SAN FRANCISCO—CBRE announced the sale of the Dawn Ranch Lodge resort in Sonoma Wine Country to a partnership between Bridgeton Holdings, a private real estate firm with boutique hotels across growth markets, and Tidewater Capital, a real estate company that invests in and develops properties throughout the Bay Area. Henry Bose, Alex Lee-Bull, and Elena Quach with CBRE Hotels in San Francisco represented the proprietor. Olga Lepow with CBRE Hotels’ Debt & Structured Finance group secured the acquisition financing on behalf of the partnership.
Dawn Ranch Lodge is a resort with 55 cottages, three bungalows, one on-site restaurant, and event grounds. The resort borders the Russian River.
“Bridgeton is excited to push forward its defining philosophy of creating memorable, guest-centric experiences here at Dawn Ranch resort. Guerneville has a unique and storied history, and we’re excited to be a part of the greater community while continuing to build upon the Lodge’s legacy,” said Atit Jariwala, CEO of Bridgeton.
“The nearly 15-acre property will be positioned as one of the top lodging properties in the market. We are excited to realize the full potential of the resort through thoughtful design and management,” said Akash Sharma, president of Bridgeton.
The property’s origins date back to 1905 when Theodosia Button Murphy purchased the site as an orchard. She built the Lodge as a dining hall and added tent cabins among the orchards to cater to the San Franciscans who liked summering on the Russian River. The Murphy family sold the resort in 1978, at which point it became Fife’s Resort. The most recent proprietor purchased the property in 2001 and rebranded it to Dawn Ranch Lodge in 2005. Dawn Ranch Lodge is known for its weddings, corporate retreats, large-scale family and other social gatherings, and for transient leisure guests.
“The principals of Tidewater and Bridgeton have known each other for over 13 years, and we are thrilled to form a partnership to advance the vision of a repositioned Dawn Ranch resort. We look forward to harnessing the spirit of the natural amenities of the Russian River Valley and re-imagining the on-site guest experience to create defining hospitality moments for visitors from near and far,” said Craig Young, managing principal of Tidewater.
The hotel’s location is just over an hour from the Golden Gate Bridge, minutes from wineries in the Russian River Valley, and within walking distance to downtown Guerneville.
“We are seeing strong demand from investors for drive-to hotels and resorts in the Bay Area and across the United States. This category of hospitality has been among the best performers since the pandemic’s onset in 2020,” stated the San Francisco-based CBRE Hotels team of Henry Bose, Alex Lee-Bull, and Elena Quach. “Dawn Ranch Lodge benefits from the high barriers to entry for new lodging supply in Sonoma County and the unique property characteristics that make Dawn Ranch so special.”
The partnership plans to expand the resort’s amenities, offerings, and programming with the in-place cottages, bungalows, event spaces, and restaurant. Further, the partnership plans to focus on continuing the legacy of the resort that was guided by the seller for more than two decades.
