CHARLESTON, SC - May 31, 2013 – Charlestowne Hotels has been chosen by the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, to manage the new Sewanee Inn and Conference Center, which is currently under construction.

The upscale development will consist of a 43-room inn and conference facility set on the site of the former Sewanee Inn and overlooking the newly restored golf course. According to Jeremy Thompson of Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. (ESa), the architectural style of the Inn will be a combination of Southern vernacular with collegiate Gothic elements inspired by various buildings around the university campus.  The exterior will be clad in indigenous Crab Orchard fieldstone and most of the interior millwork will be from trees harvested on the Domain [as the 13,000-acre campus is known].  The Inn will be adjacent to a 9-hole golf course that has recently reopened after an extensive renovation by renowned golf course designer Gil Hanse and features long vistas beyond the edge of the mountain -top plateau. The temperate climate will be conducive to the enjoyment of generous amounts of exterior event space, with terraces located off many of the guestrooms and public areas.

Media event June 28: The Course at Sewanee, the historic nine-hole golf course behind the Sewanee Inn, has been newly renovated by Gil Hanse, Golf magazine’s 2009 Architect of the Year. Members of the media are invited to play the new course Friday, June 28, as part of the course re-opening celebration. An 11:30 a.m. lunch will be followed by a 1 p.m. (all times CDT) shotgun start. Contact Matt Daniels, PGA professional and general manager of the course, at [email protected] for more information.

The building structure will consist of two wings, one comprising the lodging accommodations and the other a conference center, which are connected by a grand lobby featuring a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and large heavy timber trusses in the peaked ceiling.  Two lounges will be accessible from the lobby, one downstairs with a cozier setting and fireplace, and one upstairs which will open to the lobby below.  Also located off the lobby will be a well-appointed bar area and restaurant with seating that can spill out onto a landscaped exterior terrace.

The conference center wing will contain a grand ballroom with wood flooring, wainscot and exposed beams as well as a gathering hall with direct access to an exterior terrace along the golf course with a large decorative fireplace.  The lodging wing will consist of two floors of guestrooms with balconies on the north side overlooking the golf course and natural scenery.  Double gabled bays will give the Inn façade a pleasant sense of rhythm and a visual identity, and decorative brickwork complemented by shakes and slate roofing add to the texture and detail.  There will also be several parlors at the end of the wing that will feature wrap-around decks and additional gathering space for guests.

About Charlestowne Hotels
Charlestowne Hotels is a full-service hospitality management company offering innovative, yet proven, expertise in hotel management.  Founded in 1980 by CEO Everett L. Smith, Jr., Charlestowne Hotels has become one of the top ranked hotel management companies in the US.  The firm is a “Top 100” ranked hotel management company by the industry’s four leading trade journals, as determined by a combination of properties, rooms, and revenue under management.

Charlestowne’s proficiency in managing a diverse portfolio of properties, including AAA Four Diamond Hotels, luxury boutique inns, resorts, condo hotels, and branded properties, has led to numerous industry accolades including Condè Nast Magazine “Gold List” and “Top 100 Hotels in the United States” awards, TripAdvisor’s #1 Luxury Hotel in the United States award, Expedia’s “Top 10 Four Star Hotels in the US” award, as well as other national media and AAA honors.

Charlestowne Hotel’s portfolio includes the Andrew Pinckney Inn, Best Western King Charles Inn, Best Western Sweetgrass Inn, French Quarter Inn, The Elliott House Inn, The Society House, The HarbourView Inn, Zero George Street, The Inn at Middleton Place, Holiday Inn Express Charleston, Holiday Inn Express and Suites Mt. Pleasant, Holiday Inn Express Charleston Downtown Riverview, North Charleston Inn, Shem Creek Inn, and the Sleep Inn – all of which are located in the Charleston, SC area; The Palms Hotel – Isle of Palms, SC; Surfside Beach Resort – Surfside Beach, SC; The Oceanfront Litchfield Inn – Pawleys Island, SC; Springmaid Beach Resort – Myrtle Beach, SC; Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center – Sunset Beach, NC; Meadowbrook Inn – Blowing Rock, NC; Planters Inn at Reynolds Square – Savannah, GA; Glenstone Lodge – Gatlinburg, TN; Runaway Beach Club – Kissimmee, Florida; Rustic Inn Creekside Resort & Spa and The Lodge at Jackson Hole – Jackson, WY and currently under development, The Blackburn Inn and Spa, Staunton, VA and The Sewanee Inn, Sewanee, TN.

About the University of the South
Known affectionately as “Sewanee” by its students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends, the University of the South is located atop the Cumberland Plateau between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and comprises a nationally recognized College of Arts and Sciences and a distinguished School of Theology. Sewanee’s physical environment, which includes the 13,000-acre Domain, provides a remarkable academic and recreational resource, as well as an unparalleled setting in which to study and reflect. The university affords its 1,500 undergraduates and 100 seminarians the opportunity to engage in a multitude of outdoor activities and a careful study of the natural environment. Sewanee offers 36 majors and 36 minors, along with pre-medicine, pre-nursing, pre-law, and pre-business programs.

About Esa
“Earl Swensson Associates, Inc. (ESa), a 52-year-old architectural firm headquartered in Nashville, TN, provides design services of architecture, interior architecture, master planning and space planning to hospitality clients throughout the country and abroad for hotels/convention centers, resorts, restaurants, spas, golf clubhouses, performing arts venues and arts-related community facilities.

ESa has worked with The Hotel Hershey, The Broadmoor and the Gaylord Opryland among other hospitality projects.  Additionally, ESa worked on the award winning Hutton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, an elegant boutique hotel and recipient of the USGBC Green Star Award and Urban Land Institute Excellence in Development Award.”