Hotel Online Special Report Point Clear Holdings, Inc. Acquires Marriott’s Grand Hotel Resort & Golf Club; John Irvin Reappointed as GM ATLANTA –(September 16, 1999)— Point Clear Holdings, Inc., based in New York, announced today they have purchased Marriott’s Grand Hotel Resort & Golf Club in Point Clear, Alabama from its previous owner, a subsidiary of Host Marriott Corporation. Point Clear Holdings has selected Atlanta-based Stormont Trice Corporation to manage the property. Stormont Trice will continue to operate the property as a Marriott under a new franchise agreement with Marriott International, Inc., and has appointed John D. Irvin as the general manager. Point Clear Holdings, Inc. is funded by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.
Stormont Trice Corporation and Point Clear Holdings intend to immediately start planning for a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion of the property that will include adding approximately 100 guestrooms, a health spa, and additional meeting facilities. The renovation will include both the current guestrooms and meeting facilities. Upgrades will also be made to the oversized swimming pool and the two 18-hole courses of Lakewood Golf Club. Stormont Trice Corporation is a preeminent lodging company specializing in custom property development and management with a unique expertise for public-private sector business partnerships. The company currently manages a diverse portfolio of 11 hotels and four conference centers comprising a total of 2,815 guestrooms. “We are excited to include such an exceptional property as Marriott’s Grand Hotel Resort & Golf Club in our portfolio,” said Don Trice, president of Stormont Trice Corporation. “We understand what the Grand Hotel has meant to the community and to the state of Alabama, and look forward to working with the hotel associates to maintain the exceptional service standards they have set over the years.”
The Marriott International properties managed by Stormont Trice Corporation consistently rate among the top in their region for guest satisfaction performance. Stormont Trice has won numerous accolades for its guest service efforts including being the inaugural recipient of Marriott International’s coveted Partnership Circle Award for “living the Marriott vision for customer and associate satisfaction,” and being the “ideal type of company Marriott wants to partner with.” In addition to continuing to win the Partnership Circle Award, the company has also been honored with the Marriott Guest Focus Award for consistently achieving superior levels of guest satisfaction.
“We are also pleased to have John Irvin returning as general manager,” added Trice. “His first-hand knowledge of both the resort and community will ensure a smooth and seamless transition.”
A 30–year veteran of the hotel and resort industry, Irvin served as general manager of Marriott’s Grand Hotel Resort & Golf Club for nine years before departing in December of 1994 to assume the role of general manager for Marriott Bay Point Resort Village in Panama City Beach, Florida. While at the Grand Hotel, Irvin was actively involved in the hospitality industry and Point Clear community. He served as president of the Alabama Hotel & Motel Association for two years, and was named the recipient of the Alabama Hospitality Award and entered the Hospitality Hall of Fame for the State of Alabama. In addition, Irvin served on many local boards including chairman of the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce and Bayside Academy, as well as secretary of WHIL radio station. He was founding president of the SKAL Club of Mobile Bay.
Steeped in rich history, Marriott’s Grand Hotel dates back to the early 1840’s when F. H. Chamberlain purchased the prime waterfront property and constructed the 40-room Point Clear Hotel. Located on 550 acres bordering the waters of Mobile Bay, Marriott’s Grand Hotel Resort & Golf Club now features 306 luxurious guestrooms and suites and 22,000 square feet of meeting space. The property provides a variety of dining options including the Grand Dining Room, Bayview Restaurant, Lakewood Club & Grill Room, Pelican’s Nest & Pavilion Bar, and Birdcage Lounge.
From the Grand Fun Camp kids program to two championship golf courses, the Grand Hotel offers a plethora of recreational activities for the entire family. Guests can enjoy 20 miles of scenic biking trails, 10 tennis courts, horseback riding, beach volleyball or fishing from the pier. Sailboats and paddleboats are just a few of a full line of rental boats that are available at the 40-slip Grand Marina.
In addition to Marriott’s Grand Hotel Resort & Golf Club, Stormont Trice Corporation has several projects under construction and scheduled to come on line in the next two years, three of which are public-private ventures. The 300-room Franklin Marriott Hotel and Cool Springs Conference Center, both located in Franklin, Tennessee, opened in May. Stormont Trice manages both the full-service hotel and conference center under a long-term contract.
The 750-room Marriott Inner Harbor East Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland is scheduled to open in 2001. The hotel will be Baltimore’s largest Four-Star convention hotel featuring 47,000 square feet of banquet, meeting and exhibit space.
Ground breaking took place in March on the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. This 250-room, full-service hotel and conference center is a public-private partnership between Stormont Trice Corporation and the City of Portsmouth, Virginia. Stormont Trice will be the developer and manager of the project.
Stormont Trice will manage the Loudermilk Conference Center scheduled to open in January 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 14,770 square-foot conference center is designed as a meeting place for community organizations, civic groups and regionally oriented associations. It features a 5,400 square-foot ballroom, an amphitheater accommodating 42 people and nine additional meeting spaces.
Other properties operated by Stormont Trice Corporation include the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place in Duluth, Georgia; Marriott Bay Point Resort Village in Panama City Beach, Florida; Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel and Waterside Conference Center in Norfolk, Virginia; Emory Inn in Atlanta, Georgia; Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia; D. Abbott Turner Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia; Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Georgia; Hyatt Regency Wichita in Wichita, Kansas; Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas; Residence Inn by Marriott at Lenox in Atlanta, Georgia; and Residence Inn by Marriott at Gwinnett Place in Duluth, Georgia.
Contact: Carol Peacher Peacher Graf & Associates, Inc. 770-441-3070 Also See: Marriott Bay Point Resort Village Completes $7 Million Renovation / July 1999 City of Portsmouth, VA and Stormont Trice Corp.Break Ground on $46 Million Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel / March 1999 Gerald Barrack Named General Manager, Hyatt Regency Wichita / July 1999