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From the Shangri-La Springs Website:
"The history of the springs begins hundreds of years ago with the Calusa Indians who were the original inhabitants of this area. They used the mineral spring water for medicinal and trading purposes. Then, in the early 1500s, Juan Ponce De Leon discovered the spring in his quest for the Fountain of Youth. Although he never found it, many believed the natural mineral waters running through the spring have special healing properties.
This natural mineral spring, which is still flowing on the property today, is the very spring for which the city was named – Bonita Springs.
The history of Shangri-La Springs starts in the 1920s when Gilmer Heitman, considered to be a visionary of Bonita Springs, constructed the hotel with 35 rooms along the Tamiami Trail, now known as Old 41 Road. The hotel was built as a place to stay for buyers during construction of their home.
... [After numerous owners over the years]
In 1993, Leo Dahlman bought the property with the goal of developing Shangri-La into a first class health resort. With a background in historic restoration and hotel management, he restored much of the property to its original grandeur. But, the property fell into foreclosure and became available for purchase in 1998.
The current owners, Lama Hana Trust, a conservationist organization, purchased the property in 1998 and vowed to protect the integrity of the hotel as an important historic landmark in Bonita Springs. Once again, Shangri-La Springs is dedicated to healthy lifestyles." Photo from
More Info: www.shangrilasprings.com
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