Kiawah Island To Get Five-Star Resort

KIAWAH, SC— When the $110 million Sanctuary at Kiawah Island opens in February 2004, South Carolina stands a chance at getting its first five-star, five-diamond property. The Kiawah Island Inn Co., which purchased the resort nine years ago, has just laid out details for the new mega-project, whose blueprints call for a high-end luxury product. Plans are for the property to have five-fixture baths, large marble showers and oceanview balconies. Standard guestrooms will be 520 square-feet in size. The resort will also feature a luxury spa with 13 treatment rooms, as well as 18,000 square-feet of meeting and conference space. Kiawah Resort, which sits on 10 miles of beachfront property on Kiawah Island, SC, is already comprised of five world-class golf courses and two prestigious tennis clubs. It is also home to the four-star 150-room Kiawah Inn, which opened in 1974, as well as a 600 villa and private home community. “We have a significant amount of lodging, but we haven’t had a true five-star caliber property in keeping with Kiawah’s image,” said Prem Devadas, managing director of The Sanctuary, as well as the company’s two other properties, the Jefferson in Richmond, VA and The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, TN. Devadas said it took the company years to work through the approval process to build The Sanctuary, as well as to decide what type of property to build. The approval process has been completed, he said, and ground was broken for the 225-room resort in December. Ownership has decided to manage the Sanctuary itself, and will not fly a franchise flag over the property, said Devadas. “Kiawah Resort is already a brand,” he said, noting the company took the same tactic with The Jefferson and The Hermitage. To achieve the five-star goal, management has selected Cooper Carry from Atlanta and Eddie Smith of Smith + McLane Architects in Richmond, VA. Hirsch Bedner & Associates will serve as interior designer, and Beers Skanska as the general contractor. Devadas said the resort, which already has group business on the books for when it opens in 2004, expects to draw a strong business and leisure mix thanks to the fact that it sits just a 40-minute drive from Charleston, SC.