Landmark Tiki on the Beach Devastated by Hurricane Charley
Tiki on the Beach is a landmark hotel situated directly on the Fort Myers beachfront, less than twenty miles away from where Hurricane Charley struck the northern tip of Captiva Island.
Hurricane Charley was the strongest hurricane to hit the area since Hurricane Donna in 1960. At its peak intensity of 150 mph Hurricane Charley came ashore causing over $13 billion damage in the Florida.
Tiki on the Beach was devastated by Hurricane Charley, suffering flood and wind damage caused by the storm and tidal surge. The hotel had coverage for both the flood and wind damage, but with two different insurance companies.
The two-story hotel consists of twenty units in two buildings. The buildings are wood frame with a shingle roof; each building has balconies and catwalks.
Hurricane Charley winds blew off the shingle roof and sheathing, leaving the wooden frame twisted, the balconies, and catwalks damaged. As one would expect after a storm event, there was water intrusion and mold damage to the rooms as well. The landmark tiki huts were washed away by the tidal surge.
Tiki on the Beach reached a fair settlement with the flood insurance company, but did not have the same success with the insurance company responsible for the wind damage. They were having difficulty with their insurance claim and felt the company was not responsive.
The BCH Group met with the owners of Tiki on the Beach to examine the property and prepare an accurate estimate of the cost to fully repair the hotel. Based on their years of experience, The BCH Group felt the insurance company offered a low settlement and missed some of the damages.
While looking at the property damage, the BCH adjuster, an experienced contractor, discovered the wood frame of the buildings had twisted during the storm, which was overlooked in the initial inspections by the insurance company.
By having their expert team identify all the property damage and examine the individual coverages in the policies, the BCH Group was able to negotiate a fair settlement, allowing Tiki on the Beach to recover quickly and rebuild their hotel.
Tiki on the Beach is again offering spectacular sunsets to their guests on the lovely Fort Myers beachfront. Read their comments here.