A Connecticut‑based luxury hospitality company is expanding into New Hampshire, taking over the 57‑year lease of the historic Exeter Inn.
Greenwich Hospitality Group, founded in 1999 by Charles Mallory, operates boutique hotels, restaurants and spas. Its portfolio includes the Delamar Hotel Collection — six upscale properties in Connecticut and Michigan — along with the Inn at Longshore, a waterfront landmark in Westport, Connecticut.
The company’s acquisition of the Exeter Inn lease from Hay Creek Hospitality was finalized in documents filed with the Rockingham County Registry of Deeds. The inn is owned by Phillips Exeter Academy, which approved the transfer, according to academy spokesperson Robin Giampa.
“This acquisition represents a disciplined addition to our New England portfolio,” Mallory said. “We focus on assets with strong fundamentals in markets that offer both cultural relevance and sustained demand.”
“Exeter presents a compelling opportunity, and the long-term lease structure allows us to invest with a clear, forward-looking vision,” he added. “On a personal note, the Academy holds meaning for my family, as my father is an alumnus.”
The company plans to “thoughtfully reposition” the inn, upgrading its rooms, public spaces, and food and beverage options, according to a statement released by the company. It promised to maintain the inn’s “local identity.”
The hotel group behind the Exeter Inn takeover
Delamar hotels have earned national recognition, the company said, including placements on Condé Nast’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
According to its website, the properties are “carefully selected, whether on the water with unrivaled views or in the heart of a bustling town center.” County records show the company secured a $4.3 million loan from the Bank of New Hampshire to complete the transaction.
Mallory, who entered the hospitality industry after a long career in shipping, hinted at the company’s expansion into Exeter in an October interview with the Westfair Business Journal. He also noted plans to establish a hotel in Squamscott, Massachusetts.
Delamar’s portfolio includes an 82‑room property in Greenwich, Connecticut; a 31‑room hotel in Mystic, Connecticut; an 84‑room property in Westport, Connecticut; and a 173‑room hotel in Traverse City, Michigan.
“From the discovery of art-filled hotels, incredible cuisine, spa & wellness facilities, to experiencing extraordinary moments, it is our passion to serve,” Delamar states on its website.
Exeter Inn’s history intertwined with Phillips Exeter Academy
The Exeter Inn was built in 1932, funded by a donation from the widow and daughter of a Phillips Exeter Academy alumnus. It was intended to house visiting dignitaries, the families of students and the young women who traveled to Exeter to visit students at the academy, which was an all-boys school at the time.
But the Georgian-style inn has since evolved to serve a wider range of visitors “with the same hospitality and warmth we showed our very first guests,” its website states. It boasts 46 rooms and the Epoch Restaurant & Bar, which serves classic American fare with an emphasis on seafood.
It has also seen several presidential candidates who trekked to New Hampshire for the first-in-the-nation primary, including former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who campaigned for Richard Nixon in 1968.
The inn and the restaurant temporarily closed in 2020 and 2021, as it and the rest of the hospitality industry were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hay Creek Hospitality took over the management of the inn in 2007 and later completed a renovation of the property and its amenities, ranging from the quality of the bedding and linens and the “freshening” of the rooms.
Reporting by Brandon Ng, Portsmouth Herald. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
