Slight name change: Club Med Sandpiper Bay drops 'Club Med' under new ownership
PORT ST. LUCIE — Shedding the well-known brand name of Club Med, a 216-acre resort property under new ownership in Port St. Lucie announced its new moniker.
Now known as Sandpiper Bay Resort, the place formerly known as Club Med Sandpiper Bay has completed its ownership transition under Altitude International Holdings, Inc. The $55 million purchase by Altitude and the transition proceeded without a break in business for the resort.
Altitude has been operating at the property for nearly 13 years as Club Med Academies, which provided youth sports camps there. It is now known as Altitude Academies.
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The luxury all-inclusive resort opened in 1986. Sandpiper Bay features a 335 hotel rooms, some waterfront on the St. Lucie River; a golf course and driving range; tennis and pickleball courts; volleyball courts; soccer fields and a marina.
Club Med had 226 employees before the sale. Altitude didn't indicate what the staffing levels will be now that the sale is complete.
Gregory Breunich, Altitude's CEO, said he'll lead a two-year renovation plan for the property, but it will stay open as the work is done.
"Our long-term vision is to be globally recognized as a world-class hub for hospitality, sports and education opportunities by incorporating and fully integrating the resort operation, our existing sports academy and a comprehensive real estate development strategy," he said in a statement.
The property did trade one brand name for another in the transition. The full new name for the resort is "Sandpiper Bay Resort, a Trademark Collection By Wyndham." Wyndham is a worldwide hotel chain, but no information was available about its role with Sandpiper Bay.
During the summer, Club Med had reported its closing to the state and reported all its employees would be laid off by September. That was before the sale to Altitude was final and before Altitude made any public comment about its plans for the property or the existing employees.
With the sale complete, Club Med's web site for Sandpiper Bay says the property is closed. As of Wednesday, there was no independent web site available for booking at Sandpiper Bay.
A company representative who answered the front desk phone said a web site would be up and running by Oct. 5.
Lamaur Stancil is the Treasure Coast regional economy reporter covering business and industries, including retail, tourism and hospitality. Contact him at 321-987-7179 or lamaur.stancil@tcpalm.com and follow him at Lamaur Stancil on Facebook and @TCPalmLStancil on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Club Med Sandpiper Bay drops 'Club Med' name under new ownership
