PCCA Journal|4
th
Quarter 2012
42
T
he Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club has been
welcoming guests, groups, and gatherings of
every sort to the resort for generations—ever
since Henry Broadwell Watkins Sr. purchased
the tropical Florida beach getaway back in
1946. And their experience has taught them that nothing
matters more than making the guest experience unique and
enjoyable.
Whether you come to play along the seven miles of white-
sand beach or on the award-winning Naples golf course or
to indulge at the impressive spa or in the beachfront restau-
rants, when you visit the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club,
you will enjoy an experience that you’ll always remember.
Something for Everyone
Nestled on 125 tropical acres along the Gulf of Mexico, the
Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is Southwest Florida’s only
beachfront hotel with onsite golf (no shuttle required), ten-
nis, and spa. The hotel features newly renovated guest rooms
and suites—each with a patio or balcony—and beautiful
resort or Gulf of Mexico views. Guests also enjoy complimen-
tary parking, no resort fees, and free admission to the fitness
center.
Combine all that with award-winning dining, the brand-
new beachfront Pool Complex, retail shops, and the compli-
mentary Beach Klub 4 Kids, and you can find something for
everyone to enjoy without ever leaving the grounds of the
hotel.
A Unique and Colorful History
The beachfront resort was originally constructed in the 1880s
and was aptly named the Naples Hotel. It was built two
blocks east of the Naples fishing pier in historic Olde Naples
and 1.5 miles south of what would eventually become the
resort’s current beachfront location.
In the late 1920s, Allen Joslin, married to the heir of the
Jergens hand lotion fortune, built the first 18-hole golf course
in the Naples area. He also obtained the adjacent beachfront
property where he built the Naples Beach Club—the first
building at the site of what would later become the Naples
Beach Hotel & Golf Club. Prior to the construction of the golf
course, the only available golf in Naples was a 9-hole city site
with sand greens that doubled as the airport. Golfers had to
use 3rd Street and 5th Avenue as fairways.
In late 1946, Henry Broadwell Watkins Sr., a 56-year-old re-
tired toy manufacturer from Ohio, bought the original Florida
beachfront hotel and embarked on a second career. A few
years later he acquired the Beach Club and the golf course
created a new beach resort between the golf course and the
Gulf.
The old hotel, east of the Pier, remained in service for sev-
eral years and even served as a dormitory for the resort staff
until it was demolished during the 1970s. Over the years, the
hotel continued to add buildings as demand grew for beach
resorts in Florida.
The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club:
Experience Is Everything at PCCA’s Convention Destination
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