A loyal reader tells me that, since Elaine Sammons passed away last year, the corporate bean counters at Sammons Corp. of Dallas — the company that actually owns the Grove Park Inn — have moved in and are looking hard at GPI in terms of its profitability.
Top management is scared, this loyal reader tells me, and they’re putting the squeeze on the rank and file.
So, is this really happening? Anybody hear what’s going on inside the Grove Park Inn? Back in April, I was wondering about what changes might be afoot at the GPI since Sammons death.
3 Comments
I worked at the GPI for 2 years and thought it was ok for what it was–just the typical hotel hard work – low pay job. It seemed like it was always either real busy or just flat out dead. The managers came and went a lot. The place has some nice rooms, and some others not so good. Same for the food and services. They will always have the same basic marketing problem: it’s a big, not so luxurious, convention hotel in a nice setting — and just way too big and ordinary to be considered unique or special.
If Sammons Corp is smart they will start at the top of the GPI and look at the track record of Craig Madison. This man was once well-liked by the late Mrs. Sammons, but a series of huge missteps and cost overruns damaged his reputation.
To start, the much heralded GPI spa never produced the kind of revenue they anticipated and they failed miserably in their long attempts to position the hotel as a resort and spa complex. It’s really just a convention hotel, but the meetings business has been hit everywhere, and tourism and convention biz in Asheville was always spotty from year to year.
Madison was very unpopular among the GPI staff, resulting in constant turnover in key management positions. He would hand out contributions to all sorts of efforts in an attempt to be part of the city’s "good ole boy" network, but was never accepted as a member of that club because of his personal reputation around town. Madison was also unsuccessful in getting his downtown development off the ground and spent tons of money on that failed effort.
The bottom line is the hotel has not been profitable for several years and it’s really starting to show in some of their public areas and guest rooms. What a shame that the once unique and charming mountain resort is today just another bland hotel.
As a former GPI-er, I’d be interested to know more about the current state of things over there as well. Sammons is an interestingly diversified company. GPI is its only hospitality-focused business. I would imagine that if they are in the red after the condo explosion that happened over there last year, they might get sold to a chain or hospitality group. Which would be a sad shame. Grove Park is so lovely and they treat their employees fairly decently. Not a bad place to work.