Hospitality management company Charlestowne Hotels closed out 2022 with significant additions to its portfolio and a new leadership structure to support the company’s strategic growth plan.
“In 2022, we expanded our reach into three new markets, including California, Connecticut and Maine,” said Kyle Hughey, CEO, Charlestowne Hotels. “We also continued to hone our expertise in managing unique assets with the takeover of Hotel Marcel, which is expected to be the country’s first sustainable net-zero hotel. It was a year of major firsts for us as well, thanks to the opening of Gingerline, Charlestowne’s first standalone restaurant concept, and the takeover of the Inn at Aspen, its first ski-in, ski-out property.”
The company reported its second consecutive banner year, a major milestone in the company’s 40-year history. While many hospitality markets sought to return to 2019 revenue numbers, the company set out to improve against 2021, and achieved a 20% portfolio-wide RevPAR increase. The management company’s RevPAR is up 26% to 2019, more than double the national average (8.1%) over the same time period. This success was supported by the company’s strategic revenue management and marketing tactics, a growing number of properties located in sought-after leisure markets and the steady return of corporate business travel.
To accommodate portfolio growth and provide advancement opportunities for team members, Charlestowne introduced nine new VP and director roles to the corporate office, established a new food and beverage support team, and added three operational roles to provide direct guidance to hotels at the property level.
“Over the last year, we focused on resource realignment, market diversity, and team member growth,” said Hughey. “We’re proud of the leadership opportunities we’ve created for our team members and the advancements we’ve made to fully support every hotel in our portfolio.”
Hotel openings, takeovers and new development
In 2022, the company opened or took over six hotel properties and five corresponding dining outlets. The management company has also announced two new development projects for the year ahead, with more to be shared in the coming months.
Openings:
- Lockwood Hotel (Waterville, ME): Charlestowne’s eleventh opening in a collegiate market, which includes overseeing the property’s 53 rooms & suites and on-site restaurant, Front & Main.
- Hotel One75 (Hamilton, NY): The newly refurbished 94-room hotel, located one mile from Colgate University’s campus, is the company’s second property in the Hamilton area and twelfth hotel in a collegiate market.
Takeovers:
- Hotel Marcel (New Haven, CT): Part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, the hotel is an adaptive reuse project that opened in May 2022, and is expected to become the country’s first sustainable net-zero energy hotel. Charlestowne is overseeing the management of this 165-room distinctive property, along with its on-site restaurant, BLDG.
- The Darling Hotel (Visalia, CA): The company’s first property in California is an adaptive reuse project that features 32 charming guestrooms and suites, along with Elderwood rooftop restaurant, which it will also manage.
- The Inn at Aspen (Aspen, CO): The only hotel at Buttermilk Mountain, and home of ESPN’s Iconic X Games, the 122-room condo hotel is its first ski-in, ski-out resort and first in Aspen.
- The Memphian (Memphis, TN): Part of the Tribute Portfolio by Marriott, the hotel is located in the city’s Overton Square. The company manages the 106-room property and its two eclectic dining concepts, Complicated Pilgrim and Tiger and Peacock.
New Development:
- Hotel Verdant (Racine, WI): An 80-room adaptive-reuse project that will be a pillar of the Racine, WI community. The boutique hotel will feature two unique restaurants and a beverage program.
- A Tapestry Collection Hotel by Hilton (Pensacola, FL): A 144-room hotel in Pensacola, FL with a fantastic location in downtown Pensacola’s newest master planned mixed-use development project, The East Garden District. The property will feature four event spaces, two intriguing dining concepts and Charlestowne’s signature guest-facing creative programming.
Leadership support structure and looking ahead
This past year, Charlestowne completed the final phase of a realignment plan for its corporate team. The company made 19 strategic new hires and introduced a new leadership structure to provide more property support and career advancement opportunities for internal team members.
“As we look ahead to 2023, we’re planning to focus on more advancements in the evolving hospitality tech space,” said Hughey. “To further cater to guest trends, we’re also inspiring our on-site teams to become even more creative with guest programming, packages and amenities. We have the structure in place to continue our intentional growth plan and are primed for success in the year ahead at the corporate level as well as providing our owners financial success.”
