SunStream Travel Blog

Welcome! As employees of SunStream and residents of Southwest Florida, we thought this blog would be an excellent opportunity to share what we love about living here with our guests. Enjoy!

Tell Us Your Story!

We would love to hear your vacation stories! Email us at blog@sunstreamforms.com.


Archive for January, 2009

SunStream Hotels & Resorts: Solving Family Vacation Dilemmas

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact:
Treva J. Marshall, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; treva@tjmcommunications.com

Dipika Joshi, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; dipika@tjmcommunications.com

Carolyn Masten
SunStream Hotels & Resorts
(239) 765-4111; CarolynM@SunStream.com

SUNSTREAM HOTELS & RESORTS:
Solving Family Vacation Dilemmas

(FORT MYERS BEACH, FL)SunStream Hotels & Resorts has put an end to stressful family vacations: no more cramped hotel rooms or the worry and expense of splitting up the family into separate accommodation units. The solution: one- to three-bedroom suites where all family members get their own space. In addition, fully appointed kitchens save the inconvenience and expense of eating out every meal, and for an extra measure of family goodwill, each resort provides free accessories for the younger set, such as high chairs and cribs.

Besides spacious accommodations, each of the Southwest Floridian properties in SunStream’s distinctive collection offers family-pleasing locations, amenities, and services to fit their individual resort personalities. Both Fort Myers Beach – voted “Best Family-Friendly Beach in the Southeast U.S.” by Family Fun magazine – and Naples – named “America’s Best All-Around Beach” by The Travel Channel – are known for their vast recreational opportunities and powdery sands lapped by the playful waves of Gulf of Mexico.

DIAMONDHEAD BEACH RESORT, Fort Myers Beach. Planted right at the edge of Fort Myers Beach’s big, long sandbox, DiamondHead provides all the toys families need for beach play – from volleyball nets to jet skis. Gentle, shallow Gulf of Mexico waters and a heated freshwater pool keep everyone cool. Cabana’s Beachside Bar & Grill, next to the pool, means never having to change out of your swimsuits to eat lunch or snacks. Activity directors involve the family in bingo, crafts, nature endeavors and more. One-bedroom suites with sofa couches are family priced. Other family perks: laundry facilities, video games on demand, fitness center, island trolley service, and free daily housekeeping service. DiamondHead is just steps away from Times Square, the main entertainment district on the beach touting casual sidewalk cafes and a variety of shopping options, all with a laid-back island flair.

As with all SunStream Resorts on Fort Myers Beach, guests have convenient access to boating and fishing charters, eco-tours, sightseeing cruises, nature preserves, bike and moped rentals, golf courses, spa services, miniature golf, spring training facilities, water parks, historical attractions and more. For information on family activities in the Fort Myers Beach area, visit www.fortmyers-sanibel.com.

BELLASERA HOTEL, Naples. Small and intimate, but big on room space, the AAA-rated Four-Diamond Bellasera injects an air of Italiana into a family vacation. Its one- to three-bedroom suites are ideal for groups of up to six with plush living rooms, family-style dining rooms, and full-sized kitchens. Screened porches and balconies overlook the lush courtyard, where families find a tiled swimming pool with waterfall feature and whirlpool. Attendants deliver food and drinks poolside, or families can enjoy Mediterranean-style dishes and a children’s menu in Zizi Restaurant. A free shuttle delivers guests the short distance to Naples’ long sweep of white-sand beach. Other family perks: nearby shopping, board games, complimentary daily housekeeping service, in-room washer-dryer in all bedroom suites, video games on command, and in-room DVD players.

SunStream Resorts in Naples put you right in the middle of everything this exciting cosmopolitan city has to offer. From the famous galleries, restaurants and boutiques that line 5th Avenue South and spots around town to fun family attractions like The Naples Zoo, Conservancy Nature Center, and airboat rides through the Everglades, you’ll want to come back time and time again. For information on family activities in the Naples area, visit www.paradisecoast.com.

For more information on SunStream Hotels & Resorts family vacations, please call 800-625-4111 or visit SunStream.com.

###

DiamondHead Beach Resort: In the Swim of Things

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact:
Treva J. Marshall, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; treva@tjmcommunications.com

Dipika Joshi, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; dipika@tjmcommunications.com

Carolyn Masten
SunStream Hotels & Resorts
(239) 765-4111; CarolynM@SunStream.com

DIAMONDHEAD BEACH RESORT:
In the Swim of Things

(FORT MYERS BEACH, FL) – Water play and party time define Fort Myers Beach’s wet and wild allure. DiamondHead Beach Resort places them right in the swim of things near lively Times Square on the brink of Estero Island’s calm, shallow Gulf of Mexico waters.

Within strolling distance of Times Square — the pedestrian entertainment hub of Fort Myers Beach — yet distinctly removed from the festive commotion, DiamondHead gives guests everything they need in a sun-spotlighted beach vacation. Its 124 suites accommodate up to four people in casual panache with an efficiency kitchen, separate master bedroom with king-sized bed, and private balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

Staying at DiamondHead, Fort Myers Beach’s only full-service all-suite resort, feels like home – even better, because there’s free housekeeping service. Each suite comes equipped with two cable televisions and videos on demand, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave oven, a coffeemaker, two telephones, and a queen-sized sleeper sofa that makes the resort a favorite among families.

Kids especially like DiamondHead’s doorstep onto a powdery white sandbox, seven miles long and named the “Best Family-Friendly Beach in the Southeast U.S.” by Family Fun magazine. They can get into the swim of Fort Myers Beach carefree lifestyles by splashing in the gentle waves or plunging into the resort’s heated swimming pool. Parents can join in or watch from a rental beach cabana, a poolside deck lounge chair, or one of two whirlpools. Pool attendants deliver drinks and light bites; recreation directors lead special activities to re-cement family bonding.

Or families can do their own thing: cast from the nearby fishing pier, try a little skim-boarding, ride the waves with a jet ski or waverunner rental, soar skyward on a parasail ride, or take to the sea in a boat rental or charter. DiamondHead, as host to the annual Offshore Super Series Powerboat Races that take place each spring, is all about water sports.

Cabana’s Beachside Bar & Grill makes lunch and snack time a barefoot, swimsuit-dress-code affair with a view of pool and beach. For a change of pace and place a step up from the beach, Chloe’s Fresh Seafood and Steaks casts a quiet candlelit mood, serving inventive local cuisine and elevated views of sunset. Couples can romance over cheek-to-cheek Estero Ice cocktails and karaoke in intimate Chloe’s Lounge, cozy gulf-view dinners on Chloe’s Terrace, or meals in the privacy of their own balcony.

Exploring the varied island-style dining, entertainment, and shopping options beyond DiamondHead requires no more than footsteps. Nearby beach bars, sidewalk cafes, and seafood houses reflect Estero Island’s easy-going spirit. To range farther, guests can rent bicycles and motor scooters or hop aboard the trolley that travels the island’s length. It also drops off passengers at local attractions such as Ostego Bay Foundation Education Center, which illuminates Fort Myers Beach’s strong shrimping and fishing traditions.

Fort Myers Beach lies convenient to scores of natural and historic attractions, including the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers and J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. Resort staff can hook up guests with eco-boat tours, fishing and shelling charters, tee times, dinner train excursions, and more.

When it’s time to get down to business, DiamondHead provides a choice of seven meeting rooms offering 10,000 square feet of function space and unique team-building activities including the latest adventure trend, kayak geo-caching. The DiamondHead Ballroom and Terrace also make picture-perfect settings for weddings and other special catered events for groups up to 400.

To top off its complement of full services, DiamondHead offers free wireless “hot spots” throughout the resort, poolside spa treatments, fax and copier services, and bell assistance. Guests can also take advantage of its on-property laundry facilities, free parking, and well-equipped fitness center.

DiamondHead Beach Resort, one of six distinctive properties in Southwest Florida’s SunStream Hotels & Resorts collection, is located at 2000 Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach. For reservations or more information on getting into the swim on Fort Myers Beach, call 888-765-5002 or 239-765-7654. Or visit DiamondHeadFL.com.

###

SunStream Hotels & Resorts: A Resort Collection That Nutures Romance

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact:
Treva J. Marshall, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; treva@tjmcommunications.com

Dipika Joshi, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; dipika@tjmcommunications.com

Carolyn Masten
SunStream Hotels & Resorts
(239) 765-4111; CarolynM@SunStream.com

SUNSTREAM HOTELS & RESORTS:
A Resort Collection That Nurtures Romance

(FORT MYERS BEACH, FL) – Love blossoms like the local passion-red hibiscus as couples stroll hand-in-hand down the beach, paddle a double kayak, sip champagne from their balcony at sunset, or bubble up together in the in-suite Jacuzzi. SunStream Hotels & Resorts’ collection of distinctive properties fulfills romantic fantasy throughout made-for-lovers Southwest Florida.

Each property, as individual as a kiss, brings its own gifts to a relationship, whether it’s a courtship, honeymoon, or long, loving attachment. Couples can pick their style: beachside and barefoot or nautical and nice in Fort Myers Beach, city smart and Tuscan or neighborly-cozy and tropically lush in Naples and haute couture marina-style in Cape Coral. No matter the choice, guests are never more than 10 minutes away from the sweet beckon of gentle Gulf of Mexico breakers and the warmth of sun-toasted sand.

BELLASERA HOTEL, Naples. Bellasera, Italian for “beautiful evening,” transplants the spirit and style of Tuscany to Naples’ fashionable and lively Fifth Avenue South district. The intimate Four-Diamond property romances couples the minute they enter the polished wood lobby with its dramatic sweeping staircase. Fine dining at Zizi Restaurant and weekend jazz in the lounge continue the seduction. In the cozy studio suites, Jacuzzi tubs with plantation shutters allow couples to watch TV from their bubble bath. Bellasera features studio and bedroom suites with screened porches and balconies that overlook the flowery courtyard – a picture-perfect wedding setting. At its center, couples chill in the colorfully tiled swimming pool with cascading waterfalls, a whirlpool, private sultan cabanas, and food and drink attendants. A complimentary shuttle delivers guests the short distance to Naples’ long sweep of white-sand beach, named “America’s Best All-Around Beach” by The Travel Channel.

PARK SHORE RESORT, Naples. Those who prefer to remove themselves deliciously from downtown’s spotlight welcome the neighborhood feel and tropical island appeal at tucked-away Park Shore Resort. They can stroll cobblestone paths around gardens, a lake, an island, and waterfalls or keep active on the tennis, racquetball, and volleyball courts. Water-lovers take to the oversized pool or hop aboard a free shuttle to the beach. Lunchtime is Bahamian-style at The Island Pub. Fine restaurants are minutes away in the town’s famed upscale shopping centers. At home in their bedroom suite, romantic twosomes can whip up dinner together then cuddle up to watch free HBO.

GULLWING BEACH RESORT and POINTE ESTERO BEACH RESORT, Fort Myers Beach. These side-by-side resorts reside on Fort Myers Beach’s quiet, secluded south end, where the beach spreads wide and soft like a luxurious down comforter. Bedroom suites with generous Jacuzzi tubs and full kitchen facilities mean the love-struck never have to leave their room, if that’s what they desire. For the out-and-about couple, Fort Myers Beach offers everything from waverunner rentals and parasailing to seafood restaurants and a let-loose nightlife scene. For betrothed couples, our event planners can help arrange intimate weddings distinctively beach-style.

DIAMONDHEAD BEACH RESORT, Fort Myers Beach. Fun-loving couples like the action at Fort Myers Beach’s north end, near the dynamic Times Square entertainment district. DiamondHead rises just far enough removed from the action for couples to steal away once the day’s play in the sun and night’s play in the beach bars has brought the evening to a romantic close. Dinner at casually refined Chloës Restaurant means a view of the Gulf of Mexico and the fresh shrimp and seafood brought in by local fleets. DiamondHead Ballroom and Terrace make memorable settings for weddings up to 400 guests. Through Dec. 25, 2009, DiamondHead offers a two-night Weekend Castaways package just for couples, including a welcome bottle of champagne, beach towels, beach bag and a $25 food credit voucher for Chloës Restaurant or Cabañas Beach Bar & Grill.

THE RESORT AT MARINAVILLAGE, Cape Coral. Opening November 2009, a new level of luxury is soon to debut in Cape Coral with the opening of The Resort at MarinaVillage, and this quiet boating community may never be the same. Standing 19 stories tall and featuring sweeping views of the Caloosahatchee River, San Carlos Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, this resplendent full-service condominium resort will offer luxurious, upscale accommodations and all the amenities of beautiful Tarpon Point Marina, waterfront dining, spa, shopping, and clean deep-water marina. In a sanctuary-like setting, this resort is ideal for a luxurious romantic getaway.

For more information on SunStream Hotels & Resorts romantic vacations, please call 800-625-4111 or visit SunStream.com.

###

SunStream Management: Celebrating Over 20 Years of Hospitality in Southwest Florida

Thursday, January 1st, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information, contact:
Treva J. Marshall, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; treva@tjmcommunications.com

Dipika Joshi, TJM Communications, Inc.
(407) 977-5004; dipika@tjmcommunications.com

Carolyn Masten
SunStream Hotels & Resorts
(239) 765-4111; CarolynM@SunStream.com

SUNSTREAM MANAGEMENT:
Celebrating Over 20 Years of Hospitality in Southwest Florida

(FORT MYERS BEACH, FL) – With over a 20-year legacy of hospitality in Southwest Florida, SunStream’s expertise of full-service condominium hotel operations is unsurpassed. Widely acknowledged for introducing the first “turnkey” management rental program in Fort Myers Beach in 1986, SunStream remains a leader in this very specialized industry, delivering a proven formula for success based on an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Who We Are

SunStream is a full-service hospitality management company in Southwest Florida which is dedicated to exceeding the expectations of our guests, owners and staff. Each of the properties in our diverse portfolio of resorts and condominium hotels showcases the exemplary service, attention to detail and warm hospitality that garners us a repeat guest rate that is envied by the industry. We focus on quality in appearance, atmosphere and amenities. We specialize in designing luxury experiences for our guests and owners by developing our staff into leaders who are quick to respond and follow through on all guest concerns and feedback. Above all, we embrace a set of core values that integrate through everything we do, helping to ensure that we never lose sight of who we are and what we can accomplish.

SunStream has been honored with numerous civic and commerce awards in Southwest Florida. Our team members are consistently singled out in the annual “Paradise Coast Sand Dollar Tourism Awards” presented by the Collier County Convention and Visitor Bureau, as well as the annual “E-Awards” presented by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau to local hospitality employees who exemplify service excellence. SunStream has also been honored with the prestigious “Horizon Council Award” by the Lee County Economic Development Advisory Board. They were particularly impressed with our “FIRST in Hospitality” service campaign, where we encourage our employees to “Take the FIRST Step” toward outstanding service by being Friendly, Innovative, Reliable, Sincere and Team Oriented.

Our History & Philosophy

Established in 1986 as a condominium resort management organization, SunStream LLC quickly established itself as one of the first “condo-hotel” property management companies in Florida, and in the years since created many of the foundations that have become industry standards today. While many companies are just now venturing into condo-hotel management because of its burgeoning popularity in recent years, SunStream is proud to be celebrating over 20 years of proven success.

Yet none of it would have been possible without a passion for exceeding expectations. Our goal has always been to form long-term relationships with our owners, guests and staff by providing excellence in service and accommodations. We are forever mindful of the trust and confidence bestowed upon us by our owners, and are dedicated to safeguarding their property. We are professional, yet approachable, and can adapt our services to meet the needs of even the most challenging of situations.

What We Do

1.) Hospitality

SunStream welcomes guests from around the world to our unique collection of hotels and resorts. Throughout the years, we have strengthened our organization so that it possesses the operational expertise required to run a successful hospitality business, including:

• Financial Integrity with Reporting and Control Structure

– Budget Analysis and Development

– Expense Reduction and Control

• Customized Standard Operating Procedures

• Food & Beverage Programs

– Culinary Expertise and Creativity

– Food & Beverage Controls

• Aggressive Sales and Marketing Programs with Strong Brand Awareness

• Award-Winning In-House Advertising and Graphic Design

• Progressive Internet Strategies

• Interactive Call Center for Reservations

• Human Resource Support

2.) Condominium Association

SunStream works with the Condominium Association Board of Directors to provide a five-star experience. As the Board provides the directives, it is SunStream’s responsibility to utilize our experience in the following areas to carry them out:

• Owner Relations Manager

• Financial Integrity with Reporting and Control Structure

• Collection of Assessments and Disbursement of Funds

• Ongoing Facilities Refurbishment Program

• Preventative Maintenance Programs

• Owner Website

• On-Site Management and Staff

3.) Development

SunStream’s Development Division manages the precise details involved in the development of a condominium or hotel. We understand the complexities involved in planning both new construction projects as well as existing developments.

• Pre-Construction Phase

– Comprehensive Plan Review

– Development of Detailed Schedules

– Prepare Cost Estimates: FF&E, Technology, Marketing, Staffing

• Construction Phase

– Project Management

– Corporate Office Continuation of Pre-Opening Planning

• Post-Construction

– Implementation of Operating Systems

– Oversee Final Punch

– Prepare Final Review

For more information on SunStream Management, please call (239) 765-4111 or visit SunStreamManagement.com.

###