by Chelle Koster Walton

News flash: Cape Coral just became a destination. It’s been heading in that direction for quite some time now, by claiming Lee County’s only water park (Sun Splash Family Water Park) and go-cart tracks (Mike Greenwell’s Bat-A-Ball & Family Fun Park).

It became official, however, on November 1, 2009, when the Resort at MarinaVillage opened its sliding glass doors, revealing a stunning atrium lobby with a dramatic, circular seaweed-evocative metal staircase; a magical, tubular waterfall; and a calming view of green lawn, mangroves, and the blue water of Tarpon Point Marina.

Cape Coral’s first luxury resort, part of the local SunStream Hotels & Resorts group, rises nineteen stories high at the edge of a mangrove estuary on the southwest part of town. Its inventory of 263 units includes studio accommodations and condos with one to three bedrooms (offering up to 2,200 square feet inside).

Decorated by Robb & Stucky, the units feature the finest furnishings in neutral tones, smart lamps and other accessories, stainless-steel kitchen appliances, and tile and marble bathrooms. They’re built to Florida Green Lodging Program standards and boast an entry-key system that turns on lights and air-conditioning when guests unlock the door to their room. Pets up to ninety pounds are allowed on two of the floors, plus there’s a dog park nearby to further accommodate furry guests.

Studios come with mini-fridges and have access to communal laundry facilities. Condos contain their own washer and dryer (full-size in the two- and three-bedroom units), in addition to a full kitchen and dining area. Sweeping balconies, many with views of the water and the resort’s yacht harbor, extend the living space. From the upper floors, you can see practically all of Lee County, clear to Naples in fact.

Although one could feel content just getting comfy and gazing at the panorama, the resort offers plenty of enticement to go out and enjoy its seaside amenities. Perhaps its best idea was to offer a complimentary forty-passenger shuttle aboard the Silver King to Fort Myers Beach, docking at Nervous Nellie’s restaurant (the former Snug Harbor). The trip from mangrove to beach takes about forty-five minutes, and the shuttle makes a round trip at least once a day (more frequently when the seasons demand it).

Trendy Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro is the Resort at MarinaVillage’s flagship restaurant. Named for its channel marker number, it serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a spacious bistro setting that spills out onto the harborside terrace and bar, the latter known as the Nauti Mermaid Dockside Bar & Grill. Marker 92’s sushi bar and wood-fired pizza oven draw in locals and visitors from beyond the resort’s boundaries. It’s wise to make dinner reservations even out of season. Besides pizza (try the Thai), pancetta-wrapped jerk shrimp, New Orleans grilled beef tenderloin filled with fried oysters, and chimichurri grilled salmon demonstrate global and regional flair.

At lunch, best enjoyed on the breezy terrace, the Cobb salad—shaken (never stirred) in a clear, oversized martini shaker tableside—earns admiration for presentation as well as freshness. The trio of dips (garlicky roasted eggplant, hummus, and white bean), Cajun gumbo, and grilled fresh catch sandwich with pepper jack cheese, avocado, and wasabi tartar sauce are other sure winners. Executive chef Jim Shiebler comes to Marker 92 from award-winning restaurants in Florida and California.

Live entertainment and bonfires on the terrace promise a lively scene around the Nauti Mermaid, which also serves casual fare. Inside the Marker 92 lounge, TVs are tuned to sports games and boat anchor light decorations tie the free-form bar in with the marina outside.

Guests also have access to the sleek and herbal-scented Esterra Spa & Salon and a waterfront fitness center. Ascend the throne in the second-story spa for a pedicure with an eyeful of water views. In the spa’s six treatment rooms, wallow in the luxury of everything from a Swedish massage or salt glow to Vichy shower or milk-and-honey body wrap. Resident rates and online specials strive to attract local clientele.

Complimentary bikes are available to guests and kayaks are available for rent. Plus there’s tennis, bocce ball, a kids’ activity room, and other amenities in the residential part of the Tarpon Point development, to which guests have access.

Arrive by car or by boat to this new off-the-beaten-tourist-pathgetaway. The 175-slip, full-service “Clean Water” marina accommodates vessels up to one hundred feet in length. Swimming pools; a gourmet deli and market with homemade gelato, fresh-brewed coffee, and Norman Love chocolates; and retail shops (ladies, don’t miss She Sells Shoes) complete the picture of no-worries vacationing here.

For group functions, the Resort at MarinaVillage can flex from an intimate boardroom set-up to accommodating three hundred guests for receptions or theater-style meetings. Breakout rooms and outdoor function space are also available, including the picture-perfect Crescent Social Pavilion. Business and leisure guests appreciate the free wireless Internet access throughout the property. Ideal for a remarkably affordable boat-away weekend or fall staycation escape, the Resort at MarinaVillage makes you feel as if you were undeniably somewhere far beyond Cape Coral and Lee County.

Chelle Koster Walton’s fifth edition of The Sarasota, Sanibel Island & Naples Book is due out this fall. She is also author of the Sanibel-Captiva Essentials iTunes app.