Hurricanes in 2004 caused only minor cosmetic damage to the box that had been around the Gate Lodge. Operating and in good condition in 2005 save for the superficial damage, the facade was never repaired.

A local developer named Tony Amico Jr. purchased the former Howard Johnson Motor Lodge turned Best Western in the mid-2000s for $5.4 million and planned to convert it into a condo-hotel. He owned it for only a few months before selling it to a Georgia investment group called Sunset Bay Properties (AKA SunShine State Properties, LLC?) for $9.3 million. Sunset Bay's principals were Rick and Melissa Pierzchajlo who were led to the Motor Lodge by Peter Plautz while they were guests at his Bed & Breakfast in St. Petersburg. Plautz later sued the couple and Sunset Bay because he was neither allowed to join their investment, nor was he paid a finder's fee. The Pierzchajlos and their fellow investors had offered a deal to Plautz if he put up $500,000 in cash--the problem was that he insisted on using a stash of illiquid rubies instead--thus no-deal!!

Sadly, following the Best Western's sale and subsequent closure, the former Motor Lodge's Gate lodge was demolished. Then the guest rooms were gutted and the site was redeveloped into a condo-hotel complex called Treasure Bay Hotel and Marina. Back in 2007, Bill Fields of Condo Hotel Marketing Group represented the site's new owners and reported that each of the 400-square-foot units were being offered for $255,000 and marina slips behind the property could be had for a cool $100,000.