Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is The Athens Group's redevelopment plan for the property?

The key components of The Athens Group’s proposed redevelopment plan include the following:

  • The creation of a world-class destination resort that embraces the site’s natural attributes along its beautiful white-sand Gulf coast setting
  • The replacement of the existing 319-room hotel with a new 216-room luxury hotel, of which up to 20 of the guest rooms are hotel condominium units (up to 10 condominiums that each can be configured into two hotel rooms)
  • The renovation and improvement of the beloved HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar for the community to enjoy as always
  • The retention and improvement of the 104 acres of recreation and open space pursuant to a restrictive easement to continue to provide in perpetuity expansive recreation and open space
  • The preservation as permeable land in perpetuity of 70 acres of the 104-acre recreation and open space restricted area in order to provide preferential flood insurance premiums for the entire City of Naples
  • Unparalleled resort activities, including golf and tennis
  • The addition of luxury beachfront condominiums and golf-side residences into the resort experience – totaling up to 185 residences
  • The creation of the Gulf Shore Garden along Gulf Shore Boulevard North –- a lushly landscaped pedestrian and vehicular experience that utilizes native plantings and natural materials
  • The addition of a small Market Square that will be anchored by a restaurant with a bowling alley and the resort’s full-service spa and fitness facility
  • The improvement of the previous resort’s parking experience through a first-class valet service program coupled with on-site parking underneath the hotel and Market Square
  • The reduction of the resort’s total meeting space from 24,000 square feet to 12,000 square feet
  • The redesign and improvement of the hotel’s parking, on-site access and circulation to reduce the traffic on Gulf Shore Boulevard North

Who is the capital partner on the project?

MSD Partners, L.P., an SEC-registered investment adviser in New York. The firm was formed in 2009 by the principals of MSD Capital, L.P. to enable a select group of investors to invest in strategies that were developed by MSD Capital—established in 1998 to exclusively manage the capital of Michael Dell and his family. MSD’s other luxury resort and real estate projects include Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Four Seasons Resort Maui, The Boca Raton and Fairmont Miramar.

Will there still be a hotel on the property?

Yes. The Athens Group will replace the existing 319-room hotel with a new 216-room luxury hotel.

Will golf and tennis continue to be a part of the resort?

Golf and tennis will continue to be an important part of the resort lifestyle at the Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort. Additional recreational amenities and experiences are expected to be included in the resort to elevate the entire experience.

Will HB’s and the Sunset Beach Bar still be open to the public?

Yes. Both HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar will be renovated and will reopen to the public at the same time the new hotel opens.

Will the new resort improve parking and traffic?

At the new resort, parking will be provided in garages underneath the hotel and Market Square, and under each of the residential buildings to accommodate the resort’s parking needs.

Traffic engineering studies have concluded that traffic trips will be reduced by more than 10 percent on Gulf Shore Boulevard North. This is due to many factors including 99 fewer hotel rooms, a 50 percent reduction in the amount of meeting and conference room space from the previous hotel, and parking underneath each building that will eliminate the need for most of the valet trips along and across Gulf Shore Boulevard North.

What is the construction timetable for the project?

The Athens Group anticipates that the project’s site work will begin in the first half of 2022. The project is expected to be developed in three phases, with the first phase consisting of the development of the new luxury hotel, Market Square, and the beachfront condominiums along with the redevelopment of the Clubhouse conference center. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2024.

Who will operate the hotel?

Four Seasons has been selected as the operator for the luxury hotel.

Why was The Athens Group selected as the successor to the Watkins family for The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club?

The Athens Group was selected by the Watkins family because of Athens’ vision for the future of the property, their understanding of and sensitivity to the Naples community, and their first-class development portfolio of authentic high-end hotels, resorts and residences that they have created over the past 30 years. The Athens Group is committed to embracing the legacy of The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club by preserving the hotel use, beach access, HB’s on the Gulf, and the Sunset Beach Bar, along with the resort’s expansive recreation and open space in the heart of Naples. You can learn more about The Athens Group and its portfolio at AthensDevCo.com.

Resort Amenities & Public Access

What is the plan for restaurants and retail facilities, including HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar?

Athens will be retaining and renovating the very popular HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar for the enjoyment of the hotel’s guests and the community. Athens is also planning additional food and beverage concepts. In addition, Athens is planning a restaurant with a small bowling alley and an artisanal grab n’ go facility in Market Square. This restaurant will replace Broadwell’s, and the grab n’ go facility will replace Seminole. The hotel will also have a small sundry shop. There may also be some boutique retail shops on the northern edge of the hotel and possibly in Market Square.

What is Market Square and what will it consist of?

The resort will feature a small Market Square for its guests, residents and neighbors that will be anchored by a restaurant with a bowling alley that will replace Broadwell’s along with the resort’s comprehensive spa and fitness facility. A recreational outfitter and an artisanal grab n’ go food and beverage facility that will replace Seminole will round out the offerings, along with the possibility of a few small retail shops. Additional Market Square facilities may be limited to the resort’s guests and residents.

Will public enjoyment of the beach be impacted by the project?

Public access to the beach will not be limited or impacted by the new resort.

What is the status of the golf course and the tennis courts during the development period?

The golf course will be closed during the initial phase of construction in order to accommodate the on-site construction access road, the construction staging area, and employee parking. Once Athens acquires the property, it intends to keep the tennis center in operation through April 2023.

How much meeting space will the resort have?

The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club had approximately 24,000 square feet of meeting room space, and the new hotel will have approximately half that amount at 12,000 square feet. The new hotel will still be able to accommodate the local Naples groups that have enjoyed the property in the past such as the Naples Rotary Club, the Forum Club, and Minnesota Breakfast, along with the City’s social and charitable events. The existing conference center will be redeveloped, and it will be renamed the Clubhouse.

What is the status of the conference center during the development period? Will local groups still be allowed to use it?

During the initial phase of construction, the conference center will be closed for renovation and improvement, including a new arrival experience, the creation of the Market Square along its northern end, the construction of additional on-site parking in a garage underneath the Market Square podium, and the construction of a new, hidden loading dock facility that will eliminate the need for delivery vehicles to make their turning movements on Gulf Shore Boulevard North. The conference center will be renamed the Clubhouse and will reopen concurrently with the opening of the new hotel.

Will the Forum Club, Minnesota Breakfast, Naples Rotary and other similar organizations and non-profits still hold meetings and events at the hotel? What about the Naples triathlon and Senior Skip Day for Naples High School?

The Athens Group plans to continue to accommodate important local organizations’ meetings and events, as well as local traditions such as the triathlon and Senior Skip Day, after the new hotel opens. Athens recognizes, however, the need to study how these events affect existing parking conditions so a parking management plan can be developed that better accommodates these groups. During the construction of the first phase of the project, Athens will not be able to accommodate these organizations and events, as most of the current hotel’s facilities will be demolished and the conference center will be closed as it is renovated.

Traffic, Parking, Pedestrians, Loading Docks, and Trash Removal

Will the project generate more or less traffic?

According to the Traffic Impact Study prepared by Stantec and reviewed and accepted by the City of Naples, the project will generate less traffic than was generated from the previous hotel. This is primarily a function of less hotel rooms (216 instead of 319), less meeting space (12,000 square feet instead of 24,000 square feet), and a better parking and traffic circulation design and program, including the consolidation of hotel parking underneath the hotel and Market Square, which will eliminate unnecessary valet traffic along Gulf Shore Boulevard North to and from numerous parking lots as was the case with the previous hotel, along with a first-class valet parking program.

How much parking will be provided?

Athens will provide 552 parking spaces for the hotel, Market Square and the golf and tennis facilities as required by the parking plan that was approved by the City Council. All parking will be provided in garages under the hotel and Market Square, and in adjacent surface parking areas along with a first-class valet parking program. Additionally, each residential condominium will have its own parking garage for its residents and guests as required by the City’s code. Athens will also be providing, at its sole cost, an additional 11 parking spaces to the community for enhanced beach access at the 8th Avenue North public parking area next to the hotel.

As required by the City of Naples review and approval process for the project, The Athens Group and its approved parking and traffic consultant, Stantec, created a valet parking plan, a parking needs analysis, and a traffic impact study that analyzed and addressed the resort’s parking needs and traffic impacts.

As the number of hotel rooms is being reduced from 319 guest rooms to 216 guest rooms and the current meeting space is being reduced from 24,000 square feet to approximately 12,000 square feet, the new hotel’s parking requirements and traffic demand (as opposed to the residential parking requirements, which is provided separately from the hotel’s parking) will be reduced.

Recognizing the importance of improving the resort’s traffic patterns for the neighborhood, the community and the resort’s guests, The Athens Group studied vehicular and pedestrian movements along with improvements to Gulf Shore Boulevard North in order to create a plan that is expected to reduce the resort’s overall traffic with sufficient on-site parking in garages under the hotel and Market Square, along with a first-class valet parking program. By consolidating the hotel’s parking underneath these buildings in garages, traffic will be reduced on Gulf Shore Boulevard North, as the valet attendants will no longer need to shuttle cars to and from the hotel and/or the Clubhouse conference center to multiple hotel parking lots that are spread out on the property as was the case with the previous hotel.

Will the hotel’s parking valet attendants continue to need to cross the street?

On-site, under-podium garage parking for the hotel and Market Square should alleviate much of the need for valet attendants to cross Gulf Shore Boulevard North.

Will the community be able to park at the hotel?

Valet parking at the hotel will be available to everyone who would like to enjoy the resort and its facilities, although access may be restricted during high-volume events.

Will there be bike lanes?

Yes, the bike lanes along Gulf Shore Boulevard North will be retained. With respect to South Golf Drive, it is our understanding that the City is considering a series of improvements, including the addition of bike lanes. Athens will continue to work with the City and our neighbors on any street improvements that require our assistance or input.

How will the redevelopment plan affect the public beach parking on the south side of property?

The City’s public parking on 8th Avenue North next to the hotel will be expanded by Athens, at its sole cost, with the addition of 11 parking spaces along with additional landscaping. Athens also will construct a sidewalk from Gulf Shore Boulevard North along the resort’s southern property line to provide improved pedestrian access along 8th Avenue North.

Will the pedestrian travel experience and safety from both sides of the resort across Gulf Shore Boulevard North be improved?

Yes. Currently, there are multiple pedestrian crossing points across Gulf Shore Boulevard North that can be made safer and also more efficient for vehicular traffic on the street. The Athens Group’s plan consolidates the multiple pedestrian crossings into one at-grade crossing that is currently called the “Coconut Connector” along with the creation of a landscape median that separates the north-bound traffic from the south-bound traffic. As a result, there will be less interruption of vehicular traffic along the street, and the pedestrian experience will be safer with enhanced and improved lighting and other pedestrian safety technologies.

Will the hotel and conference center/Clubhouse have any self-parking?

In order to reduce traffic and to improve the resort’s parking capacity, all hotel and Clubhouse conference center guest parking will be serviced by the first-class valet parking team. As a result, self-parking options are not currently envisioned.

Where will the project’s loading docks be located?

The hotel’s loading docks will be located in a concealed area that will be part of the renovated Clubhouse conference center, with an additional hotel loading dock in the hotel garage that is smaller than the other docks. These dock locations will improve the Gulf Shore Boulevard North traffic flow by eliminating the need for delivery trucks to maneuver in the street in order to access the property’s loading docks, as was the case with the previous hotel, since there will now be adequate space on-site for delivery trucks to conduct all necessary maneuvers internally.

Will the hotel’s delivery trucks back out into the street as they did previously?

The Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort will further improve the previous hotel’s traffic situation by providing a new and improved loading dock that will be concealed from the public’s view, with additional on-site delivery truck circulation space so that all delivery trucks can be maneuvered and accommodated on-site without the use of the surrounding public roads, which was not the case previously. The traffic delays resulting from delivery trucks backing out onto the street will be eliminated.

Where will the resort’s trash be located and picked up from?

The resort’s trash will continue to be consolidated and picked up from a shielded facility in the center of the golf course, as was the case with the previous hotel.

Project Plans and Construction Management

Will there be any single-family homes as part of the new resort?

No single-family homes are included in The Athens Group’s development plan, which instead includes luxury beachfront condominiums and luxury golf-side residences within a high-end resort setting. The vast majority of the property will be preserved as recreation and open space.

Where are you going to stage construction and what road or roads will construction traffic use?

The Athens Group’s detailed Construction Management Plan addresses the important construction planning issues such as construction staging, haul routes, employee parking, the construction access road through the golf course, along with its direct entry and exit from US 41, in order to eliminate construction traffic within the adjacent residential neighborhoods, security, construction fencing, noise, dust and vibration. The Construction Management Plan has been designed to minimize the construction impact on our neighbors and the community. This plan has been vetted with the City and the project’s neighbors and stakeholders, and it reflects their input. The Construction Management Plan can be downloaded here. The Athens Group will also have a dedicated construction contact person who will be available 24 hours a day to address all construction-related concerns.

What are you going to do to mitigate noise and dust during construction?

The Athens Group’s Construction Management Plan provides detailed information on Athens’ plan to mitigate noise and dust during construction. The Construction Management Plan can be downloaded here.

Project Approval Process

What approvals are required for the project to move forward?

The Athens Group has received the required discretionary entitlements necessary for the development of the Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort. A summary of those entitlements is included here. The Athens Group continues to work through the extensive permitting processes with local, state and federal agencies to ensure its responsible development of the property.

The City of Naples has a multi-step review and approval process that includes City planning staff and many City departments, such as Streets and Stormwater, FEMA and Naples Fire-Rescue, as well as the Design Review Board, the Planning Advisory Board, and the Naples City Council. In addition, key components of the project will be thoroughly reviewed and approved by the state, such as its stormwater collection and water quality discharge plans.

The Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort project received unanimous preliminary Design Review Board approval with some conditions on November 28, 2018.

The project received unanimous approval from the Planning Advisory Board on March 13, 2019, after two hearings for a Small-Scale Comp Plan Amendment, a Rezoning for a Planned Development, a Rezoning of the R3T-18 zoned area, a Traffic Impact Statement, and a Development Agreement. These same documents were unanimously approved by the City Council on April 17, 2019, and were approved again on May 1, 2019 with respect to the second reading of the resolutions and ordinances.

Following the first round of PAB and City Council approvals, City staff reviewed the development plan through the required Administrative Site Plan (ASP) process. The ASP application was recommended for approval with some conditions by the City of Naples planning staff on August 26, 2019.

On August 27, 2019, The Athens Group submitted the following project entitlement applications to the City: Conditional Use, PD Rezoning, Development Agreement, Parking Needs Analysis, Valet Parking Plan, and Supplemental Traffic Impact Statement. The Naples Planning Advisory Board reviewed and considered the applications at a public hearing on Friday, October 11, 2019, and the PAB approved the applications by four 6-to-1 votes.

The Naples City Council voted unanimously to approve the entitlement applications on November 20, 2019, and again voted to approve the resolutions and ordinances with respect to a second reading on December 4, 2019.

On March 24, 2021, the Design Review Board, by a 4-to-1 vote, approved plans for upgrades to HB’s on the Gulf and the Sunset Beach Bar, a decision that was unanimously upheld by Naples City Council on May 25, 2021.

The three Environmental Resource Permits detailed below regulate stormwater discharge offsite and follow strict guidelines as required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Based on the analysis provided by the project’s civil engineer, the redevelopment of the hotel, residences and golf course will reduce stormwater runoff to the Gulf of Mexico while improving discharge water quality.

The three stormwater permits consist of the following:

  • FDEP Environmental Resource Permit number 387544-001 (redevelopment west of Gulf Shore Blvd North)
  • FDEP Environmental Resource Permit number 0387536-001 EG (redevelopment of Gulf Shore Blvd North)
  • SFWMD Environmental Resource Permit number 11-103750-P (redevelopment of landward of Gulf Shore Blvd North)

The project received subdivision plat approval as follows:  Resolution 2020-14523 was approved unanimously by the City Council on September 16, 2020, for a subdivision replat located at 851 and 852 Gulf Shore Blvd North, 1090 Crayton Road, and 485, 801 and 825 South Golf Drive. The Subdivision replat was recorded in Collier County within Plat book 68, pages 52-56.

The purpose of the replat was to create multiple tracts that are consistent with the zoning district boundaries established by previously approved rezoning entitlements.