Having long ago carved its niche within the South Carolina region with a number of full-service properties, Brittain Resorts & Hotels is expanding its management footprint with its sights set on further growth.
The Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based management firm—which was launched in 1943—recently partnered with Provident Hotels & Resorts to third-party manage its portfolio of eight hotels and resorts located throughout Florida. According to Brittney Jones, chief development officer, Brittain Resorts & Hotels, the two companies had been in talks for roughly a year.
She detailed the impetus for the partnership.
“We put together a growth plan with our key executives and figured out that to grow successfully we needed to do so outside of Myrtle Beach. Our partners and [Provident’s] partners went through several meetings and conversations to really identify that Brittain could come in and put in place our tools and resources and our corporate infrastructure to really provide a positive impact to the bottom line and do so rather quickly. So that was a win for both companies,” she said.
Geographically speaking, Jones noted the company is going to stay where it’s “very comfortable,” which is the southern half of the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and other leisure destination markets, such as Pigeon Forge, Tennesee, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as an example.
Jones further elaborated on the importance of partnerships as it relates to the company’s operating philosophies.
“You’ll hear us speak a lot about our ethos, which is that we deliver on what it is that we desire ourselves and that’s great partnerships and great performance. We have a foundation that was built on partners that believed in Brittain so we want to carry that forward in the future growth that we have,” she noted.
The eight Provident properties the company will now be operating include The Provident Oceana Beachfront Suites; The Sunset Vistas Beachfront Suites; and The Crystal Palms Suites, all of which in Treasure Island, Florida. Also included is the Sailport Waterfront Suites in Tampa, Florida; The Ocean Pointe Suites at Key Largo in Key Largo, Florida; The Provident Grand Luxury Short-Term Residences in Downtown Doral (Miami-Dade County), Florida; The Provident Doral at the Blue in Doral (Miami-Dade County), Florida; and The Mutiny Hotel, Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida.
Brittain currently operates 30 hotels and resorts within the United States with more than 4,000 rooms, suites, and condos in its portfolio, as well as some 40 restaurants & bars.
Meanwhile, Jones touted the company’s expertise, particularly its manageable size, as a key attribute.
“We have a corporate infrastructure that can compete with some of the larger management companies, but we’re still smaller and accessible. We think that provides a more tailored, personalized experience for the owners,” she noted.
Jones went on to point out some other key points of differentiation for Brittain.
“We really pride ourselves on operating in the complex space, which is full-service resorts as well as condo hotels. We feel we really thrive in that operating model. We do have limited-service assets and we’ll continue to do that, but they typically will have some amenities, such as gift shops or Tiki bars and those types of things. So we’ve really built a corporate infrastructure and put tools and resources in place to operate successfully in that type of complex environment,” she noted.
Finally, Jones stressed the benefits of the company’s “commercial strategy team, which is our marketing team partnered with our distribution strategy that really makes for a top-line powerhouse.” She noted that the marketing team has allowed the company to drive an 80 percent direct contribution rate to its independent assets.
She further added that the company a couple of years ago developed an in-house call center, which makes more than a million phone calls a year.
“What that really does for us is it increases conversion rates, decreases abandonment rates, and then allows the front desk that are on property to be really focused on the guest that’s in front of them. So we’ve seen a lot of success there as well and that is part of our third-party management package,” she noted.
Jones took a look ahead for Brittain following the most recent expansion of its portfolio.
“We are still seeking other opportunities. We definitely think this Provident deal, and now having a presence in Florida, is going to open the door to other opportunities and we’re really excited to explore those,” she concluded.
