Hampton — Owner of Mainsail Motel and Cottages They retire and sell the historic beach hotel to a young real estate agent who once appeared as a contestant on a television show. “Bachelorette.”
Dave Hartnett and his wife Kara, who bought the mainsail on the New Hampshire coast 10 years ago, had planned to close the sale on September 14th.The purchaser christian smithHe admitted that on Friday. Smith is a 29-year-old real estate agent based in Newburyport, Massachusetts who has sold over $25 million in residential properties and competed for the love of Katie Thurston. “The Bachelorette” Season 17.
Hartnetts has made several improvements to the mainsail since taking over. 40 hotel rooms, 19 cottage rooms Off Ashworth Avenue.
“My wife and I bought it and literally 10 years ago we said to each other, let’s see what happens for 10 years,” Hartnett said. “It’s been an amazing 10 years.”
Smith said Friday that he is excited to take over the 1940-built hotel if the deal goes through. According to his online profile, he works in luxury real estate and is promoted by Keller Williams as: “One of the best hotels on the North Shore.”
“We have a big job ahead of us here,” Smith said. “I really want to continue what they have and enjoy what they’ve created.”
“I don’t feel angry” Galley hatch worker attacked by suspected drunk driver, lucky to be alive
Hartnett invests millions of dollars in mainsail modifications
The Hartnettes have deep ties to Hampton Beach. Carla Hartnett’s family, the Sharks, have lived on the beach for 140 years, Hartnett said. Although Hartnett grew up in Somerville, Mass., she said her family owned real estate in Hampton and Seabrook for many years.
“People don’t think of me as a local, but I’ve been all over the place,” Hartnett said.
Before purchasing Mainsail, Hartnett called himself a “lifelong serial entrepreneur.”
“I was actually the one who introduced paid air to gas stations in the early 1980s,” Hartnett said. He said he owned an insurance company, did consulting work and once owned a storage facility.
When the Hartnetts found the Mainsail property, he said it was a good opportunity to make improvements.
“It was a great property that needed a little bit of attention,” Hartnett said.
Over the years, they removed all the rugs from hotel rooms and cottages and installed new vinyl planks. They also replaced appliances and mattresses and rebuilt the pool area.
“We’ve invested millions of dollars into this property over the past 10 years,” Hartnett said.
Hartnett said they put Mainsail up for sale this year because their children weren’t interested in running a business when they were ready to retire. They are now looking forward to spending most of their winters in Key West, Florida.
“I’ve been investing in real estate since I was 20 years old,” Hartnett said. “I’m at a point where I want to enjoy it.”
Autumn fun at a coastal farm: Guide to apple picking, cider donuts, corn mazes, and more
Christian Smith eager to invest in Hampton Beach
Despite being based on Massachusetts’ North Shore, Smith said he’s not familiar with Hampton Beach.
“It’s like the Las Vegas of the North,” Smith said.
The main sale was launched at the same time that Smith was already getting serious about hospitality. In 2022 he Hygge House Suiteswhich owns a boutique inn in Newburyport and hopes to acquire an inn on Rings Island later this year.
“There are definitely some projects,” Smith said.
With all these projects in the works, he said he hasn’t given much thought to whether he’ll do more TV appearances. He appeared on several episodes of “The Bachelorette” and caught the attention of viewers with his Boston accent. According to an interview with Boston Magazine. He said he would have regretted missing out on this opportunity and said he had made many good friends through the show.
“I leave the door open,” Smith said of working in television. “I’m going to take charge of my life.”
Smith credits his parents with raising him to be a real estate agent and entrepreneur. He calls her mother, Elizabeth Smith, a “rock star real estate agent” who taught him everything he knows. He also looks up to his father when it comes to managing his property, he said.
The opportunity to run a local hotel and inn was one I couldn’t pass up.
“It’s like a vacation,” he said. “What could be better than working in hospitality?”
more: North Hampton Mexican restaurant Mad Pork is closing.
The Mainsail is one of the older motels that has managed to survive in an era when many motels are being torn down and converted into condominiums. Kentville on the Ocean and Sea Spiral are among his older hotels that have recently been turned into residential units.
“We saved it from the developer’s wrecking ball,” Hartnett said.
Smith said both the hotel and condominiums are important to Hampton. Hotels like Main Sail will help the beach remain a tourist destination for years to come, he said.
“You can create these experiences by doing short-term stays like this,” Smith said. “At Hampton Beach, it creates a culture of its own.”