Allegiant Travel opens milestone luxury property, Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte County

Allegiant Travel, known best for its budget airline, has opened its long-awaited second Sunseeker Resort, this one a grandiose expanse on a prime waterfront perch in the heart of Charlotte County, where the Peace River pours into Charlotte Harbor.

The $653 million luxury resort complex on 22 acres features 785 rooms with nearly two dozen restaurants and bars, a spa and shops, 60,000 square feet of meeting space and a nearby golf course to boot.

The project's scale has the potential to rock the economy of Charlotte County, the smallest county on Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast between Collier to the south and Pasco to the north, with ripple effects reaching to neighboring areas as well. Allegiant notes that it has moved millions of people through the area since it began service at the tiny Punta Gorda Airport just six miles away, and 1.8 million to and from the area in 2022 alone.

"It's transformative. There is nothing like this and you can't compare it to anything else," said Dave Gammon, director of the Charlotte County Economic Development Office.

"When you walk in there all you can say is 'Wow.' It takes you away. Every wall, every piece of art, the way the rooms all face the water, and the views just take you down the river. It's spectacular."

Though Friday marks the first day of official business at the resort, operations have been rolling behind the scenes for nearly six weeks as staff were trained and familiarized with the company culture ahead of the Dec. 15 grand opening.

The five-year construction project was halted twice, first in 2020 during the COVID pandemic and a second time following damage from Hurricane Ian in September 2022.

For Charlotte County, the wait was well worth it. Charlotte's beaches, restaurant and hotel offerings have long been overshadowed by its neighbors, with Sarasota to the north and Lee to the south. But the Sunseeker concept, copied from Allegiant's desert complex with the same name in Las Vegas, puts Charlotte's pristine Charlotte Harbor estuary and quaint downtown Punta Gorda across the Peace River front and center.

It also raises ramps up the competition for workers in a tight labor market as well as for tourism dollars, with Allegiant ready to wield the power of its growing traffic through its Florida operations, including Sarasota, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Orlando and six others, besides Punta Gorda.

A look inside Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor

Seashells and marine plants are etched into the terazzo floors throughout the resort’s turquoise lobby and concierge areas at the resort just off U.S. 41 about 50 miles south of downtown Sarasota. The deep aqua stitching of staff uniforms matches the aqua hues of the check-in counter backsplash while striking views of the Peace River pull the eye back to the focal point of the luxury property once inside the oversized lobby doors.

The raised promenade winding along the back of the property provides public access for taking in the panoramic view of Peace River or strolling around while discovering the resort's food venues, bars, and entertainment spaces.

The resort’s flagship dining option, Maury’s, transports diners into a luxe cruise ship dinner party with its contemporary nautical aesthetic, brass finishes, and leather seating. The wine-forward steak house features upscale steak options, an impressive wine cellar, and a private dining space tucked behind a glass wine wall. The restaurant bears the name of Allegiant founder and CEO Maury Gallagher, Jr. and sets the dining standard for the entire property.

Maury’s is one of seven standalone restaurants at Sunseeker.

Sunseeker’s sports bar, Allegiant Stadium, feels more like a venue on the Las Vegas strip than a Southwest Florida dining experience. The sit-down restaurant features 60 LED TVs, 50 beer options, and elevated bar favorites like gourmet burgers and hand-twisted pretzels. A row of oversized leather recliners line the front of the restaurant near the bar.

The resort also features a Level Blue adults-only rooftop pool and lounge area, and retail outlets along the harborside promenade.

Wellness amenities such as Sunseeker's fitness center and spa are on the third floor of the resort's main tower.

The Sunseeker Resort guest-exclusive 18-hole golf course, Aileron Golf Club, is available via shuttle and cart transport.

Inside the resort's main building, a 60,000-square-foot conference space and ballroom offers sweeping, unobstructed views of the Peace River and has space for up to 1,000 people during special events.

Suites take up Sunseeker's Iris and Lotus towers, a private entrance portion of the resort where guests can lodge in one-, two-, or three-bedroom offerings with kitchens, spa-like bathrooms, separate dining and living spaces with waterfront views of the harbor and river.

"Pretty damn exciting!" Sunseeker brings economic punch

Gammon, whose role at the Charlotte EDO includes spearheading the mission of attracting new business to broaden the County's tax base, said the resort will spur a wave of business and expansion throughout the region.

“It offers dining and experiences that we just haven’t had here. It’s open to the public, which is what I think is personally really cool about it," he said. "That area wasn’t open to the public before and now there's a public boardwalk, and drainage systems, and Sunseeker will treat the rainwater and runoff before it gets into the harbor. They've made an economic addition and they've made an environmental impact, on a positive note, for our community."

Sunseeker is poised to bring a projected $3 million in property tax revenue to the Charlotte Harbor Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) each year in an area the county targeted for redevelopment for 30 years.

“We’ve been dialed into Sunseeker for over two years now before they even broke ground. The Chamber has been paying close attention to it since the news broke that it was coming to our area,” Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce executive director, Bob White said.

“It’s pretty damn exciting! It’s a beautiful facility from the room to food and beverage concepts, the pools, and the event space. It’s phenomenal.”

Both White and Gammon said that despite some initial criticism about traffic from the resort, other people see it as a welcome addition to business and residents in the Port Charlotte area.

“There are very few concerns about traffic and this and that, but the Chamber thinks it's going to be fantastic," White said. "The resort is a new, shiny point of the community; it is going to be the cherry on top of what we already have.”

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Look inside Sunseeker Resort on the Peach River in Charlotte County