Sotherly Hotels Inc. Relaunches Savannah Hotel Under Historic Name – The DeSoto
August 01 2017 - 9:00AM
Sotherly Hotels Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHO) (“the Company”) announced today
the addition of The DeSoto, formerly the Hilton Savannah DeSoto, to
its portfolio of independent boutique properties following a $9.4
million renovation, conversion, and relaunch effort.
The DeSoto is the fourth property in Sotherly’s
collection of independent boutique hotels, which launched in 2014
with The Georgian Terrace in Atlanta and also includes The
Whitehall in Houston, Texas and the Hyde Resort & Residences in
Hollywood, Florida.
“We are excited to complete the renovation and
to position The DeSoto as Savannah’s premier boutique property once
again, just as it was when it first opened in 1890,” said Drew
Sims, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. “There is no better
fit for our collection of boutique hotels than The DeSoto, with its
legacy dating back more than a century and its picturesque location
in the heart of Savannah’s sought-after Historic District.”
Sotherly Hotels purchased the Hilton Savannah
DeSoto in 2004 as part of its initial public offering, and the
property subsequently underwent an extensive $12 million renovation
in 2008. In preparation for the property’s August 1st relaunch as
an independent boutique property, the Company began a second $9.4
million renovation in 2016 that will officially be complete later
this summer. This effort included extensive upgrades to all 245 of
the hotel’s guestrooms as well as the lobby, pool, meeting space,
restaurants, and other public areas.
The majority of the recent renovation focused on
upgrading the property’s finishes and amenities to reflect
Sotherly’s mission of extending true Southern hospitality to all of
its guests while also recapturing the grandeur of The DeSoto’s
historic identity. The DeSoto’s all-new guestrooms include hardwood
flooring, spa-like baths with marble walk-in showers and
eco-friendly toiletries, large flat screen TVs, and impressive
views of some of Savannah’s best-known landmarks. Additionally,
modern plush seating, full-length dressing mirrors, updated window
treatments and wall coverings, and all-new bedding give the
guestrooms a residential feel, while the property’s on-site fitness
center, chef-crafted in-room dining menus, complimentary Wi-Fi, and
on-site gourmet-to-go coffee bar ensure guests have all the
comforts of home right at their fingertips.
Another notable aspect of the
soon-to-be-complete renovation effort is the reconfiguration and
rebranding of all three of the hotel’s food and beverage outlets.
The former Lion’s Den Pub is now Edgar’s Proof & Provision
(www.proofsavannah.com), an old-fashioned community drinkery
featuring all-new indoor and outdoor seating areas offering a
selection of 120+ whiskeys plus chef-inspired breakfast, lunch, and
dinner menus. Similarly, the former lobby coffee bar is now
expanded into Buffalo Bayou Coffee, serving local Savannah Coffee
Roasters brews alongside gourmet-to-go light fare. The previous
DeSoto Grille space will reopen later in August as the 1540 Room
(www.1540savannah.com), complete with show kitchen and new fixtures
and furnishings.
The DeSoto is also home to a custom-curated art
gallery that begins in the hotel’s lobby and continues throughout
the first-floor public areas. A standard in all of Sotherly’s
independent boutique hotels, the gallery features original works by
students, faculty, and alumni of the Savannah College of Art and
Design (SCAD) and is made possible through a partnership between
Sotherly Hotels and SCAD.
Once known as “The Empress of the South,” the
original DeSoto Hotel was designed by Boston architect Williams
Gibbons Preston and opened on New Year’s Eve 1890. The property
featured 300 guestrooms and approximately 9,000 square feet of
public space and was best known for its unmatched luxury, including
a grand porch flanked by terra cotta and granite buttresses,
massive crystal chandeliers, mahogany furnishings, and over 15,000
pieces of silverware.
In 1965, the DeSoto Hotel closed its doors for
the final time in its original building and reopened three years
later in July 1968 as the Hilton Savannah DeSoto. Located at 15
East Liberty Street on the site of General Oglethorpe’s barracks,
the 15-story structure was designed by Atlanta architect Richard
Aeck in contemporary style, although it did retain some elements of
the original building, including the terra cotta artwork and
crystal chandeliers still on display today.
The DeSoto is affiliated with Preferred Hotels
and Resorts, which represents a diverse portfolio of exquisite and
elegant independent hotels. All Preferred Hotels and Resorts
properties must apply for membership and adhere to stringent
quality standards. Additionally, The DeSoto is a member of Historic
Hotels of America, a collection of 275 historic properties defined
by a commitment to maintaining authenticity, sense of place and
architectural integrity. All members of Historic Hotels of America
must be at least 50 years old, must have historic significance and
have been designated as a National Historic Landmark or be eligible
for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
For more information about The DeSoto, visit the property’s
website at www.thedesotosavannah.com.
About Sotherly
Hotels Inc.
Sotherly Hotels Inc. is a self-managed and
self-administered lodging REIT focused on the acquisition,
renovation, upbranding and repositioning of upscale to
upper-upscale full-service hotels in the Southern United States.
Currently, the Company’s portfolio consists of investments in
eleven hotel properties, comprising 2,838 rooms, and an interest in
the Hyde Resort & Residences, a luxury condo hotel. Most of the
Company’s properties operate under the Hilton Worldwide,
InterContinental Hotels Group and Marriott International, Inc.
brands. Sotherly Hotels Inc. was organized in 2004 and is
headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia. For more information,
please visit www.sotherlyhotels.com.
Contact at the Company:
Scott Kucinski
Vice President – Operations and Investor Relations
Sotherly Hotels Inc.
410 West Francis Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 229-5648
scottkucinski@sotherlyhotels.com
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