Resort Harbour Properties: Sunsets, Service, Software…and Success

Resort Harbour Properties
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Website: ResortHarbourProperties.com
Quick Quote: “They’ve taken (our) suggestions and they’ve made some changes. That’s impressive. Not a lot of companies will do that.”

Someone once said “location is everything.”

And while Angelo Celmo of Resort Harbour Properties could probably make a very good case for that statement, he knows location is just one of many facets that have made his business successful.

But when you look at Resort Harbour’s success, location is an undeniable accomplice. You see, Resort Harbour Properties seems to be based at the epicenter of fun, near the intersection of natural beauty and luxury accommodations.

Celmo manages beautiful 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condominiums that feature full kitchens and dining rooms, and huge screened-in lanais overlooking the water. And, they’re located right on the beaches at the tip of Fort Myers.

Right next door is Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa – a 4 diamond / 4 star resort. Just across the water are Sanibel and Captiva islands. And, just before dusk, Resort Harbour’s position on the west coast of Florida looking out into the Gulf of Mexico makes for some of the most beautiful sunsets you’ll ever see.

“We’ve got one of the best views in southwest Florida,” Celmo said.

If you’re up for a small trip, Sarasota, Tampa and Clearwater are all short jaunts to the north. One could easily make a day trip to both Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the east, and Marco Island and Naples are approximately an hour’s drive south.

Resort Harbour’s proximately to everything gives visitors a wide selection of activities from which to choose. A short walk away at the resort, guests can find a world-class spa, tennis center, marina, fine restaurants, tiki bars, swimming pools and more.

According to Celmo, many of his guests’ favorite things to do involve water – swimming, boating and fishing (snook and tarpon).

Golfing is also high up on the list, and visitors shouldn’t have a hard time finding a course they like.

“There are over 50 golf courses in the Fort Myers / Sanibel Island area,” Celmo said.

If you have a penchant for viewing nature, you can visit one of the many nearby nature preserves or watch dolphins and manatees play in the water right from your window.

And if you still don’t know what to do, Resort Harbour offers a slew of concierge services.

However, Celmo said most of his guests have a good idea of what they want to do before they arrive.

“I think a lot of people know what they want to do, and that’s what drives them here,” he said.
“They want to go to a place where they can fish and boat and golf, or sight see or go on nature walks.”

There’s a good reason many of these guests already know what they want to do – they’ve been here before. According to Celmo, Resort Harbour has a very high rate of return guests – so high, in fact, that’s he’s gotten to know many of his guests.

“We get to know our guests, because our guests will come here year after year,” he said. “Many become owners here after many visits.”

And, he’s good friends with many of his owners, too.

“We have 160 owners, and I know almost every one of them very well,” he said.

It’s this interpersonal touch that’s helped Celmo be successful. He’s found that while location is important, service really makes the difference.

“Having that personal, one-on-one touch is really beneficial,” he said.

While other property managers may choose to take on properties from a variety of locations, Celmo focuses his effort all in one place. And, he runs his business from an office right on site. But, even though he likes being close to his guests, he wanted a management platform that he could access anywhere. And, he found that in LiveRez.

“What attracted us to LiveRez was the fact that it is web-based,” Celmo said.

Another thing that drew Celmo in was how simple it was for guests to book online.

“The end user can navigate through LiveRez easily,” he said.

And more recently, he’s enjoyed working with Sam Martin and LiveRez’s SEO/SEM service.

“I think bringing Sam Martin in was the catalyst that I really needed,” Celmo said. “Doing some search engine optimization was really important for me. When he came on, that made me very happy.”

Another thing that impressed Celmo was LiveRez’s commitment to continually updating its software. According to Celmo, LiveRez has actively used feedback from Kelly O’Brien – a 20-year veteran of the industry who manages his vacation rentals program – to improve its platform.

“They’ve taken her suggestions and they’ve made some changes,” he said. “That’s impressive. Not a lot of companies will do that.”

Improving its software and services is a natural progression for LiveRez, which uses a Pay-for-Performance pricing model. When its partners are operating at their full potential, LiveRez sees its best returns. And that was one of the major selling points for Celmo.

“I like the fact that LiveRez makes more money as we make more money,” Celmo said. “It kind of ties LiveRez into the responsibility.”

So while location is a major selling point for Resort Harbour, its partnership with LiveRez and its dedication to excellent service can’t be ignored.

Said Celmo: “I always say, the only thing that beats our sunsets here is our service.”