The Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor is nearing the end of construction, and guest reservations are being accepted at the 785-room property with 189 Signature Sunsuites for stays beginning October 16, 2023. Set along the Peace River, the resort offers 20 original food and beverage concepts, including seven stand-alone restaurants, eleven bars and lounges, two poolside offerings, and a 25,000-square-foot Harbor Yards food hall experience.

Pete Tuffo, President of the Gulf Coast region for Suffolk Construction and President of the company’s national gaming and hospitality division, said about 800 construction workers have been on-site at least six days a week.

Sunseeker broke ground in March 2019, and construction paused in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began before resuming in August 2021. Then Hurricane Ian hit September 28, 2022, setting the project back another six months.

“It’s a pretty complex project, all in all, just with the logistics,” said Tuffo. “Our industry took on a series of challenges. The job was paused during COVID, which meant a ramp down which was a challenge. And then the job had to be started back up. Now we’re running into material escalations, which is a test. Manpower shortages escalated things further. I will tell you, the ownership group, our trade partners and Suffolk have all worked together collaboratively to overcome all of them.”

Suffolk poured 69,000 yards of concrete to fill about 5,000 dump trucks. The buildings measure a combined 1.4 million square feet, with 80,000 square feet of convention space. Driving from end to end, it measures about half a mile.

“Logistically, if you go outward, if you go west, you’re in the water,” Tuffo added. “If you go to the east, you’re on Highway 41. It’s like a postage stamp of a site. It has been challenging, getting the workers and materials here without impacting traffic.”

Tuffo and his team are no strangers to building gargantuan hotels. They also built the Hard Rock Hotel across the state in Hollywood. “It’s an amazing team,” said Jeff Keller, the general superintendent who has worked on both projects, including Sunseeker over the last four months. “They have been a resilient group.”

The Sunseeker resort is spread across 22 acres with what they are billing as the largest rooftop pool in Florida; built 127 feet up, it will be filled with 127,000 gallons of water. With a mix of amenities not found anywhere in Charlotte County, Sunseeker will take its place as the leading tourist stay & play facility on the Gulf Coast. The resort will feature a state-of-the-art 7,100 fitness center, 80,000 feet of combined convention space with top-of-the-line features, including two ballrooms fully equipped with high-tech equipment.

The recently completed Aileron Golf Club, Southwest Florida’s ultimate golf destination, is awaiting the grand opening of the Sunseeker Resort as its hotel guest-exclusive championship golf experience. The course will be home to the finest golf course design with rolling fairways, strategic waterways, mounded greens, and framed bulkheads.

Designed by renowned golf course architect and former collegiate golfer Kipp Schulties, Aileron will feature 5 different teeing selections providing golfers with options to play from 5,000 to over 7,000 yards. Players will marvel at the over 650-yard, par 5, one of the longest in Florida. The newly imagined golf club will boast a 10,500-square-foot luxe clubhouse, including the Aviators Club, a full-service restaurant & bar, and a pro-shop
featuring premium golf brands. Golfers will enjoy a new fleet of state-of-the-art EZ GO lithium-ion golf carts.

“Aileron Golf Club will offer Southwest Florida a new unique level of luxury play as it will be the first resort-guest only golf course for a complete newly-built integrated resort destination with over 700 rooms to open in the state in over 3 years,” said Jason Shkorupa, Senior Vice President of Sunseeker Resorts. “The response from the industry has been incredible. Golf pros and fans of the game have expressed to us they cannot wait to experience the vibrancy of a new destination and all the amenities that will be awaiting at the resort after a rewarding day of play.”

Golfers of all levels will enjoy an unforgettable golfing experience with opportunities to improve their game or hone their skills. Aileron will offer a wide range of private and group instruction focused on learning cause and effect principles applied in set-up and motion, unlocking golfers’ ability to improve direction and maximize distance. Additionally, offering the best equipment for practice, demos, and expert club fittings that target improving accuracy, fewer putts, and more confidence. The club boasts a complete practice facility which includes a full-size driving range with target greens, short game practice greens with shot selections ranging from 10-60 yards with multiple bunkers to refine chipping skills, and a 7,400 square foot putting green that simulates similar putts you will see throughout the course.

Home to year-round sun, lush landscapes, and exquisite scenery, Aileron will offer an extraordinary challenge for golf aficionadoes with the “Tailspin,” a trio of holes set to be the most difficult on the course. Players approaching holes 14, 15, and 16 will keep the most advanced on their toes to find precision, particularly as they try to make par on 16, where the water hazard requires a full carry.

Aileron is just minutes from the Resort, with complimentary shuttle services for all guests.

For more information or to book a reservation, please visit SunseekerResorts.com .