Sheila Johnson's next act: Salamander
Sheila C. Johnson calls this her third act.
Seated in the cozy library of the Salamander, her luxury spa/resort in Middleburg, Va., she recalls her two previous careers — first as a concert violinist, then, with former husband Robert Johnson, as co-founder of the BET network.
While her second act brought fame and fortune, this one, she says, brings happiness.
"Yes, I'm happiest now in my third act. There's not a day that goes by that I'm bored. Every day in the hospitality industry is different. … Always highs and lows, but you work through them," she says.
Johnson, right now, is experiencing the highs. Her goal? To make her business, Salamander Hotel & Resorts, resonate in the hospitality industry in the same way as other luxury brands.
She owns two properties: the Salamander Resort & Spa, an equestrian-themed property opened in August 2013 in Virginia's horse country, and Innisbrook, a famed stop on the PGA Tour, in Tampa.
Her company manages these locations and two additional resorts in Florida — Reunion in Orlando and Hammock Beach in Palm Coast. Since assuming management, the company has invested millions in enhancements to the hotel properties and their golf courses. Innisbrook alone underwent a $25 million renovation after Johnson purchased it in 2007.
The growing company has several more projects under development:
• Plans were recently approved for a $72 million expansion of the Hammock Beach resort. A new 198-room oceanfront hotel and convention space will join the lineup in the next few years.
• Salamander will manage a 150-room hotel and 200-room resort and spa being built in Tryon, N.C., one of the biggest equestrian communities on the East Coast.
• In Destin, Fla., the company will open a 171-room resort hotel in spring 2016. Called The Henderson, the $300 million project promises a new level of luxury for the Florida Panhandle.
The company also is building 49 single-family homes on the Salamander resort property. With a starting price of $1.5 million (up to $3 million-plus), the houses will go on sale this fall. Residents will have full access to the resort, which includes two pools, the spa, restaurant, walking trails and a horse stable. Owners can opt to have the homes managed as vacation rentals, which will give the hotel more inventory — a necessity, according to Johnson.
"I really want to become one of the premier luxury hotel markets," she says. "And what's going to separate me out from all the others is the Salamander."
The resort, which sits on 340 acres of rolling fields in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about an hour's drive from Washington, D.C., and 35 minutes from Dulles International Airport, reflects Johnson's passion for art, music, family and wellness.
The 23,000-square-foot spa and wellness center is central to the resort, and Johnson sees the spa business as a priority for all her properties."Relaxation — that is the whole idea," she says. "It's not only about de-stressing. It's also about reconnecting."
Her focus fits in with industry trends. Destination spas and wellness resorts continue to thrive, especially near urban areas, according to a 2014 report by industry-watcher SpaFinder. "She's very savvy, very smart in a quiet way," says Beth McGroarty, research director at SpaFinder, of Johnson. "They're definitely part of the trend."
Elaine Carey, a North Carolina travel agent with Travel Experts, sees more clients asking about spa services at their destinations. "It's such a fast-paced world now. Everybody is on social media, on their phones, their tablets. A spa would give a person a reason to disconnect, even if it's for an hour or two, and everybody needs to re-boot once in a while," she says.
Johnson is happy to let guests unwind at her homes-away-from-home."I want to take care of the client," she says, "and that's what's going to separate me out from anybody else."