Luxury Harbor Island Hotels: Casa Ybel Resort Official Site Sanibel Island Fort Myers area south Florida FL beach resorts golf courses romantic spas vacations packages weddings honeymoons family suites group offers conferences centers meetings planning

History:

An Heirloom Setting Steeped in Legend

It all began, as does any good island adventure tale, with a mishap at sea. Rev. George Barnes was sailing the waters off Sanibel Island in 1889 with friends and family when his boat ran aground.

Feeling truly blessed to have been stranded in such a lush and miraculous place, the Barnes's claimed 480 acres on the Gulf of Mexico and built a home and a church, Sanibel's first. For his two daughters, Barnes built "The Sisters," a charming cottage that evolved into a fashionable 30-room inn, Sanibel Island's earliest resort. Rev. Barnes' renowned wit and eloquence attracted an intellectual, sophisticated crowd to The Sisters.

A Treasured Wedding Gift

In the 1890s, Rev. Barnes' daughter, Georgia, married a resort guest from Kentucky named Edward Duncan. They built a grand Victorian home on the waterfront. Named Thistle Lodge, it quickly became the favored gathering spot for celebrities and statesmen seeking their escape. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were among those who made their way to this bit of civilized hospitality in the wilds of unsettled Florida.

Meanwhile, Georgia and Edward Duncan renamed The Sisters "Casa Ybel Hotel," which became a full-service resort by the 1920s. Guests entertained themselves with fishing, hunting, collecting seashells, and strolling in full finery down the stretch of beach then known as the Grand Boulevard.

Still Number One

Time took its toll on Thistle Lodge, and in 1979, new owners faithfully recreated the showpiece Thistle Lodge not far from its original site. It immediately became a convivial social setting for islanders and visitors alike. Through the years, Thistle Lodge has maintained its status as the heart of the island community.

Today, we carry on the Casa Ybel tradition of family ownership, genteel hospitality, and reverence toward nature, winning awards that place it among the top places to stay in the nation and the world.