New Perry Hotel - Resort Rescue Update - Open or Closed?

In this Resort Rescue episode, Shane Green visits New Perry Hotel in Perry, Georgia.

New Perry Hotel is owned by Patty Johnson.

Shane is called in to help first-time owner Patty as she battles to keep her historic hotel.

Patty and her restaurant manager, Michelle do not see eye-to-eye.

The staff lacks direction and is threatening to drown her investment and trash her dream.

Shane will have his hands full in returning this once-classic hotel back to its glory days.

Shane says he is really excited for this week.

This hotel is recognized as one of the most famous restaurants in the South.

Shane says he hasn’t had a lot of southern cooking but he is looking forward to a bit of indulgence this week.

Currently, the hotel is in a lot of trouble and close to closure.

Shane is excited to meet some great people and see how they can help them.

Visiting Perry is like breathing in the history of the south.

With its thriving arts district and small-town charm, tourists have been flocking to the town since 1920.

Right in the center is the New Perry Hotel.

Patty says that when you come into the New Perry hotel, you’re stepping back in time.

The historic hotel was built in 1925.

This was former president Jimmy Carter’s home away from home.

In their restaurant they are known for their fried chicken and beer-battered cod.

Recently, it has fallen on hard times.

Patty has really struggled with what she needed to do with the hotel.

When Patty’s personal life took a dramatic turn, things got even worse.

Her husband filed for divorce, so Patty continues to run the hotel all by herself.

Her whole life is tied up in the hotel and she needs help.

Shane meets with Patty.

The hotel was very difficult for her husband so he decided to walk away from it.

Patty says the restaurant needs help.

It needs someone to be the manager.

Shane sets up surveillance cameras.

The front desk assistant Veronica is doing well in her role.

The outside of hotel needs lighting.

A guest drops her luggage in the pool.

Shane says this the worst way to start a guest experience.

The public space where the guests walk is a critical part of their experience.

There is a great outside dining area that is not being used.

The first issue that Shane has with the New Perry Hotel is the filthy public spaces.

This is a terrible first impression, one that is costing this hotel a lot of money.

There is an Asian themed room.

Shane is thinking of adding live music to the bar to help liven it up.

Amber has to leave the bar to get the food.

Patty says that they have never spoken about the vision of the restaurant.

Patty does not confront Michelle about anything.

She does not communicate with her and it’s hurting the business.

Patty’s dad is saying a prayer over the food.

Shane says that this is too much.

The staff thinks everything is a joke.

The issue is that they’re messing with the traditions and recipes that made this hotel famous.

Diners can taste the difference and they’re not coming back.

Ray says that the original recipe was too rich.

He told Patty that was the way he wanted it and she just let him do it.

She didn’t want to offend Ray by saying no.

Shane says that it is time to step up and make sure that the brand stays as Patty’s brand.

He says it seems like Patty may be feeling a bit defeated by her divorce.

She’s really struggling to step up and be the boss but she needs to in order to save this resort.

Patty says she is going to step up and change because she has to for this hotel and restaurant.

She has to step up and make things happens.

She has to save what she has.

The biggest problem in the hotel is a lack of strong leadership.

Patty’s unwillingness to deal with Michelle has left the whole hotel wondering who is in charge.

Patty has avoided working with Michelle and as a result the restaurant has no systems.

It’s chaos in there.

Until the staff sees Patty and Michelle working together, they’re not going to believe that anything is going to change.

The first step in this process is that they have to get Michelle to sit down and have a serious conversation.

Patty says they are going to hammer this out.

Shane says you can’t run a small business when the two key managers can’t stand each other.

These two women are going to have to find some common ground or one of them needs to go.

Shane says that they have to be vulnerable and real with each other.

If they are not, then they aren’t good business partners.

Patty says that Michelle owes her a lot of money.

Michelle says she doesn’t want to embarrass Patty on TV.

Michelle says they both have good strengths and if they are willing to work together, they can help each other.

Michelle and Patty create a schedule for meetings.

Next, they will talk to the staff.

Shane tells the staff that they hid cameras all around the property.

Shane says the things they caught on camera are completely unacceptable.

He also says that if anyone has a problem with that then they can walk out right now.

For this hotel to be successful, everybody’s going to have to make some changes.

They are going start with Ray.

There’s a real lack of respect for these signature southern dishes that are in the restaurant.

They’re going to go back to the basics.

They will follow the recipes that built this place and made it great.

Shane says it is not just housekeeping’s job to pick up trash.

He’s never been to a property where it’s okay for bottles, cigarette butts and trash to be left lying around.

Shane says he is shocked and sets a challenge.

The staff begins searching for the piece of trash that says $1,000 on it.

While Shane’s expert landscaping crew digs in, the staff of the New Perry are put through their paces.

With all of the changes made, Shane leaves the hotel and hopes that they stay with the changes.

What Happened Next at New Perry Hotel?

Shane returns to the hotel 30 days later.

The front desk is organized and the guests safety is assured.

Shane says that it’s fantastic to see that they have taken his advice to heart and business is picking up.

Michelle says that everything is growing by the day.

They take time to sit down together every day.

Revenues are up by 11.5%.

It feels like the hotel has a new lease of life.

Returning to their previous recipes has been a big hit.

The locals and travelers are once again loving this Georgia classic.

New Perry Hotel closed in 2014.

It closed shortly after the episode aired.

In 2018, it was purchased by the Halo Group, a local non-profit organisation.

They intend to turn part of the building into appartments and studios.

The rest of the building will be refurbished and will reopen as a hotel and restaurant.

The business will be staffed by individuals with learning difficulties, offering training and employment oppurtunities.

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