During a fitful weather season in 2004, Shalimar was among many properties on the island to experience the destructive winds of the tropics. On August 13th, 2004, Hurricane Charley delivered sustained winds near 150 mph and 7-foot storm surge. Deprived of most of its roof, Shalimar’s motel building suffered extensive water damage and was gutted to its skeletal structure to be rebuilt. Everyone’s favorite, Gulf Front Cottage 7, was nudged off its foundation and could only be restored with the help of a crane and some careful maneuvering. 

After having had their eyes on the property for some 30 years, Chester and Nancy Niesel of Illinois purchased Shalimar the following year, bringing colorfully playful island decor to its interiors, dedicating themselves to the property’s ongoing improvement, and making its name better known as the place where generations of families could continue making memories — including their own grandchildren. 

In September 2022, Hurricane Ian delivered a force of destruction that Sanibel had not witnessed in over a century, flooding nearly every part of the island and becoming the costliest hurricane in Florida on record. Swept up in 12-foot storm surge, every building at Shalimar was washed away and cottage roofs could be seen scattered down the length of West Gulf Drive in the following days. 

Twenty years after his grandparents purchased Shalimar, Sean Niesel, with wife, Kelly, is reopening a completely rebuilt Shalimar Beach Resort in the fall of 2025. Now with a family of their own, and with future generations in mind, the Niesels are continuing the family tradition with a renewed vision, a nod to the past, and a design that will stand the test of time and the force of hurricanes.