The 'Fishingest' Hotel

The 'Fishingest' Hotel

How do you market a nine-room hotel that's off the beaten path? It helps to be nestled next to the world's most fishingest bridge.

TOURISM by Jean Gruss | Editor/Lee-Collier

It's easy to see why Terry Spillane bought the Bridgewater Inn four months ago.

It's the kind of hotel that is likely to strike at the heart of anyone who has fantasized about chucking their 9-to-5 jobs for the romance of owning a bed-and-breakfast. This unique landmark sits on pilings above the water in Matlacha, a little community with a laid-back Keys-style ambiance between Pine Island and Cape Coral in Lee County.

"You just can't duplicate it," Spillane says. Fact is, environmental regulations would prevent anyone from building another hotel like this one.

Guests can walk out of their room and cast a fishing rod into the surrounding water or just sit back and watch dolphins and manatees swim by. In the evenings, dozens of locals gather with their poles on either side of the nearby drawbridge to catch dinner. The Matlacha (pronounced Matt-lash-ay) bridge is dubbed "The World's Most Fishingest Bridge."

Of course, running a nine-room hotel profitably is no romantic picnic. Spillane, 70, has about 50 years of experience in the hospitality business, building his own chain of motels, restaurants and gas stations in New England before moving to Sanibel Island off Fort Myers in 1990.

Today, the competition isn't just the chains of hotels that have decimated the ranks of family-owned motels. Spillane says international resorts in places such as the Caribbean now compete for the same customers who visit Matlacha. All you have to do is long on to the Internet to discover a world of destinations competing for your attention.

But Spillane says the same force that has opened up the world to American tourists can be harnessed to draw visitors to Matlacha. A new Web site will let people book a room directly at the Bridgewater Inn (www.bridgewaterinn.com).

Out of the cold

Like so many entrepreneurs who have settled in Florida, Spillane moved to Sanibel in 1990 after discovering its pleasing climate while on vacation. Since age 23, Spillane had built his business to include eight gas stations, nine restaurants and two motels in Vermont and upstate New York.

After he sold his businesses - many of them to his four children - he moved to Sanibel and bought the island's BP gas station. He then bought the 10-room Tropical Winds Motel & Cottages and the 12-room Anchor Inn and Cottages.

One day last year, Spillane was driving to the plant nurseries on Pine Island to look for palm trees for his properties. Driving through Matlacha, he spotted a large "For Sale" sign at the Bridgewater Inn. Turned out another Sanibel resident, Steve McCarney, owned the place and the two started to talk about a sale.

Eventually, the two Sanibel residents agreed on a price: $1.17 million.

But closing the deal turned out to be more difficult. Because it sits on pilings above the water, banks weren't interested in financing the deal due to the hurricane exposure. Bankers worried that damage to the hotel would interrupt Spillane's ability to pay the mortgage for an extended period of time.

In fact, Hurricane Charley in 2004 tore the roof off the Bridgewater Inn. Still, Spillane obtained insurance from Citizens Property Insurance, the state insurance company that recently jumped into the commercial-property business. But Spillane says business-interruption insurance was too costly. Despite that, Spillane obtained a loan from the Sanibel Captiva Community Bank.

Selling and marketing nine rooms

Of course, Spillane doesn't have a huge marketing budget to compete with the large hotel chains. But he's got the Internet, an equalizing force that puts him on a more even footing with the big boys.

Already, you can book a room at Spillane's two Sanibel hotels online. Later this summer, guests will be able to book rooms at the Bridgewater Inn online too.

Because the Bridgewater Inn appeals mostly to sport fishermen, Spillane plans to market a package that includes a few nights at the Bridgewater for fishing and a few nights on Sanibel for shelling. Sanibel's beaches are world-renowned for their treasures of seashells that wash up on the beaches by the ton. "It develops a new customer," Spillane says.

Matlacha is quickly building a reputation among art collectors for the galleries that line Pine Island Road, the road that cuts through the small community. Small restaurants advertising the local catch are within walking distance of the hotel. After a day of fishing, guests can stroll to the galleries and restaurants.

There's no problem filling up the hotel in the winter. Spillane estimates occupancy averaged about 90% this past winter season.

But filling up the hotel in the summer is a challenge, especially on weekdays. To fill the rooms, the hotel discounts those who rent by the week and offers a three-day special. What's more, the hotel's employees have been marketing to workers at commercial-construction sites in nearby Cape Coral, hoping some of them will stay at the Bridgewater.

The hotel also places brochures in fishing stores and bait shops as far north as Sarasota. Spillane also is working on an email newsletter to send to past guests. Advertising in magazines is expensive, but he's looking at cost-effective ways to get the word out in sport-fishing publications.

One looming concern: a new Matlacha bridge is scheduled to be built next to the Bridgewater Inn next year, likely disrupting operations. But Spillane hopes some of the construction crews will stay at his hotel. And the old bridge will be turned into a fishing pier, a plus for the hotel when the new bridge is completed.

Meanwhile, Spillane has boosted rates 7% this year without any noticeable impact on bookings. Daily rates range from $109 in the summer to $230 in the winter, depending on the size of the room and its location. He's repainting the place and adding modern touches such as coffee pots in every room and upgrading the furnishings. A Wi-Fi network is coming this summer.

He's also focused on training his employees to be hospitable and treat guests like they're in their own house. "Make sure you're not just checking them in and out," Spillane counsels.

More than anything, word of mouth is Spillane's best form of advertising. "We get a lot of repeat business here," he says.

REVIEW SUMMARY

Industry. Tourism

Hotel. The nine-room Bridgewater Inn in Matlacha

Key. Small, locally owned hotels can thrive if they do a good job getting the word out.

CEO INSIGHT

management lesson

Terry Spillane has about 50 years' experience running small motels. He recently bought the Bridgewater Inn in Matlacha, a nine-room hotel that sits on pilings over the water. Hoteliers might benefit from his management tips:

• Watch your expenses carefully. Hotel staff does the laundry and maintains the equipment, saving the costs of contracting out those tasks. The staff tracks inventory and generates weekly reports.

• Staff must perform multiple tasks and be versatile. At the Bridgewater Inn, they manage the front desk, water the plants, scrub the floors, paint the walls and do the laundry. "Nobody sits at a desk," Spillane says.

• Train staff to be more hospitable. Make sure they interact with the guests routinely to make stays more enjoyable.

• Competition is global. With the Internet's reach, your competition may be thousands of miles away in the Caribbean. Use technology to reach new and existing customers.

• Stay current to meet expectations. Add small touches such as coffee machines in each room and Wi-Fi Internet access. "Everyone travels with their laptops now," Spillane says.

-Jean Gruss