CHARLOTTE HARBOR, Fla. — One of the biggest resorts opens its doors, the Sunseeker Resort is welcoming its first guests in Charlotte County Friday.

“Emotional day for all of us being here from day one, this is a long time coming,” Senior Vince President Jason Shkorupa said.

Five years after breaking ground on the Sunseeker Resort project, an opening day has finally come to open it up to visitors.

“We went through a pandemic, we went through a little small storm called Hurricane Ian that devastated SWFL,” Shkorupa said.

Now, the ribbon is cut at the 22-acre resort overlooking the Charlotte Harbor. Allowing anyone to fly or drive here for a stay.

“You don’t put 20 facilities for food and beverage in a hotel unless you also are interested in attracting the local crowd,” President of the resort Micah Richins said.

The restaurants and food court are keeping it local with produce grown right in Charlotte County.

“We’ve been really lucky and found some vendors that are local, some small family farms that we’re able to work with, but everything that goes into writing all the menu so we have 64 menus on property,” Executive Chef Kory Koltz said.

It’s not just about putting food on the table, but the goal is to make this resort different.

“When you come here, you’ll see the finishes, the fixtures, the quality when you look at the food product you’ll recognize it is intended to be multiple steps above,” Richins said.

Something many have not seen before. Bringing a piece of Vegas to the SWFL coast.

“We wanted ‘wow’ moments for our guests, we wanted this to be a campus of discovery,” Shkorupa said.

Also discovering, it’s a great way to bring more business to Charlotte County!

“We are really excited about the additional economic impact that individuals that have never been to SWFL will be coming to have their meetings and conventions here at the resort,” Executive Director of Sales, Service and Experience Annette Bales said.

The resort’s campus is open to anyone.