Community Highlights: Meet Sarah Beth Wright of The Dahlonega Square Hotel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Beth Wright.

Hi Sarah Beth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The Dahlonega Square Hotel began as a small-town dream and a desire to bring back to life homes from the 1800s into 21st-century comfort and convenience. Johnny and Catherine Ariemma started with the Baker Law Office on the Dahlonega Square with a full remodel and rejuvenation to create the first Dahlonega Square Villa. Affectionately titled “The Historic Villa,” this charming little home dates to the 1880s and has been welcoming guests since 2008. Daughters Sarah Beth and Caroline helped to clean the villa in their late high school years and on college breaks.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive success of the original villa, he built two villas on Choice Avenue in 2010. In 2012, he added two more villas on Choice Avenue, for a total of five villas. It was in the spirit of hospitality and a hope that his daughters would have an appreciation for the family business that Johnny invited Sarah Beth, upon her graduation from Georgia College & State University in 2012, to create a full-scale boutique hotel. Neither Sarah Beth nor Johnny had any real knowledge of how to run a hotel, but what they did have was a love of travel and fine accommodations. Johnny and Catherine purchased the old McGuire House, built in 1880, and he and Sarah Beth began the restoration and creation of what would become The Dahlonega Square Hotel in January of 2013. The hotel welcomed its first guest on December 8, 2013.

From the design of the rooms to the cleaning of the rooms, and the greeting of the guests to the billing of said guests, the Ariemma family did it all. Every single aspect of the Dahlonega Square Hotel has had a family touch and an understanding of exactly how much care and effort is required to provide an exceptional guest experience.

Youngest daughter, Caroline, graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2013 and came to work for the family business in 2014, as Sarah Beth headed to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue her writing passion. Although she was successful in writing for print media, she met Durant Wright, and together they realized a new dream of building a life together in Sarah Beth’s hometown and returning to the Dahlonega Square Hotel.

The hotel features 12 rooms in the main hotel, easily accessible by way of an elevator, and a private McGuire Suite with a separate entrance. The McGuire Suite is directly above the historic lobby of the hotel, gorgeously decorated in breathtaking Victorian decor. Chandeliers, ceiling moulding, hand-carved bars, and beautifully restored furniture make the lobby an incredible space for wedding portraits and guest relaxation.

In 2018, the Dahlonega Square Hotel added Kaya Vineyard and Winery wines to create The DSH Tasting Room. Hotel guests and visitors of Dahlonega can enjoy local wines from Kaya’s extensive collection in the hotel lobby. It’s an extra touch that heightens the experience and hospitality for which Dahlonega has become so known. As the hotel is located steps from the Dahlonega Square, guests can park their cars in the private parking lot and enjoy walking proximity to shopping and dining.

Today, Durant and Sarah Beth, with the invaluable assistance of Caroline, run The Dahlonega Square Hotel. Together with an incredible cleaning staff and front-of-house hospitality staff, the hotel has earned a reputation as one of the top hotels in the area. Not only has the hotel become beloved by guests, but it has also been a favorite when Hollywood comes to town. Filming for Hallmark and Lifetime movies, and most recently, the acclaimed Netflix limited series “His & Hers,” has taken place both inside the lobby and outside the hotel’s historic presence.

The hope for The Dahlonega Square Hotel is that someday, the next generation of the family will show an interest in the business. Sarah Beth and Durant have a 5-year-old son, Julian, and Caroline and her husband, Andrew Werkheiser, have a 6-year-old son named Haig and a 4-year-old son named Blaise. One thing is for certain: when it comes to training the boys in the ways of social graces, teaching the art of having a host’s heart is top on the list.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Renovating a historic structure in a town famed for its preservation of 200-year-old buildings is never an easy task. However, the Ariemma family has always nurtured a deep love of bringing dilapidated homes back to life. In working with the Historical Preservation Society and in doing extensive research to preserve the integrity of the McGuire House and the Baker Law Office, to create the Historic Villa and The Dahlonega Square Hotel, every hurdle was worth it to shore up these buildings for the next century.

Learning to run a hotel, discovering which software systems and booking systems to utilize, and staffing a hotel has never been an easy road. What we have discovered along the way is that in the hospitality industry, the greatest asset a hotelier can have is the courage to trust their intuitions. Traveling can be difficult, and guests find themselves in our hotel lobby for a variety of reasons. Knowing how to provide comfort when it is needed is an art.

Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic changed everything we thought about the industry. Losing guests and finding a new normal in a time that seemed anything but allowed us to become even more creative. We automated many things, like online options for guests to do contactless check-in.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
As a boutique hotel in a small southern town, we have the unique distinction of being a hybrid in the world of hospitality. We aren’t a corporate chain, but we aren’t a Bed and Breakfast either. Guests can be as involved in visiting with both the family and staff as they would like. Sarah Beth and Caroline are often likened to the real-life “Gilmore Girls” and guests often romanticize running a boutique hotel in a Hallmark town. We do agree it is a little bit like a fairy tale, or like having 16 kids.

The DSH specializes in providing exceptional service and a top-tier guest experience. Staff have been known to help plan proposals, decorate hotel rooms in advance for special stays, run out to buy different pillows if a guest would prefer another level of firmness, and often serve as photographers for groups.

We love building relationships with our guests who have become family. Our repeat customers have seen us through so many seasons, and we are proud to be part of the fabric of their memories in the way they have become part of the fabric of ours. Many of our brides and grooms now make stays at the DSH part of their yearly anniversary celebrations, but now they bring their children along.

When it comes to pride in our brand, cleanliness and comfort are paramount. Our standards for cleanliness go far beyond what is considered “normal” in the industry.

There is also a little bit of magic in getting to know the owners of the establishment in which you are staying. Guests can see the care we impart in every bit of the hotel, and they know if they have a question or concern, it will be handled by the owners personally.

Staying at a hotel with a wine bar in a beautiful lobby might also be a travel goal for every millennial woman who came of age in the days of Instagram. We are happy to serve both wine and looks!

Perhaps one of the most fun things about our hotel is that we always have a resident cat. These sweet felines find us, and we are happy to provide for their care. They are always outside cats, so those who are allergic need never worry about allergens inside the hotel. Our current cat is a grey gentleman named Ghost. He is three years old and is a favorite of our guests. He enjoys sitting on laps in a rocking chair on the front porch while the guests sip wine or enjoy the sights of downtown.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Sarah Beth always had her nose in a book and her eyes to the stage. She had a flair for the dramatic and a heart that was set on the written word. She set her own agenda always, to the dismay and pride of her parents. She was very dead set on leaving Dahlonega and never coming back. After living in a few different places (Milledgeville, GA, and Nashville, TN) and writing local newspaper columns in both towns, she was humbled to discover that the most interesting thing about her wasn’t in fact herself, but the people and the town she couldn’t stop writing about- Dahlonega. Occasionally, one finds themselves back in the exact place they thought couldn’t possibly compete with anywhere else, because it turns out that place couldn’t be matched by anywhere else. Her 13-year-old self would have been thrilled to know she met her husband in Franklin, TN, and had a grand adventure before settling down.

Caroline loved living in Dahlonega and staying close to her parents. She was never one to go to summer camps and preferred to play with childhood friends that she still has to this day. She loved gymnastics, cheerleading, and was named Prom Queen her senior year of high school. Family has always been one of the most important things to Caroline, and building her family has been a joy for her. She married the son of her father’s business partner of 20-plus years, so history and connections have always been part of what makes her uniquely Caroline. She and Sarah Beth now live in the same neighborhood, one street from each other, and 20 minutes from their parents.

Durant grew up in a very small town on the Tennesee/ Kentucky line called South Fulton, Tennessee. He has always been family-oriented and loved playing basketball and running around on the family farm. Durant was an exceptional student who had lofty goals for his future. He is the first in his family to attend college and receive a degree. He has always loved travel and meeting new people. Upon his graduation from college, he set his sights on Nashville. Many of his family members always wanted to leave their hometown to live in Nashville, but Durant was the first to do it. He thought he would be there forever, until he met Sarah Beth. Once, he believed he would become a lawyer, but now he handles all CFO business while working under Johnny, his father-in-law, to ensure the growth of current and future aspects of the company.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dahlonegasquarehotel.com
• Instagram: dahlonegasquarehotel
• Facebook: dahlonegasquarehotel