Feb 5, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  February 2008
CONTACTS: Nancy Hamilton, Lee Rose, Katie Meckley (239)338-3500

Superior Small Lodging: Great Things Come in Small Packages!

LEE COUNTY, FL – Representatives of the Florida Superior Small Lodging Association (SSL) recently announced 19 Lee County properties successfully qualified for the SSL designation.  The SSL certification is a statewide hospitality recognition program.  The overall average inspection score for all properties was 91.76 percent, the highest overall average score in the seven year history of Lee County hotelier participation. 

In addition, 16 of the 19 total properties (84 percent) inspected by the Property Review Program (PRP) qualified to receive the coveted Donal A. Dermody White Glove Award for best practices in housekeeping.  Properties must receive a score of 100 percent for all components of the housekeeping inspection to be eligible to receive the White Glove Award. 

Ten Sanibel Island hotel properties that participated in the SSL inspection process qualified to receive the White Glove Award with uniform scores of 100 percent in housekeeping practices at all properties. 

Superior Small Lodging Program Eligibility for participation in the Lee County SSL program is restricted to accommodations with 50 room units or less.  Properties must hold a valid hotel, motel, inn or bed and breakfast license and pay all applicable state and local taxes related to the operations of an accommodation.

The SSL inspection program and designation is designed to provide travelers with an easily identifiable symbol to demonstrate that the accommodation is a "clean, safe and well managed small lodging establishment, offering friendly ambiance and personal service."  All property review inspections are conducted unannounced and can be repeated periodically and randomly to ensure that SSL program standards are being maintained. 

The passing grade for participation in the program is 82 percent based on a comprehensive review process of six different property attributes:
1) Registration/Operations/Public Places, 2) Guests Accommodations, 3) Bathrooms, 4) Bathroom Supplies, 5) Kitchens, and 6) Property Exterior.  These six categories are further delineated with numerical scoring to create the 343 total point inspection system.

Lee County properties that participate in the SSL hospitality recognition program include:

The Bokeelia Tarpon Inn, Bokeelia - White Glove Award Recipient
Two Fish Inn, St. James City – White Glove Award Recipient
Waters Edge Motel & Apartments, St. James City
Casa Loma Motel on the Waterfront, Cape Coral - White Glove Award Recipient
Abaco Beach Villas, Fort Myers Beach – White Glove Award Recipient
Manatee Bay Inn, Fort Myers Beach
Matanzas Inn, Fort Myers Beach
Silver Sands Villas, Fort Myers Beach - White Glove Award Recipient
Beach Shell Inn, Fort Myers Beach – White Glove Award Recipient
Forty Fifteen, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
Gulf Breeze Cottages, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
The Palms of Sanibel, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
The Palm View Inn, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
Sandpiper Inn, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
Seahorse Cottages of Sanibel, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
Shalimar Resort, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
Signal Inn Beach & Racquetball, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient

Sunshine Island Inn, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient
The Waterside Inn on the Beach, Sanibel Island – White Glove Award Recipient

For more information on the Superior Small Lodging program, contact Suya Davenport, executive director Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau at 338-3500.  For destination information, access www.FortMyers-Sanibel.com. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel in southwest Florida includes: Sanibel Island. Captiva Island, Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande & Outer islands, North Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres.

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