In regard to Chris Flood's ongoing coverage of the proposed Belhaven Hotel, I must express my genuine concern about how needless and concerning this impending hotel is for the town and pulse of Rehoboth Beach, even if I'm not the first person to share my thoughts.
Flood's most recent article, "Rehoboth raises concerns about proposed Belhaven Hotel," brought to my attention that this property will be a licensed franchise hotel with the Hilton Curio Collection, which I presume is seen as some sort of benefit.
I know it's common for people to lament the old days and seem resistant to progress because of nostalgia and sentimental loyalty. This is not what I'm feeling. This is a terrible addition to the Rehoboth Beach that people have loved for decades. As development continues on a rampant course, the charm and vibe of Rehoboth Beach is under attack by the out of touch. The architect was literally quoted as saying the goal here is to have the hotel built so he may have a drink with the wealthy 90-year-old owner at the bar. Really?
Rehoboth has cultivated great hotels that are native to the town itself, whether it's The Admiral or the Atlantic Sands, and so forth. These are experiences you can only get in the town of Rehoboth; you can have a Hilton property all over the country. It's my hope the commissioners – and whoever else involved – will consider how dangerously close to a precipice Rehoboth is from completely alienating and pricing out the working-class families that have come there for years and years.
The privately owned hotels reflect and are formed by the community of the town. A licensed corporate hotel is beholden to its franchise owner and, as such, makes decisions based on rewards to its shareholders. I would know, as I've been in the hospitality business for a decade now, working my way up through the rungs to become an operations manager for Marriott. But I'll never forget how I started: working the night shift at The Admiral on Baltimore Avenue, learning from great mentors like Karen Brown, Mike Houser and Ken Lewis about how to take the utmost care of the people traveling into town. These people could spend their hard-earned money going anywhere else, but they came to Rehoboth Beach for the Rehoboth experience. Don't add these corporate hotels.
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
