A hurricane-hit Captiva resort laid off 238 workers. Can you make a reservation nearby?

Hurricane Ian dealt a devastating blow to Southwest Florida and its beloved attractions, resorts and restaurants. Now, one of its best known resorts has announced layoffs.

This week, South Seas Island Resort’s director of human resources, Marsha Michael, filed a required notice to Florida’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act that 238 employees were to be laid off at the 330-acre Captiva landmark.

The state requires companies to file a WARN notice when 50 or more employees are to be laid off.

After Hurricane Ian, which jobs are lost to Southwest Florida? Which will come back sooner?

In her letter to the state, Michael wrote that “the devastation caused by Hurricane [resulted] in the cessation of operations for the foreseeable future.”

The layoffs started Oct. 10 and conclude on Oct. 23, according to the filing, and are noted as “temporary.”

South Seas is the first employer to do so in Southwest Florida after Ian, according to the Fort Myers News-Press.

The cuts are across South Seas Island Resort’s operations, including the 77 employees in housekeeping and laundry services and the 84 in food and beverage services. They also affect the front office and reservations.

South Seas owners have said they plan to restore the resort to its “original grandeur” as soon as possible. The picturesque 2 1/2 miles of beachfront grounds, a tourist lure since 1946, sit on a third of the northern tip of the six-mile-long Captiva Island, according to Business Observer.

“We do have teams going to the ground who are doing the cleanup and property assessment, but for right now we’re kind of waiting on an update to when the property is going to be back up and running,” a reservations worker told the Miami Herald on Friday, declining to give her name.

I have a reservation at South Seas. What should I do?

You should call the resort to cancel any outstanding reservation — if it hasn’t been canceled already. The resort is in the process, according to its postings.

Since there is no date yet for when South Seas Island Resort can be operational, any reservations made before Hurricane Ian will have to be refunded.

Greg Spencer, CEO of Timbers Resort, one of the property’s owners, told the News-Press it could cost “anywhere from $800 million to a billion” to rebuild the property to current standards and that they are “prepared” to get that work done.

But it’s going to take time, and Dec. 31 is highly unlikely. South Seas announced it had begun the process of canceling all reservations that have been made through Dec. 31. But if you have an upcoming reservation, South Seas asks that you contact the reservations team at 866-565-5089 to process cancellations.

It will take about two to four weeks for the refund to show up on a customer’s credit card, South Seas’ reservation worker said.

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Can you book a stay at South Seas for 2023 or beyond?

These images of South Seas Island Resort in Captiva, Florida, were taken on Sept. 29, 2022, a day after Hurricane Ian made landfall, and are from NOAA’s Emergency Response Imagery website. They show the damage from Hurricane Ian.

You cannot book a stay at South Seas right now for any time. The resort posted on its website that it is not taking reservations through Dec. 31. South Seas plans to come back, but it’s best to wait until a reopening is officially announced.

“We aren’t taking new reservations because we don’t have an update on when the property is going to be back up and running,” the reservations worker said.

Can you book nearby resorts?

‘Tween Waters named a cottage for one of its most famous guests, aviator Charles Lindbergh. He and his wife, author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, who wrote ‘Gift From the Sea’ after seeking inspiration on its seashell-festooned beaches in Captiva in the early 1950s, stayed at the inn.

Other resorts similarly affected by Ian on Captiva and Sanibel are also not taking reservations, including Casa Ybel Resort, Island Inn, Signal Inn and Sundial Resort on Sanibel.

Also, ’Tween Waters on Captiva has started issuing refunds for reservations made through Dec. 31. For reservation inquiries ’Tween Waters suggested sending an email to Resv@Tween-Waters.com.

But on Oct. 18, Doug Babcock, CEO, posted an optimistic report to the ’Tween Waters website on recovery efforts for both of its properties, ’Tween Waters on Captiva and West Wind Island Resort on Sanibel. Babcock wrote that a full recovery of its flagship resorts could come “much quicker than we first imagined.”

This image of ‘Tween Waters Island Resort and Captiva Yacht Club in Captiva, Florida, was taken Sept. 29, 2022. The image is from NOAA’s Emergency Response Imagery website and shows the damage from Hurricane Ian.

How to help the resort employees

The resort set up a South Seas Associate Team employee relief via GoFundMe.

As of Friday afternoon, the campaign has raised $90,500 toward a $1 million goal. According to the GoFundMe page, 50% of funds generated will be designated to employees whose jobs were affected and 50% will go toward those who lost their homes or cars to Ian.

More than 370 donations are listed, ranging from $10 to three at $5,000.