The Partridge Inn Augusta boutique hotel is set to debut a reimagined vision ahead of one of its top revenue-generating weekends, the 2022 Masters Tournament.

Rich with history, The Partridge Inn's property dates back to the 1800s when it began life as a two-story private residence in Augusta, Georgia. It was then purchased by Morris Partridge, who managed the Bon Air Hotel across the street, and then opened The Partridge Inn as a hotel in 1910. He expanded the property between 1907 and 1929. Post-World War II, the hotel faced demolition, but locals saved the hotel.

It reopened in 2015 and joined Hilton's Curio Collection, a development that proved to be a game changer for hotel. The Partridge Inn became the sixth property to join Hilton's soft-brand collection, said Greg Winey, president and principal of NorthPointe Hospitality Management, the hotel's operator.

"Over the years, it's had its glory days, its struggles, depending on time period. The reality is that large [hotel] chains have put immense pressure on independent operators in terms of a competitive environment," he said.

Now, NorthPointe Hospitality Management is using the downtime during the pandemic to complete another renovation, its first since 2015, showcasing the next iteration of the Partridge Inn.

The renovation will include completely transformed public spaces, meeting spaces and guest rooms, the installation of a new indoor bar designed to exude a "Great Gatsby" feel and a refurbishment of the rooftop bar that will have expanded indoor and outdoor covered seating. Additionally, the hotel's 200-foot veranda will be upgraded for better all-weather usage.

Winey said his team made the difficult decision to temporarily shut the property down in September for a complete renovation with the goal of holding a soft opening in February.

The decision came down to what his team felt was the best move, he said, adding that Hilton supported the decision but also reassured him that they didn't have to close.

"We just didn't feel we were honoring what we would do at that hotel from a service level," he said.

The Partridge Inn also faced the effects of losing demand from government, education and medical travel as well as The Masters Tournament in 2020 and 2021.

Almost half of the hotel's entire profit for the year comes from business from the tournament and being able to command a high average room rate, Winey said.

"When the [Masters Tournament] did not happen in April of 2020, then got shifted to November 2020, there were no patrons allowed — we called that torpedo one into the battle," he said. "Then, when the next tournament reemerged in April 2021, it only allowed limited patrons — that was torpedo No. 2 for us."

The Partridge Inn is 112 years old and is capital-intensive, he said.

"If you miss a week or a month [of business opportunities], you're in trouble," he said. "That's where we found ourselves. We thought this is a good time to engage new partners in this venture and recreate a new entity and give another rebirth to the Partridge."

Having been through multiple downturns, Winey said if someone has the ability to capitalize a product during a downturn, they come out of it much stronger and quicker than competitors. Winey said NorthPointe Hospitality Management engaged in a partnership with Taconic Capital, which will now serve as co-owner of The Partridge Inn and provide both equity and debt to finance the renovation.

He said when creating a partnership, there needs to be inherent trust and proven history that all parties can successfully complete projects.

"We were able to construct a deal that was mutually beneficial," he said.

After the hotel's soft opening, Winey said the ramp-up period will include pushing the message of a renewed, upgraded Partridge Inn out to the public, an effort that will require a significant social media campaign.

His team is already noticing strong pent-up demand from those wanting to celebrate weddings, and he anticipates April and May will see much of that demand.

Despite the property being closed to guests at this time, Winey said the hotel's partners associated with the Masters Tournament are already in contact with his team for advanced bookings.

"They're excited to see a brand new hotel," he said. "We see the [Masters Tournament] really going from what really was a traditional seven-day event with the practice rounds to almost two weeks total. Every one of our keynote sponsors has re-upped for 2022."

He acknowledged corporate group business has been much slower to return, but he said it will come back, because the Augusta area is a government, education and medical market.

In terms of staffing up for the soft opening, Winey said NorthPointe Hospitality Management didn't terminate any salaried employees during the pandemic or cut salaries.

He said his team has the ability to reengage those employees, some of which were redeployed to other NorthPointe properties during the pandemic.

"Our strategy was treat them well on the way out so they'll treat you well on the way back," he added. "We really do try to provide a path toward growth and career long-term development."

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