Fort Myers 2020: Conclusions

Highlights

• Hotel beat expectations (by a mile!)
• Water park was a huge hit
• Hotel took COVID precautions seriously and it was easy to physically distance
• DoorDash saved the day when restaurants closed
• Eating delivery on the hotel patio created fond memories

Lowlights

• Lounge and restaurant closures -> But the hotel did a fantastic job to try to adapt during the uncertain situation
• Plane rides to and from were unexpectedly full
• Not having a car limited what we could do outside the hotel, though many things were closed anyways

Takeaways

There’s no doubt we got lucky on this trip. So much could have gone wrong and we took a larger risk than we realized going on it. Many people would not have have gone on the trip and in hindsight we were lucky in many ways. Not nearly as much was known about the virus then as there is now (obviously). Masks weren’t a thing. Physical distancing wasn’t even an official thing at that point, just a vague recommendation. The virus transmission was thought to be more from surfaces than through the air. We washed our hands frequently, tried not to touch things, and used hand sanitizer wherever possible, but that’s not really how the virus spreads.

That said, knowing what we know now we would probably go again given the same situation. Not everyone would and many would disagree that was a responsible thing to do. That said, it was a lot easier to distance from other people than you might expect with the exception of the airport and airplane. We hung out in our room most of the time and ate together. The hotel wasn’t busy so there weren’t many people in the elevators. There were barely any people in the pool. Since the weather was nice we spent a lot of time outdoors which also helped reduce our risk.

As far as the hotel experience, we have nothing but great things to say. The staff was fantastic despite the evolving and challenging situation with closures and restrictions. We were there at a time that was normally quite busy. There was the prospect that the hotel would have to shut down, but that never filtered into the guest experience and I applaud them for their dedication. In fact, just over a week after we checked out the hotel shut down entirely for several months. We were sure to be very generous when we tipped.

The hotel itself was awesome. While the rooms aren’t the most luxurious we’ve stayed in, they were above averages and you don’t go there just for the rooms. The water park is undeniably the main attraction for most guests and it did not disappoint. While we didn’t get a chance to visit the private beach this time, that is another great option if that’s more your speed. There is plenty of open space to spread out in and many options to eat.

The hotel is family friendly and has an inviting vibe. Much of that is likely because of the Cool Beans cafe near the entrance. The entrance displays huge containers of various candies which are a instant draw for kids of all ages. With various caffeinated drinks, pastries, ice cream, snacks, and other food, there’s something for everyone, making it a central part of the hotel’s experience.

We will definitely be returning to this hotel. We’d likely want to rent a car rather than doing Lyft since there isn’t much within walking distance of the hotel. You could definitely get away with just a Lyft but you’d have a more constrained experience, unless you just want to stay at the resort the majority of the time. We did find great food delivery options in the area.

The hotel does charge for parking, though parking charges are waived depending on the rate you choose or if you have top-level Hyatt Globalist status and are paying with points. We were paying with points but I was only had mid-level Explorist status at the time so we would have had to pay. At least with an award stay you don’t have to pay the resort fee (also waived if you have top-level Globalist status).

Upon our return to Boston we found that restrictions were as tight as we had heard on social media, though at least the shortages in the grocery stores had eased up slightly. We were sad to have left the warm weather. It wasn’t long after we left that many hotels in Florida shut down so it’s good we didn’t stay an extra week like we considered earlier in our stay.

We made it home safe and healthy and were happy for the distraction the trip provided. As the lockdowns persisted into the spring we were even happier we were able to get away when we did.