The Cottages of Paradise Point on Fort Myers Beach reduced to an empty lot after Ian

The Cottages of Paradise Point have been on Fort Myers Beach for over 20 years, and now they’ve been demolished after Hurricane Ian.

A site once filled with cottages transformed into a desolate empty lot after Hurricane Ian.

Dennis and Lisa Greenspon told WINK News it would be too taxing to rebuild the area.

They’re in the process of issuing refunds to the loyal guests they’ve maintained over the years.

“It was just kind of like family and the people that came kept coming down. You know, we had huge repeat year after year,” Lisa said.

Not only were their longtime guests like family to them, but plenty of their staff had worked there for years.

Dennis and Lisa described the business as a second family for them.

“But this was more than just a vacation spot for them. Because it kept coming back. Year after year, we were into our third generation on some families, you know, and we had kids, I used to stand them up against one of the wood pilings and take a pencil and measure them. Then the following year, go back and do it a little bit higher,” Dennis said.

Dennis and Lisa’s staff dealt with the loss and damage to their homes, belongings, and their job.

“Just like our cottages, everything’s gone. So when she left the beach, she took three outfits, thinking she’ll be back on in three days. And the end of the story is That’s all she had after the storm passed with those three outfits in the car that had to be totaled,” Dennis said.

Most of them had been close to twenty years from the very beginning it was more than just the job it was family it was a work of love so there was the emotional part of it cause this was their daily lives they were proud of the cottages of paradise,” Dennis said.

Dennis and Lisa told WINK News everything they were doing was their retirement dream, and they made the most of it for over 20 years.