When Hurricane Helene flooded the Beachcomber and Hurricane Milton followed with heavy winds and more catastrophe, the damage was visible.
But more than that, it was overwhelming.
Lower-level guest rooms were destroyed, the courtyard was underwater, plants were dead, and weeds took over the iconic space.
The Beachcomber in St. Pete Beach has been a staple for over 50 years, and the storm had wreaked havoc – damaging the property, sure, but impacting the heart and soul of the Beachcomber, too.
But the Beachcomber has a happy ending – one that even hurricane-force winds and water couldn’t touch.
This is the story of how our team at Landcrafters helped rebuild one of Florida’s most iconic beach resorts – and how smart, storm-proof Florida landscaping helped restore curb appeal, function, and the soul of a St. Pete staple.
Like many of the coastal resorts and homes on St. Pete Beach, The Beachcomber was hit hard.
Flooding from Hurricane Helene saturated the property with treacherous saltwater. And before recovery could ever begin, less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton landed to deliver additional wind damage.
Kaylie Gibbons, Director of Maintenance Operations at Landcrafters and project lead, remembers walking the site for the first time.
“Right after Hurricane Helene, it was completely flooded. The plants were dead. It was a weed haven. It needed a lot of work.”
The courtyard – the central gathering space of the resort – was completely devastated. And until that heart was fully restored (and made better), reopening the resort didn’t feel wholly complete.
To best understand the devastation of the damage and the power of the transformation, it’s important to understand what this resort means to the area. Beachcomber isn’t just another beachfront hotel; it’s been woven into the St. Pete Beach community for over five decades.
Beachfront Florida resorts are no strangers to hurricanes and the damage they can cause, but Helene and Milton wreaked true havoc. Many local hotels damaged by these storms never even reopened. That, along with the iconic nature of The Beachcomber, made the emotional weight of restoring this property feel extra heavy.
Kaylie remembers The Beachcomber from growing up in the area. “Being able to take something that’s close to home and make it something beautiful, that’s what did it for me.”
For The Beachcomber – and especially for Shaun Kwiatkowski, the general manager of The Beachcomber – the courtyard experience was important.
Because ultimately, this transformation wasn’t about a storm-damaged resort renovation, it was about restoring energy to a place that people love and have loved for decades.
Some of the biggest challenges in this renovation project were obvious from the jump, but others were more subtle. From insurance delays and extended closure to saltwater intrusion and faulty irrigation systems, plenty of obstacles stood in our way.
Hurricane Helene brought major flooding, and all of that saltwater intrusion saturated the soil where their plants were living. When Hurricane Milton followed with heavy wind damage, most of the plants and existing landscaping didn’t stand a chance.
For a coastal property, this combination is particularly destructive. Salt exposure lingers in the soil long after floodwaters recede, making plant survival a major concern.
One of the biggest hurdles ended up being more procedural than anything. Nearly a year passed before landscape work could begin due to the insurance approval process.
Kaylie remembers that the delay required patience – but more than that, it needed “detailed documentation, and multiple walkthroughs with insurance representatives before final approval was granted.”
Meanwhile, the hotel remained closed, waiting until Landcrafters could kick their plan of action into gear.
The original irrigation system needed to be demolished and rebuilt. Instead of quick fixes, we wanted to protect the longevity of the Beachcomber’s investment and set them up for success with a sustainable, smarter irrigation system.
As part of that, our team would need to:
These upgrades reduce water waste, improve output control, and support long-term sustainability, especially during Florida water restriction periods.
After the initial walkthrough, it was clear this wasn’t simply a replanting project. The Beachcomber sits in a high-risk flood and salt exposure zone, and the previous storms had exposed weaknesses in plant selection and irrigation infrastructure.
Kaylie met with Shaun on-site to determine what was possible within the insurance company’s budget. They met up, examined the property, and determined what could be done with the insurance budget.
Then, it was off to the 3D design phase of the project.
Because nearly a year had passed while navigating insurance approvals, expectations were high. The courtyard needed to feel vibrant again, but it also needed to be smarter and more resilient than it was before.
One of the first corrections identified was plant survivability. Because the property sits in a high-risk flood and salt exposure area, plant survival would depend entirely on smart selection.
Rather than simply replacing what had been lost, Kaylie conducted additional research and visited other flood-impacted communities to study which plant species had endured saltwater intrusion.
We focused on replacing them with salt-tolerant plants that we’d seen survive flooding along Gulf Boulevard. Kaylie conducted additional research and visited other flood-impacted communities to observe which plant species endured heavy saltwater intrusion.
The final selection prioritized:
The goal was peace of mind, even if another hurricane hits. By selecting Florida-friendly, salt-tolerant plant material proven to survive flooding conditions, our team at Landcrafters ensured The Beachcomber wouldn’t face total replanting after the next major storm.
After such widespread devastation, it was difficult for ownership to picture what the courtyard could become. As we like to do, the team at Landcrafters used SketchUp to create a full 3D rendering of the redesigned landscape.
This allowed General Manager Shaun and his team to:
The rendering bridged the gap between the devastation they could see and the possibility that truly existed.
Once final insurance approval was granted, the project moved quickly and according to plan. We laid out phases to ensure everything remained on track.
The existing irrigation system was compromised and needed full replacement.
Before we did any renovating, we started by completely clearing parts of the property and the existing infrastructure. To kick things off, we:
This was the full infrastructure reset that The Beachcomber needed to endure and function properly.
The irrigation team came in immediately after the demo and focused on installing an entirely new irrigation system, including:
These upgrades allow The Beachcomber to have a system for better water monitoring, reduced water waste, improved output control, and sustainability during water restriction periods. For a coastal property like this one, efficient irrigation is both an environmental and financial priority.
Once the demo was complete and the irrigation system had been rebuilt from the ground up, it was time to execute the layout of the new landscape. As you might imagine, the scale of installation was significant.
Kaylie laid out over 600 plants for the execution team – “that took a lot of effort,” she remembers. “They knocked it out of the park.”
Each plant was strategically placed to ensure aesthetic impact and long-term survivability.
The installation included thoughtful design details like:
Crew Lead Terrance and Production Manager Max were instrumental in ensuring execution matched design intent. Simultaneously, interior contractors were restoring guest rooms and structural elements.
To prevent damage to new plant material, Landcrafters coordinated closely with the on-site manager and the other experts, beginning work in sections only after construction cleared those areas.
This careful sequencing and intentional communication protected the investment and maintained project momentum.
The final walkthrough marked a turning point. Shaun remembers walking into the courtyard when the final stages were set in motion. He remembers it being eye-popping.
“You could see the energy,” he said. Finally, the courtyard once again felt like the heart of the Beachcomber – but even better.
The renovation didn’t just restore the aesthetics of the landscaping; it helped restore business operations and community presence while setting the Beachcomber up for long-term success and sustainability.
This project reinforced several key things we already abide by as Florida landscapers, but it also helped us refine our best practices for coastal resort landscaping.
Storm-proof Florida landscaping must anticipate flooding and salt exposure, not just current aesthetics. When intentionally designing and executing a coastal landscape, it’s important to think about what comes next – how can a decision we make as designers now help the client in the future?
Observation of what survives in real-world flood zones is invaluable. And on Florida’s coast, where the weather is unpredictable and can get wild, having plants that can survive that unpredictability is important.
Water efficiency and monitoring reduce long-term operational costs and environmental impact. Importantly, too, irrigation is at the center of everything we do in Florida. Without the right system, your investment won’t survive.
Major resort renovations require tight coordination between landscape teams, contractors, and insurance providers. Working with a team that doesn’t just know how to do this but enthusiastically jumps at the chance to responsibly communicate with other vendors is crucial to the success of your project.
Rebuilding under insurance constraints requires strategic planning and creative problem-solving.
For Shaun, the most valuable outcome wasn’t just the visual transformation; it was the proactive, trustworthy leadership.
“Having Landcrafters manage it, provide solutions, provide suggestions – that took so much effort off my plate,” he said. “I count on and trust their opinion, and what they tell me is going to be right. They’ve hit the mark every time.”
For Shaun and the team at The Beachcomber, knowing who to trust in the landscaping world is simple.
“Landcrafters is the company to go with,” he said. “They provide great, proactive service. It would never be a question who I’d recommend.”
Who you work with matters – Ttis level of trust is critical for property managers overseeing large-scale, high-stakes projects.
After Hurricane Helene left the Beachcomber courtyard flooded and lifeless, the path forward didn’t seem simple.
Insurance delays extended closure, the infrastructure required full replacement, and plant selection had to account for salt intrusion and future storms.
But through research-driven design, smart irrigation upgrades, careful coordination, and dedicated execution, Landcrafters transformed a devastated courtyard into a resilient, eye-catching landscape that once again anchors a 50-year St. Pete Beach landmark.
We were fortunate to work with The Beachcomber and privileged to provide more than just a landscape transformation. We were able to help the team restore a place where memories are made – a vibrant, iconic place that’s part of the St. Pete Beach past, present, and future.