Asalamander is said to be a mythical creature able to withstand the effects of fire . The truth is that when Sheila Johnson , founder of Salamander Hotels & Resorts , created her company , she took the name from the farm she bought just a stone ' s throw away from its first property , Salamander Resort & Spa , in Middleburg , Va ., which opened in 2013 . Not the little lizard .
Ten years later Salamander now encompasses seven properties and on the anniversary of that Virginia opening it has announced that it is rebranding as the Salamander Collection , with the Salamander Resort & Spa now known as Salamander Middleburg .
( Note : There is a thread to the Salamander fire theme : Johnson ' s forthcoming memoir , “ Walk Through Fire : A Memoir of Love , Loss , and Triumph ,” comes out in September .)
Along with the Middleburg property , which is an hour due west by car from Washington , D . C , where sits Salamander Washington , D . C ., the former Mandarin Oriental taken over by Salamander last September , are five other properties among the Salamander Collection : Half Moon in Montego Bay , Jamaica ; Hotel Bennett in Charleston , S . C .; Aurora Anguilla in Rendezvous Bay , Anguilla ; Aspen Meadows in Colorado ; and Innisbrook in Palm Harbor , Fla ., which each year plays host to the PGA Tour ’ s Valspar Championship .
“ Salamander represents much more than hotels and resorts ; for the past decade , our unique culture of inclusion , kindness and warmth , has created a genuine sense of belonging , which is why Salamander Collection is an even more fitting name for our company ,” said Johnson , who beyond Salamander Collection was also a co-founder of the TV network BET and is currently involved with Washington , D . C . professional teams Wizards , Mystics and Capitals . Her philanthropic work is prodigious .
Salamander ’ s Chief Marketing Officer Tracey Slavonia oversaw the new brand identity , which was designed to harness Johnson ’ s vision , forge brand pillars that reinforce Salamander ’ s tenets and demonstrate the positive role the company plays in its surrounding communities . To help amplify the story , Salamander ' s company and property websites have been refreshed and a new Salamander
Aspen Meadows in Colorado . Photo credit : Eric Stein
September 2023 hotelsmag . com 79