Happy New Year, everyone!

We wanted to take this moment to update all of our friends and loyal guests and to let them know that we are still working diligently on our rebuild plans.

For Sanibel properties like the Blue Dolphin, which require a complete and from-scratch rebuild due to Hurricane Ian, there are so many pieces that need to come together before we are able to begin the actual on-site work of building.

And, with the huge number of significantly damaged buildings in Southwest Florida; there are backlogs everywhere, everyone needs to wait their turn, and nothing is happening as quickly as we’d prefer.

As we’re sure many of you are aware, the process is not as simple as just rebuilding the exact same buildings that were standing there before the storm. Every Sanibel business that needs to rebuild has no choice but to conform to the island’s updated (and much more stringent) building codes. As you could imagine, these Sanibel building codes have changed quite a bit since the Blue Dolphin was originally built in 1958.

We’re still navigating the world of insurance claims, architects, engineers, general contractors, interior designers, town permitting and approvals, and the list goes on.

We know all of you are curious as to when the Blue Dolphin will reopen.

Since we are dependent on the timelines and activities of so many third parties, we are not yet able to confidently announce any absolute reopening date.

But for now, we can share that we’re aiming for a re-opening in the first half of 2025 (date updated 3.31.23).

We are definitely making significant behind-the-scenes progress and will share many more exciting details as our plans continue to firm up.

We’re looking forward to sharing building and room renders (once they are finalized) to show you how we have re-imagined the form factors of the Blue Dolphin in our current era of hurricane-resistant design and building codes.

We’ll also begin sharing the Blue Dolphin Rebuild Journey in very visual ways, with plenty of photos and videos, once we finally break ground for the new buildings.

When you cross the Sanibel Causeway these days, there’s a piece of storm debris just as you arrive onto the island (near the Sanibel Chamber of Commerce Vistor Center) upon which someone has spray-painted a message reading: “Be like a palm that bends in the storm and survives.”
We look forward to showing everyone how we are surviving. How we’ve risen against the challenges inflicted upon us by Hurricane Ian and how we are breathing new life, and new opportunities to create enduring Sanibel Island memories, into the Blue Dolphin.
We look forward to restoring and improving this secluded, boutique inn privately tucked away on a pristine stretch of Sanibel Island coastline.

Swaying coconut palms. Sand. Shells. Surf. The rhythm of nature. The perfect location. The Sanibel experience.

We’re putting the pieces back together. And we definitely look forward to being able to welcome you all back to enjoy the timeless hospitality at our all new Blue Dolphin tropical hideaway as soon as it’s humanly possible!

With love,

The Team at the Blue Dolphin

Be sure to connect with us on Instagram and Facebook (and check back every so often on our “News” page) to follow our progress!

IMAGES FROM THE BLUE DOLPHIN

Instagram

Lots of new sand on the beach at the Blue Dolphin as a result of the recent Sanibel Beach Renourishment Project. We are still working daily (and tirelessly) on the Blue Dolphin rebuild - and hope to have some significant updates we can share with you soon. Thank you so much for your patience! Stay tuned! -- Charlene
Our team at the Blue Dolphin on Sanibel Island just wanted to quickly check in with everyone to let you know we’re still diligently working on our post-Hurricane rebuild -- PLUS to share some video we took on our shell-strewn stretch of beach just a few days ago! To learn more, and follow our rebuild journey, visit our website at: bluedolphinsanibel.com (link in bio) #sanibel #sanibelisland #swfl
11/21/23 UPDATE: The NEW Blue Dolphin: Our Current Set of Renderings With Thanksgiving right around the corner, all of us on the Blue Dolphin team are thrilled to give you, our friends and valued guests, an exclusive peek into the incredible strides we've been making since Hurricane Ian left its mark on our beloved Sanibel Island. We know how many of you treasure the vivid and enduring memories you hold of time spent at the Blue Dolphin. We are honored that the responsibility of ushering this iconic (circa 1958) property through its post Hurricane Ian evolution has fallen to us. Navigating this transition is a passion, towards which we are mindfully allocating our best efforts and a significant depth of resources. Your support fuels our determination TO LEARN MORE AND SEE OUR CURRENT RENDERINGS OF WHAT THE NEWLY-REBUILT BLUE DOLPHIN WILL LOOK LIKE VISIT: bluedolphinsanibel.com (link in bio) #sanibel #sanibelisland #swfl #bluedolphinsanibel
8.31.23 UPDATE: Blue Dolphin Rebuilding Journey Thanks to all of you who have recently reached out to tell us you've been thinking about The Blue Dolphin! Some of you have asked how we fared as Hurricane Idalia brushed by Sanibel. We're happy to report that we are all well and the impact to our island community was minimal. Many others have checked in with us to ask how the Blue Dolphin rebuild is coming along: We're happy to inform everyone that we'll have additional updates on our rebuild journey to share with you soon. Progress is being made every day against the process of completely rebuilding a circa 1958 property (located in what has since been zoned a residential neighborhood) to new (and very different) building codes and design/resilience standards. As everyone going through similar circumstances on Sanibel is experiencing, the multiple rounds civil engineering / surveying / architecture / permitting / bidding all run on their own independent timelines. We're doing the only things we can do to push through it. Answer every email and phone call. Attend every meeting. Respond to every question. Hire every professional we need to help us. Push for every answer. Make every necessary decision. Continue to put one foot in front of the other every single day. We are very close to being able to share some detailed renderings of what the newly-rebuilt Blue Dolphin will look like - and we definitely will, just as soon as we have received all final approvals. We are also excited to share the upcoming construction process with you in very visual ways - with lots of photos and videos! READ MORE AT: bluedolphinsanibel.com (link in bio) #sanibel #swfl #sanibelisland #bluedolphinsanibel