Ault graduated from Brown County High School and studied business management at Indiana University for two years before focusing on work and family. He got married at age 19, and two years later, he and his wife, Janet, had their first child, Meghan. Their second child, Wesley, arrived two years after that.
Ault began his career in the hospitality industry at age 15 as a busboy at the Brown County Inn. Over nine years, he worked his way up to dining room host, banquet setup, and left as banquet manager in 1988. After a year as assistant director at the Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau, he joined Hotel Nashville as assistant general manager, becoming general manager in 1993.
Ault and his business partners, Hotel Nashville Inc., bought The Seasons in October 2016 for $ 1.3 million from Brown County businessman Andy Rogers, who was in his 80s and liquidating some of his assets. Rogers passed away two years later.
The hotel opened as a Ramada Inn in April 1970, adding the nearby conference center in 1973. In 1984, it was remodeled and its name changed to The Seasons Lodge. A 2007 fire destroyed 60 of its 80 rooms. 32 of those rooms were rebuilt and 52 are available now.
When Ault and his partners bought the lodge, they wanted to expand and remodel. They figured they could make changes while keeping most of the hotel open. They put in a new heating / air conditioning system, replaced water heaters, and insulated pipes. But then COVID changed their step-by-step remodeling plans and created an opportunity to do more at one time. The hotel has hosted a few guests this winter, but the structure’ s common areas, including the entryway and bar / restaurant, are undergoing drastic changes.
The pool is gone. In its place, the hotel will have a 10,000-square-foot outdoor patio that will provide seating for bar / restaurant patrons and may host some live music and weddings.
Despite the construction and winter / COVIDinduced slowdown, Ault said the Seasons and Hotel Nashville have retained most of their staff, though some employees retired or left voluntarily. Other employees have found new roles. One of the
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The Seasons is located in Nashville on State Road 46, perched high on a ridge overlooking the countryside.
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