The Nauti Mermaid, Marker 92, and The Resort at MarinaVillage earn TripAdvisor awards
The Nauti Mermaid Dockside Bar & Grill, Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro and The Resort at MarinaVillage in Cape Coral are among a handful of local tourism partners to have earned the 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award.
Other hotels, resorts and restaurants including some from Fort Myers Beach, joining J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and Tarpon Bay Explorers in the honor. They include DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa, GullWing Beach Resort and Pointe Estero Beach Resort -all on Fort Myers Beach – and Bellasera Hotel and Park Shore Resort in Naples. Chloes Steak and Seafood Restaurant, inside DiamondHead Resort, also earned the certificate.
To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four stars or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor.com, the world’s largest travel-planning website. An additional criterion includes the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.
All the Cape spots are under Gary Locke, the director of Operations for SunStream Hotels & Resorts.
“It’s really an honor for us and our team members as we focus on guest service and guest satisfaction,” he said. “TripAdvisor is the largest online review service of dining and accommodation nationwide and internationally.”
There was also something else that made the award special.
“It is 100 percent user feedback – all people that actually come to your property,” Locke said.
Nauti Mermaid was part of the original development of The Resort at MarinaVillage.
“You can pull up by boat at Marker 92 or come in from land,” he added. “Marker 92 Waterfront Bar & Bistro is the indoor restaurant there. And the The Resort at MarinaVillage also received the award for our hotel.”
The hotel has 267 rooms.
“They are luxury accommodations, everything from a luxury suite hotel room to 3-bedroom, fully equipped condominiums,” Locke said.
“Personally, it’s just a such a beautiful property, it is like going to a different world. It’s convenient to Cape Coral but feels like you are a world away. It truly shows the best Cape Coral has to offer.”
Bob Petcher, rpetcher@breezenewspapers.com, contributed to this report.