The Oceanside Inn is a beachfront hotel offering double and king-bedroom accommodations as well as a limited amount of premium and penthouse suites, onsite dining and lounge, 2,800 sq. ft. of event space and a location that draws guests from all over the world. Similar to SunStream’s current beachfront properties on Fort Myers Beach, The Oceanside Inn will provide a location with many on-site amenities as well as a close proximity to a diverse range of activities, entertainment and attractions.

Headquartered in Fort Myers Beach, SunStream Hotels & Resorts has become a name synonymous with quality hotels and condominium resorts throughout Southwest Florida, having specialized in property development and hospitality management since 1986.

SunStream’s distinctive collection of properties in Southwest Florida now includes the DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa, GullWing Beach Resort, Pointe Estero Beach Resort, Bellasera Hotel, Park Shore Resort, Port of the Islands Resort & Marina and The Resort at MarinaVillage in Cape Coral.

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

With the development of VillaMaria Resort comes the unique opportunity to support this enterprise. In order to begin construction, the developers are seeking a limited number of Founding Members to provide the capital necessary to build and sustain a fully operational resort. Founding Members will be rewarded with a deeded portion of the resort in the form of unit ownership. This hassle-free ownership opportunity will provide benefits such as personal use of the unit along with the potential to earn rental income. Pre-construction memberships are available for Studio, 1- and 2-bedroom units and start at $159K. Founding Member opportunities are available to personal investors, partnerships and corporate interests.

The Founding Member concept is an idea that SunStream has successfully implemented in several previous projects in Southwest Florida. In fact, the VillaMaria Resort concept closely resembles Bellasera Hotel, SunStream’s 4-Diamond Hotel that follows the same model. Built from the ground up to meet the standards of the Florida Green Lodging Program, VillaMaria will feature upscale accommodations and premium amenities.

VillaMaria Resort will meet the demands of the Ave Maria community that are currently unfulfilled. The nearest nightly rentals for visitors and guests of Ave Maria are located throughout the Southwest Florida area and not directly on property. If you seek the experience of a 4-Diamond resort, you would need to travel over 35 miles to reach a destination of that caliber. With over 4,500 square feet of event space, VillaMaria will also provide the perfect setting for weddings, family reunions, corporate functions, retreats and seminars. VillaMaria Resort is more than just a hotel; it is a commitment to the continued growth and development to everything Ave Maria Stands for.

SunStream Hotels & Resorts is honored to be partnering with both Barron Collier Companies and the Ave Maria community in this exciting development. SunStream has over 25 years of experience in Southwest Florida Development, Real Estate and Hospitality Management. Established in 1986 as a condominium resort management organization, SunStream Inc. quickly established itself as one of the first “condo-hotel” property management companies in Florida. In the years since, SunStream has created many of the foundations that have become industry standards today.

For additional information, please visit www.VillaMariaResort.com

DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa hosts the annual Relay for Life event for the second year in a row.

Fort Myers Beach, Florida – SunStream Hotels & Resorts is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor for the upcoming Fort Myers Beach Relay for Life benefitting The American Cancer Society.  The March 3^rd-4^th event will take place, for the second year in a row, at one of SunStream’s properties, DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa. The theme for the 2012 Relay is pirate-inspired, “Making Cancer Walk the Plank.” This Relay season kicks off on Fort Myers Beach as the 1^st of 19 Relays throughout the South Gulf Coast Area.

Not only have SunStream and DiamondHead made monetary contributions as the Presenting Sponsor as well as host site for the event, but many of SunStream’s employees have taken action as well.  Committee Members involved in making the event happen include Justin Friede and Michelle Phillips as the Online Chairs, Justin Friede as the Logistics Chair, Michelle Phillips as the Activities & Entertainment Chair and Ammie Black as the Luminaria Chair.  Heather Zawisza and Jen Friede have also stepped up as the team Captains for the SunStream Team and they hope to rally up at least 50 employees to participate on the day of the event.

The overall Event fundraising goal is $85,000 and SunStream has set themselves a goal of raising $5,000. Additional contributions and participation is needed to reach the initial goal. Fundraising will continue from now until the day of the event and onsite fundraising will take place as well.

The event will be filled with entertainment throughout the day, including The National Anthem sang by Town Mayor, Terry Stewart, a Caregiver/Survivor celebration, a stunning Luminaria Ceremony at 8pm, performance by the Hot Flash Dancers and plenty of other fun filled beach-friendly activities and games.

SunStream has made this commitment to support a cause that has affected many of us in more ways then one; whether by the passing of a loved one or watching someone beat this horrible disease. Join Fort Myers Beach in the fight to Celebrate More Birthdays as we Make Cancer Walk the Plank!

What:               2012 Relay for Life of Fort Myers Beach Benefitting The American Cancer Society

When:              Opening Ceremony on Saturday, March 3^rd at 2pm

Concluding with the Closing Ceremony – Sunday, March 4^th at 8am

Where:                        DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa

2000 Estero Blvd.

Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931

Interview

Opportunities:  Michelle Phillips, Communications Specialist – (239) 765-4111

To learn more about Relay for Life and how you can participate, visit www.SunStream.com/Relay

TripAdvisor Top 15 Destinations on the Rise

#3 Fort Myers - The City of Palms is located in Southwestern Florida on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River. Most visitors go to Fort Myers for the deep-sea fishing, the golf courses and the famous white sand beaches and islands that line the Gulf Coast. A renovation of the city’s downtown waterfront promises new restaurants, clubs, shops and galleries. Attractions include the winter estates of Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, as well as nearby Naples and the islands of Sanibel and Captiva.

Cape Coral, FL – SunStream Hotels and Resorts are pleased to announce the purchase of The Resort at MarinaVillage and the surrounding Tarpon Point development in Cape Coral, Florida to Freeman & Hasselwander Resort Properties LLC.  Freeman & Hasselwander has extensive ownership experience in a variety of luxury hotels across the country and brings a wealth of experience as the new owners.

Their long-term interests paired with their passion for excellence promises to take The Resort at MarinaVillage to the highest level of service and luxury. SunStream Hotels and Resorts will continue to work very closely with Freeman & Hasselwander as the management company for the property through this transition and anticipates a great future for both the Resort at MarinaVillage and the surrounding Tarpon Point community.  Real Estate offerings will continue to be offered in the Tarpon Point Community.

For further information, please contact Kyle Johnson, General Manager at The Resort at MarinaVillage at 239-541-5000.

The Resort at MarinaVillage offers a unique backdrop for your special day. With over 25,000 square feet of flexible event space & amazing views of The Gulf of Mexico, The Caloosahatchee River & Tarpon Point Marina from our studio, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom suites. This 263 room resort offers 3 waterfront dining options, a full-service spa & salon, luxurious accommodations & amenities and a catering & sales staff that will personalize every detail & make planning your special event effortless.

Check out Michelle from the SunStream Beach Team on her wedding day!

This week, Chef Drew is teaching us how to hold a chef’s knife correctly.

If you have a question for Chef Drew, please visit the website to submit a question: http://marker92.com/wordpress/ask-the-chef/

Enjoy!

SunStream Hotels & Resorts boasts four people who’ve been with the company from the time it bought its first holding, Pointe Estero Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach, 25 years ago.

SunStream Hotels & Resorts is marking its 25th year, and going full-throttle, as the owner-operator of diverse-but-upscale vacation properties along Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The privately owned company started when a group of investors from Minnesota bought a Fort Myers Beach resort condominium complex that was struggling financially.

It cut its teeth on condominium resort management, and quickly established itself as one of Florida’s first operators of condo hotels.

In the latter, accommodations are individually owned, but the management company provides services to guests comparable to that of a hotel.

Along the way, SunStream added a full-service real estate office and a time share division.

Its resort properties vary in size and ambience, and include the AAA four-diamond-rated Bellasera Hotel in downtown Naples, the high-rise DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa on Fort Myers Beach and Port of the Island Resort in the heart of the Everglades. Company operations also include resort-related spas, restaurants and lounges.

“With the economy fluctuating, diversity of our portfolio has kept us solid and stable over the last 25 years,” said Mary Anne Baker. She’s SunStream’s vice president of hospitality.

A lot has changed since the company founders entered the local market by purchasing Pointe Estero on Fort Myers Beach.

Baker remembers “using a typewriter, a cash box – and sticking colored tape on a chart” to keep track of guest bookings there, when she was hired as general manager. These days, SunStream uses state-of-the-art digital technology.

“One thing that hasn’t changed is the quality of our people,” Baker said. ” A lot of them have been with us 10, 15, 20 years.”

Baker herself is a 25-year SunStream employee. Three others also date to the beginning: David Lawrence, president and company partner; Monica Flowers Crews, director of corporate operations; and Robert Swanson, a partner in the business.

SunStream “may have been a step ahead of their time in branching out,” said Roxie Smith, longtime Beach businesswoman and former owner of the Pink Shell resort on Fort Myers Beach.

The path to growth wasn’t always smooth, Smith noted. In the early 1990s, a Lee County Commission vote ultimately paved the way for SunStream’s construction of a 16-story DiamondHead resort, despite widespread opposition from Fort Myers Beach residents.

Smith wasn’t part of the fight, but noted many people thought commissioners hadn’t listened to them on the DiamondHead issue. That sentiment became a major catalyst for Beach incorporation.

As for SunStream: “They’ve been a wonderful addition to this community, and very generous in their support of their community,” Smith said.

SunStream’s diverse collection of resort properties gives it many price points to offer guests, Baker noted. Company-wide, average daily rates range from about $100-$500 a night during local tourism’s high season – which typically ends around Easter – to $50-$400 a night in the slower months of late summer and autumn.

The array of properties also means the company’s 450 employees have “opportunities to advance from within,” Baker said.

Baker added that SunStream “had a very strong season. We were glad to see people out traveling, and spending.”

She didn’t rule out future acquisitions.

“There are other things on the fire,” she said, “but nothing to talk about at this time.”

Baker’s optimistic.

“I think there’s pent-up demand for everything – whether it’s travel or real estate,” Baker said. “If it’s priced right, people will purchase.”