The Hotel Hartness in Greenville, South Carolina — Photo by VICTORY Hotel Partners
The Hotel Hartness in Greenville, South Carolina — Photo by VICTORY Hotel Partners

Hay Creek Hotels, specializing in the development and operations of upscale independent full-service inns, hotels and resorts, executes six development deals in last quarter of 2021, indicating a very strong rebound for boutique and independent hotels over major brands.

Denver, CO - Victory Hotel Partners announces six new agreements closed in the 4th quarter of 2021, since their acquisition of Hay Creek Hotels earlier this year, including an expansion of its portfolio of upscale independent hotels into the west.

Among the hotels added to the already robust portfolio are:

The Embers Hotel in Blowing Rock, North Carolina in which Hay Creek Hotels will be in collaboration with the developer, Catellus Group, on the design, concept and positioning of this quaint 36- room full-service boutique hotel and restaurant nestled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Construction is slated to begin January 2022 with a planned opening in May 2023.

The McEntire River Runner Hotel in Decatur, Alabama is part of greater development theme for the town of Decatur aimed to revitalize the riverfront area. Hay Creek will collaborate with developers, Libby Patrick and Sherri Hofherr, sisters native to the area, on concepting, positioning and design of the project, which will include 65 guest rooms and suites, numerous dining establishments and bars, 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, a standalone spa, as well as the restoration of the historic McEntire home, circa 1835, to be used as a museum for guests. Projected opening in late 2023.

The Harwin Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina is located in the heart of Charleston on King Street, the city’s most active tourist destination with plentiful shopping and dining and within walking distance to the College of Charleston. This will be an exciting addition to the Hay Creek Hotels Charleston Collection which includes 20 South Battery and Quarters on Spring. Hay Creek is collaborating with the developers, King & Society Real Estate, on the concept, positioning and design of this 30-room hotel planned to open mid 2022.

The Mizpah Hotel and Belvada Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada are both historic hotels owned and restored by Fred and Nancy Cline, winery owner s based in Sonoma, CA. Additionally, Hay Creek will operate the Tonopah Brewing Company. The addition of these three properties opens the gateway to west for Hay Creek, which is now focused on adding new properties along the west coast, particularly in the Napa Valley and Sonoma regions of CA.

The Hotel Hartness in Greenville, South Carolina has already broken ground and slated to open in mid 2022 on the 444-acre Hartness urban village. Founded by the Hartness family, Hay Creek Hotels will manage the hotel which will feature 73 luxurious suites, conference center, a waterside restaurants and world class luxury spa.

Optimism abounds for Hay Creek Hotels’ leaders as they have been witnessing independent boutique hotels continuing to demand premium market share during this recovery time. Hay Creek Hotels REVPAR performance continues to outperform competitors with a system average REVPAR index of 132%. Additionally, they achieved phenomenal sales number s Cyber Weekend with an increase of 145% in revenue versus 2020 and 253% versus 2019 during their Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions at 11 of their participating properties.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the success our properties have had competing with the big hotel brands during these challenging times,” states Norman MacLeod, President of Hay Creek Hotels. “As we embark on a new year, we are equally encouraged by our exceptional development pipeline of exquisite hotels, further proving this space has taken the lead emerging from the pandemic.”

Victory’s Founding Partner, Gary Sims concludes, “Achieving this kind of success during these times is precisely why we refer to our leaders as ‘veterans.’ We are not just a team of people that have been doing this for a long time, but have been through downturns like this before and have fought smartly and won wars. We know through the cycles of our business that recoveries have always mattered and those companies that can build the best experience with real agility will create a competitive advantage and accelerate faster out of the downturn. We have proven we are that kind of company.”

About Hau Creek Hotels

Founded in 2005 and based in Exeter, New Hampshire, Hay Creek Hotels is a leader in upscale independen t full-service lodging and dining. Guided by international hospitality industry veterans, the company prides itself on a unique combination of award-winning dining experiences, exceptional guest service, and contemporary accommodations. The company offers a full spectrum of technical and third-party management services to boutique hotel owners and developers. Hay Creek Hotels combines decades of industry expertise with fully integrated management systems specifically designed for full-service upscale and luxury-oriented hotels, inns and resorts. For more information please visit: www.haycreekhotels.com.

About VICTORY Hotel Partners

VICTORY Hotel Partners is a premiere Real Estate Investment and Hospitality Management Company based out of Denver, Colorado. VICTORY participates in third party management, asset management, and renovation project management. VICTORY also provides fee-based consultancy, including development, asset reviews, market studies, franchise negotiations and system aggregation for independent hotels. The company is experienced with the world's leading hotel brands and distribution systems. For more information, please visit victoryhotelpartners.com.

Roxanne Rabasco
Marketing & Communications, VHP
VICTORY Hotel Partners