PROFILE

being with patients and forming a connection within the first minute or two . That ' s the part of hospitality that I love and it ' s the part of being an employer that I love .”

In the three years since the hotel reopened , business has been brisk . Room rates are typically from $ 500 and are decidedly higher on weekends and summer months , when there is strongest demand . The hotel ’ s proximity to Washington , D . C ., makes it a magnet for small groups , anywhere from 25 to 50 people . “ People can come and have a corporate retreat here ,” she said . Families visiting UVA also

make up a percentage of guests . Farther south , beyond the pastoral Keswick Hall , is another hotel owned by the Hardies that is decidedly urban : The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville . The property opened in 1906 and has operated as a hotel ever since . Hardie calls it a magical place with the intangibles that make for a special hotel . And though Keswick Hall and Hermitage are outwardly completely different , there is a thread that ties them together , which comes from the top down . “ We are aligned in certain ways , such as in the pursuit of excellence in customer service and delivering a luxury

experience ,” Hardie said .

H7 Holdings is currently only two hotels strong , but Hardie said there is a distinct association between Keswick Hall and The Hermitage Hotel , an unmistaken vibe . There are guests , Hardie said , who are repeat customers at both hotels . Meanwhile , should the Hardies add a third hotel , it would need to be complementary to the other two , she added .

Across the two hotels there clearly exists an impalpable thread . They are also connected in a more substantial way .

FOOD MATTERS Both Keswick Hall and The

Hermitage Hotel boast Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurants , Marigold and Drusie & Darr , respectively . Having one Jean-Georges restaurant is no easy feat ; having two is unique , if not a rarity . While the bulk of his epicurean empire is in New York City , Marigold is his only restaurant in Virginia ( there isn ’ t even one in Washington , D . C .) and Drusie & Darr is one of two in Nashville .

The Hardies always had a vision for the F & B program . Prior to Keswick Hall ’ s renovation , the hotel restaurant was only accessible by entering the main entrance