AUGUSTA, Georgia—After pulling out petrified wood dating back to the 1800s from the walls, installing white marble and replacing floor tiles, The Partridge Inn in the District of Summerville, Augusta, became an unrecognizable place to returning guests of the 105-year-old mansion-turned hotel.
The historic property, built in the 1800s, is situated within close proximity to the Augusta National Golf Course. Lloyd Van Horn, GM of The Partridge Inn, said the old hotel, which is now part of Hilton Worldwide Holdings’ Curio—A Collection by Hilton portfolio, is booming with business when golf courses open for the season, especially when The Masters at Augusta National rolls around.
“The road in front of (The Partridge Inn) was originally a carriage path, and the first two golf courses, even before the Augusta National, were (close),” Van Horn said. “We have the history that Augusta has that people come here for, especially with Augusta National. The history here is beyond rich.”
Under a brand umbrella
Golf courses and the rich history of Augusta might draw in guests to The Partridge Inn, but hoteliers involved with the property wanted to fill their guest list with new and familiar faces by revamping the old mansion to become part of soft brand Curio.
The Partridge Inn underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, which was completed in November, to meet Hilton brand’s standards. So far, the Hilton soft-brand name is serving guests and staff at the property well, according to Van Horn.
The hotel’s renovations included a public area redesign, an exterior repaint, a revamp of the food-and-beverage outlet and the addition of a cigar bar. Van Horn said The Partridge Inn now has a fresh look, complete with high ceilings and complimentary Wi-Fi, and people are noticing.
“I was here before the renovation,” Van Horn said. “If you had not paid much attention and came in here after staying here two years ago and then checked in one night (after renovations), you would not know that you had ever been here. It’s a fresh look and feel.”
The Partridge Inn is performing better than it was in its best year in 2009-2010, according to Van Horn. He said the hotel has already exceeded its benchmark and is looking onward and upward, even with a downturn in the hotel industry approaching.
“The affiliation with Hilton is not really any different from just working with a purely independent brand,” Van Horn said. “It actually just makes things more streamlined because I don’t have to go find marketing to get my name out there. I don’t have to go find a Web company to get my name out there. Hilton does all of that for me. It makes it a lot easier.”
The Hilton engine backing The Partridge Inn is helping the hotel prepare for the downturn in the industry, according to Van Horn.
“It’s all about being able to react quickly,” Van Horn said. “Being independently owned and managed makes The Partridge Inn like a speed boat. If there’s a big wave coming, we can turn immediately because of our independent nature, and the fact that we’ve got some pretty good brain power behind us on our corporate side.”
He said he thinks The Partridge Inn has the best of both worlds.
“We can look at what Hilton is doing and we can also go our own way if we want to,” Van Horn said. “But being a part of the largest company in the world is a good attachment. That’s what I feel.
“It’s going great,” Van Horn said. “I think the biggest thing we’ve got right now is that we are really excited about the engine of Hilton being behind us and the fact that we’re able to retain our individuality locally and be The Partridge Inn that we’ve been since 1910 around here, and be the No. 1 place people go not just during The Masters at National, but the No. 1 place people go to year-round.”
Maintaining something great
Van Horn said that even though the hotel is part of a soft brand, the property’s roots have not been forgotten.
When he started as GM in June 2015, Van Horn said he went back to hospitality basics when looking at what made The Partridge Inn great and what will continue to make it great in the future.
“When you take over for a hotel that’s been distressed, you start to see how people are used to looking at how to save money instead of taking a step back to say, ‘What was this hotel built for?’ ‘What was the interpretation for this hotel?’” Van Horn said. “This hotel was built to be a getaway for the who’s who of the north before people went to Florida. That’s the way that most historic hotels like this were No. 1.
“Why were (hotels) No. 1?” Van Horn said. “Because they did it better than everybody else. And so when you look at a hotel, you go back to the basics of hospitality and how to grow a hotel. You need to be right, not just good.”