduled to open in October)
The 164-room Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers featuring an on-site convenience store; fitness room; pool; business center; and in-room hospitality center with a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker (scheduled to open in October)
Residence Inn Fort Myers/Sanibel, featuring 116 suites with kitchens, complimentary breakfast, fitness center, and a whirlpool (scheduled to open in August)

Harbour House at the Inn in Fort Myers Beach, a 34-unit condo hotel with suites and one- and two-bedroom units situated in the heart of the Times Square/Old San Carlos Downtown Bridge District (scheduled to open in the fall)

In the last year, these and other new property openings are adding a total of nearly 2,000 rooms to the destination's stable of diverse accommodations. These include the recently opened Holiday Inn Express Fort Myers West – The Forum and Homewood Suites Fort Myers Airport/FGCU.

Resort Honors
The Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa has been honored as one of 2009’s Top 50 Resorts in the US and Canada in Travel + Leisure magazine’s 14th annual readers’ survey. The Southwest Florida resort was one of only two Hyatts selected in the prestigious listing.

The four-diamond, 454-room resort features award-winning Tarpon Bay Restaurant, a championship Raymond Floyd 18-hole golf course, a full-service 19,000 square foot spa, three pools, two waterslides, a private island beach, and a host of other amenities. The property opened in 2001 and has been recognized as the only 3 Palm Green Lodging resort in the State of Florida.

Latest Attractions News
A variety of new attraction options on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel provide travel agents with unique new vacation alternatives for their clients.

The Edison & Ford Winter Estates recently completed a $2 million restoration project that included the restoration and expansion of furnishings and artifacts. The popular attraction is a 2009 winner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for its work preserving, interpreting and managing the property. The Estates is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information or group tours, call (239) 334-7419.

Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers recently celebrated its 25-year anniversary with the completion of a $4.5 million enhancement project, including new playgrounds, new water parks, additional walkways, bike and boat rentals, a railroad museum and native landscaping. The new landscaping includes all native species such as Royal palms and live oaks. More enhancements are planned in the future.

Imaginarium Hands-On Museum & Aquarium has transformed its popular Sporty Science Exhibit into the Sporty Science Arena, a simulation experience offering baseball, hockey, soccer, basketball, and football. Visitors can participate and test their skills in five sports via the world of virtual reality.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology in New York State has installed a Trail Tracker kiosk in the Education Center of the J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. One of a dozen around the country, the Trail Tracker computer station allows visitors to log bird sightings at the refuge onto Cornell's nationwide eBird database. Birders also can log their sightings and access the database at http://ebird.org/content/ebird.

Beach Accolades
Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island and Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island are top of mind among visitors and have been named among the crème de la crème on recent "tops" lists published by Travel + Leisure magazine and ShermansTravel Web site.

Boca Grande swept the charts, winning top honors in Travel + Leisure magazine's July 2009 issue. It is named as being among one of America's Best Little Beach Towns and as one of America's Best Summer Getaways 2009. The magazine describes Boca Grande as "a genuine glimpse of Old Florida," and goes on to note the fanciful street names, the "postcard-worthy" lighthouse and the beautiful beaches that can be found on the island.

Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island is named among the Best Secluded Beaches by ShermansTravel Web site in an article posted June 2009. The article discusses the top places to travel this summer, naming Bowman's Beach as "Sanibel's most peaceful place." It goes on to describe the seclusion of the beach and recommends it as a top place for shelling, as one won't find much competition there.

Travel + Leisure magazine has a circulation of 975,505 and is among the top travel publications. ShermansTravel Web site hosts more than 4 million subscribers each week and offers expert travel advice.

For additional information on the latest developments for your clients on The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, contact the Visitor & Convention Bureau's Travel Agent Help Desk at (800) 237-6444 or continue looking through this Travel Agent section of our Web site.

Last modified on Aug 20, 2009