West Wind Inn of Sanibel Island is in the middle of its yearlong celebration of its 50 years of outstanding island hospitality with its "50 Cheers for 50 Years" promotion, which is slated to award 48 individual winners each one Three-Night Sanibel Delight vacation at the resort, which is one of TripAdvisor's top-rated in Sanibel.

In addition, one winner will receive a Four-Night Super Stay, with another winner enjoying a Five-Night Grand Stay. Winning entrants will be drawn randomly from online and social media entries. Winners will be drawn on or approximately April 1, 2018; July 1, 2018; Oct. 1, 2018; and Jan. 1, 2019, so there is still plenty of time to enter the contest. Both Super Stay and Grand Stay winners will be announced on or about Jan. 1, 2019.

"This year marks 50 years that West Wind Inn has been making dream vacations come true with our beachfront beauty, island style and genuinely warm and welcoming hospitality," said John Sprecher, Chief Marketing Officer of Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts, "and what’s the perfect gift to celebrate a 50th anniversary? At West Wind Inn, we think it’s sand which is why West Wind Inn is thanking our guests with 50 Sanibel Delight vacation packages for a chance to win throughout the year!"

West Wind Inn is located on 500 pristine, private Gulf of Mexico beachfront and features
100-plus highest quality and comfort Gulf-front, Gulf-view and Garden-view studios and
guestrooms. The resort also features a spacious pool and pool deck; top-rated
Normandie Seaside Cafe for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Upper Deck Pool Bar for lunch,
afternoon beverages, gorgeous sunsets and live music many nights; shuffleboard;
cornhole and more.

"For the explorer, find yourself venturing along 21 miles of bike paths, fishing, shelling, canoeing, kayaking and boating all with nearby partner properties and marina rentals," Sprecher said.

In the summer of 2015 the partners of West Wind Inn and the shareholders of Rochester Resorts opted to merge the two organizations. 'Tween Waters Inn, along with West Wind Inn, Castaways Cottages and Beachview Cottages on Sanibel, formed the current Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts, LLC. with over 215 employees and 300 guest units.

For more details and rules visit WestWindInn.com/50-years.

Historic Chronology of the West Wind Inn

In the early 1960’s a consortium of several people – primarily from the Rochester, New York area, put together a plan to build a new Inn on the Gulf of Mexico on Sanibel Island. This initial group organized as Cul Nud, Incorporated. 

• Construction began on the West Wind Inn in 1968 and was completed in February of 1969 (Architect:  Frank Velake -- Builder: Finger Construction).  The Inn opened on March 19, 1969 as a “Treadway Inn” franchise operation.  That first month’s room sales totaled $2,914.
• The initial layout of the Inn consisted of 72 units in 3 buildings (Azalea, Buttonwood & Croton), plus a lobby building (Norman Chambers – the first General Manager and his wife, Rose, lived in the back), a pool and a garage, sitting on 7.5 acres, with 500 feet of frontage on the Gulf of Mexico.
• In that first partial year, total revenues were $66,000.  Back then, a gulf front unit in high season cost $32 per day and a standard guest room was $24. In the summer [off-season] these prices dropped to $16 and $12 respectively.
• When the Inn opened, the first causeway bridge was only 6 years old and the City of Sanibel would not be incorporated for another 5 years.
• In November of 1976, another building with 32 units (Driftwood) was added -- along with another building which housed a meeting room on the lower level and an apartment for owners upstairs.
• On December 13, 1982 the meeting room was converted to the Normandie Lounge (restaurant) serving breakfast and lunch 6 days per week (closed Wednesdays). The upstairs was then used both as an owners’ apartment and a meeting room. Over time, the restaurant became open every day and started serving an evening meal on Fridays and Saturdays.  A pool bar serviced guests around the pool area as well.
• Cul Nud, Incorporated was dissolved in late 1986 and the Inn was reorganized (same owners) as a limited partnership – West Wind Associates of Sanibel, Limited.  
• It wasn’t until 1989 that the Inn computerized its front office with a Property Management System (Lodgistix). Prior to that, all postings and reservations were done on large, hand written spreadsheets.
• The original garage was demolished in late 1992 and a new maintenance/laundry facility was completed in April 1993 (Architect: Joe St. Cyr – Builder: Winrow-Flett).
• At this same time, the Inn’s sewage treatment facility was replaced by our connection to the city’s central sewer system and the old laundry operation was converted to Captain Hook’s Gift Shop. The Inn initially operated the shop. In the summer of 1997, the gift shop was turned over to Billy’s Beach Service to operate as a concession.
• In July of 1993, in order to comply with city codes and FEMA directives, Benchmark Construction was awarded with a contract to replace and relocate our pool bar with a newer raised structure – called the “Upper Deck” – becoming an integral part of the pool deck system.  
• Nautilus Construction Group and Architect “Bud” Lawrence were hired in June of 2000 to enhance the exterior appearance of the Inn. They built corner towers, replaced the mansard roof, installed powder coated railings and cypress trim and changed the color scheme to a taupe, ivory and Texas rose. This changed the look of the Inn to a somewhat Mediterranean motif.
• While the owners apartment was used a meeting room most of the year [ever since the conversion of the downstairs meeting room to a restaurant in 1984] it needed to be converted to a full-time meeting facility with two lavatories and kitchen service. This was done in February of 2001. Simultaneously, two units in Croton building were converted to a Partner’s Suite for use by the owners – as well as a rental unit when not used by them. A Computer Center was added in 2009 – replacing the gift shop.
• On July 31, 2014 approximately half of the partners sold their interest to other remaining partners along with some new partners. The Inn continued to operate as it had in the past.
• Over the years, the Inn has gone through numerous upgrades, renovations, redecorations, added amenities, re-landscaping and so forth in order to provide its guests with a clean, comfortable and friendly environment in which to relax. This continues today.
  

History courtesy of Rene Affourtit, Chief Admin, Finance and HR Officer of Sanibel Captiva Beach Resorts.