Hampton Inn Seagrove Beach on Chateau Hotel Property

[Jdarg]

We vacationed here many years before moving. The draw for us was renting a beach cottage or house, and not staying in a hotel. Granted some of the beach house are now bigger, grander, and more numerous, but I think the draw is still the same- people vacation on 30A because there aren't Hampton Inns.

 

[Andy A]

A major part of good community planning and area development is recognizing the mistakes that were originally made and not repeating them. The 50' height limit is a good example. If you desire a certain type of development, you stick to that throughout its planning and inception. 30A is a scenic, unique area. It should be kept that way as the original planners intended.

 

[Paula]

If the Watercolor Inn and The Pearl can stay in business year round at their rates, why would anyone believe a Hampton couldn't survive offering free breakfast and charging half as much? My wife once worked at the worldwide headquarters of Hilton and it is a huge company with over one hundred fifty thousand employees who all enjoy the perk of employee rates at any of the twelve Hilton brand locations when rooms are available. The Destin Hampton that isn't on the beach did so well over the years they spent spent millions stripping it to the bare bones and then completely rebuilt it much larger than before. They even added another floor to the existing structure. These guys know their business.

Maybe. I'm just saying I hope they did their research. Ideally, some people making this decision came to the area and stayed here a while during the different seasons to see how quiet it gets. The Pearl and Watercolor Inn are very different types of hotels than the Hampton Inn - apples and oranges - and all we know is that they're both staying in business for now. I don't know if they're making a lot of money and if they're full all year round, most of the year, half of the year. That's why anyone coming in needs to be sure they're making unbiased data-driven decisions based on information from multiple sources, and they really should have some devil's advocates on their team to be sure they're not being overly optimistic. I was out to dinner with friends at Fish Out of Water in November (wonderful dinner and service), and the restaurant was pretty close to empty. We had a lot of servers taking care of us because they had plenty of time on their hands. It was a great night for us who enjoyed a quiet dinner almost alone in a big restaurant. Keep in mind that if the Hampton Inn comes here and doesn't make it, who knows who will take it over or if it will end up sitting empty for a while. Just look at some of the run down hotels in Panama City Beach (I don't know about Destin, maybe all the hotels there are successful). You can only make so much money in a limited season area, and you have to cut corners somewhere in hotel upkeep, prices, etc.. If I were a shareholder, I'd be a little concerned about Hilton betting on 30A. Makes me wonder about who's doing their strategic thinking and how they're making decisions. I never assume that "these guys - or women - know their business" because of all the costly mistakes business people (and all people in general) make. Those of us who have been here for 10+ years have seen all the big and small businesses that didn't make it due to poor planning and unrealistic optimism, leaving behind abandoned properties and land. Of course, many of us who rent out cottages, condos, and homes did make it, but we did so because we aligned ourselves with the unique market and culture of 30A, we bought our places to use ourselves as well as rentals, and we're not under pressure to keep our shareholders happy. If my cottages were purely a financial decision, it wouldn't have been the smartest decision by far. But they've always been much more than a financial decision to me - and my only shareholders are my children.

 

[meggiemom]

Some people can't afford to stay at the Watercolor Inn or the Pearl and others had rather have a weekend at the coast without the bother of having to rent a condo or house. The bottom line is that all the rich people who have moved down from other places and the rich people from Atlanta, Birmingham, and other locations with vacation homes want to control everything in South Walton.

 

[John G]

Wrong:<br><br>The residents of SoWal want to preserve it and treasure it.<br><br>Blue, Shipman, C. Jones, Chapman, Brannon, Comander, Adkinson and the small business group want to Control Everything in South Walton.

 

[Paula]

I agree with the high cost of the Watercolor Inn or the Pearl. There are many very affordable condos/cottages in SoWal that would have competitive/better rates with a hotel - I'm quite sure of that in any month except the 2.5 peak summer months. Even in peak months, if travelling with a family, people often need more than one bedroom. Once we found VRBO and other easy ways to rent places, we stopped going to hotels (pretty much around the world unless we're at an airport hotel and have to get up early in the morning to catch a flight). Now that our kids are older, we have to get two hotel rooms when we travel, so staying at hotels in general isn't cost effective anymore. Whether cooking or getting take-out from Publix or going to restaurants with a family every meal/most meals feels more convenient, it is a personal choice, but financially it usually makes sense to cook one's own meals. Peak season is a tough time to eat out because of the traffic/full restaurants. Somehow, I can't imagine anyone on Tripadvisor saying "you really have to stay at the Hampton Inn" rather than all the other affordable and charming places along 30A. My point in my posts is that the decision-makers need to do a very careful unbiased analysis of the market before jumping in. They may find that fall, winter and spring are likely to be booming within the next 20 years (I'm not counting on it), that the Pearl and Watercolor have a business model that enables them to make a lot of money (I have no idea what their business model is or anything about their financial statements). Even if SoWal is being controlled by rich people (And I wouldn't know that one way or another), that's not information upon which to base a solid strategic business decision.

Granted, I'm biased because all I have is my experience renting out two affordable cottages in SoWal (and I know our rates for a 3 bedroom/2 bath are less than staying at a hotel for a week off season, as are many other nice places in our community and elsewhere). I've done my own lay-person's (but somewhat knowlegable and systematic) market analysis over the years to see what my rates should be in different seasons. I know how many days a year our places stay empty, even at extremely low rates because people just aren't taking vacations in SoWal at those times. I've successfully helped family and friends find nice and inexpensive rentals along 30A. And, I, like many others, don't feel a Hampton in fits with the scenic, non chain culture of 30A. Speaking of chains, eoes anyone know why Starbucks in Rosemary Beach and Grayton Beach left - or are they still there ? Starbucks can usually make it anywhere, but doesn't look like they made it on 30A. I just remember they were in SoWal for a little while, and then they were gone.

 

[poppy]

I am not arguing for or against the hotel. My point is the Hilton Corp. knows their business and if they believe a Hampton will not be profitable they will not build. I'm just guessing here, but I would think the compatibility issue would be the strongest point for locals. Having to redesign the facade to meet a compatibility demand could be cost prohibitive for their construction cost model. Again, this is just an uneducated guess.

 

[tsutcli]

I agree with the high cost of the Watercolor Inn or the Pearl. There are many very affordable condos/cottages in SoWal that would have competitive/better rates with a hotel - I'm quite sure of that in any month except the 2.5 peak summer months. Even in peak months, if travelling with a family, people often need more than one bedroom. Once we found VRBO and other easy ways to rent places, we stopped going to hotels (pretty much around the world unless we're at an airport hotel and have to get up early in the morning to catch a flight). Now that our kids are older, we have to get two hotel rooms when we travel, so staying at hotels in general isn't cost effective anymore. Whether cooking or getting take-out from Publix or going to restaurants with a family every meal/most meals feels more convenient, it is a personal choice, but financially it usually makes sense to cook one's own meals. Peak season is a tough time to eat out because of the traffic/full restaurants. Somehow, I can't imagine anyone on Tripadvisor saying "you really have to stay at the Hampton Inn" rather than all the other affordable and charming places along 30A. My point in my posts is that the decision-makers need to do a very careful unbiased analysis of the market before jumping in. They may find that fall, winter and spring are likely to be booming within the next 20 years (I'm not counting on it), that the Pearl and Watercolor have a business model that enables them to make a lot of money (I have no idea what their business model is or anything about their financial statements). Even if SoWal is being controlled by rich people (And I wouldn't know that one way or another), that's not information upon which to base a solid strategic business decision.

Granted, I'm biased because all I have is my experience renting out two affordable cottages in SoWal (and I know our rates for a 3 bedroom/2 bath are less than staying at a hotel for a week off season, as are many other nice places in our community and elsewhere). I've done my own lay-person's (but somewhat knowlegable and systematic) market analysis over the years to see what my rates should be in different seasons. I know how many days a year our places stay empty, even at extremely low rates because people just aren't taking vacations in SoWal at those times. I've successfully helped family and friends find nice and inexpensive rentals along 30A. And, I, like many others, don't feel a Hampton in fits with the scenic, non chain culture of 30A. Speaking of chains, eoes anyone know why Starbucks in Rosemary Beach and Grayton Beach left - or are they still there ? Starbucks can usually make it anywhere, but doesn't look like they made it on 30A. I just remember they were in SoWal for a little while, and then they were gone.

Some years ago Starbucks made a business decision to close some company-owned locations (600 I think). Those two locations may have been casualties of that decision.

 

[carson]

I am not arguing for or against the hotel. My point is the Hilton Corp. knows their business and if they believe a Hampton will not be profitable they will not build. I'm just guessing here, but I would think the compatibility issue would be the strongest point for locals. Having to redesign the facade to meet a compatibility demand could be cost prohibitive for their construction cost model. Again, this is just an uneducated guess.

It is Hilton, they do not NOT do their homework. If they have even moved the plan to this point it is a safe bet that there are ten studies to back up their decision. In my uneducated estimation, it would not be the first time that a major chain has looked at 30a to build on. Personally I love Hamptons because I travel a lot and they are easy in, easy out and always 3+ star. I think it is a matter of the look. I am not a huge fan of the idea, but it isnt the end of the 30a world either. Where does it end after that though?

 

[30aconcerned]

Some people can't afford to stay at the Watercolor Inn or the Pearl and others had rather have a weekend at the coast without the bother of having to rent a condo or house. The bottom line is that all the rich people who have moved down from other places and the rich people from Atlanta, Birmingham, and other locations with vacation homes want to control everything in South Walton.

Like your other two posts, WHAT's YOUR POINT? I'll favor "the rich people's opinion" over your advocacy for a chain hotel that simply does not belong on 30-A. YOU have something very special and unique with 30-A. Don't destroy that anymore than YOU already have.