FLORENCE, S.C. — Raines, a hospitality management, development, and investment group formerly known as Raines Hospitality, announced a complete rebrand, expanded service offerings, and new executives who will help lead the growing company. The result of an extensive business and brand exploration, the relaunch includes new team members, a new website, an updated visual identity, a new overarching brand name, and two new business divisions: Array and Woven.
Led by Managing Partners Grey Raines and David Tart, Raines is known for its operational and development experience, success with historic properties, and expertise with brands such as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Choice. Raines’s portfolio includes 19 hotels and 1,858 keys throughout the southeast, including boutique hotels The Foundry Hotel in Asheville, N.C., and Hotel Florence in Florence, S.C.
“A primary goal of this brand launch and overhaul was for Raines to achieve greater volume and scale, allowing for maximum effectiveness and efficiency within our development and operations,” said Raines. “We are looking forward to expanding our footprint to encompass more than just hospitality, for which we’ve been known in the past.”
“Our team will continue to do what we do every day—effectively develop and manage the leading hotels in the markets where we work,” added Tart. “The biggest new ‘change’ is our direction and opportunity for growth. Despite the current challenges in our industry, it is an exciting time to be part of Raines.”
The Raines family has decades of experience owning and operating hospitality businesses, dating back more than 25 years. Raines’ mission focuses on family and relationships, values that also guide each of their service areas and endeavors. The company offers a variety of in-house services, including investor services, operations management, development, revenue management, sales and marketing, and eCommerce.
Raines and Tart each bring experience in the hospitality industry and serve as partners in development, investing, and management. Grey Raines, son of company founder Mark Raines, has spent his life in the hospitality world and worked in a wide range of hospitality positions, from front desk associate to president of Raines Hospitality and managing partner in SpringBridge Development. Raines’ experience is focused on hotel development services and offering expertise to properties including Hotel Florence, a recently renovated boutique hotel in downtown Florence, S.C.
David Tart, an industry veteran of more than 15 years, has spent his career managing hotel properties from the discovery stage to the development stage and beyond. He brings expertise in boutique properties as well as core and soft brands to the team. A longtime friend and confidante of Grey Raines, who shares a similar vision and optimism for the company, Tart officially joined Raines as a managing partner in 2020.
Woven by Raines
Raines also announced the launch of Woven by Raines, a specialized division that weaves a distinct development and service approach into each of its boutique properties. Featuring customized strategies, tailored branding and marketing tactics, and top-tier food and beverage programming, Woven offers a full-service approach to operating boutique hotels.
Leading this new division in the Raines family is Executive Vice President Gavin Philipp, a hospitality professional with extensive knowledge in the boutique property sector.
Woven features renowned properties such as The Foundry Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property in Asheville, N.C., and Hotel Florence, a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel in Florence, S.C.
Array by Raines
Raines established Array in 2020 to address the need for a distinct and specialized commercial real estate and office development division. Offering a comprehensive approach to commercial and office developments including brokerage and leasing, development, and property management functionalities, Array is led by Chris Scott, president, who was previously partner of SpringBridge Development, and Rhett Spencer, development coordinator and broker-in-charge.
With a portfolio of properties and a new office building in Mount Pleasant, S.C., that broke ground in November 2020, the team’s hands-on method delivers a strategic and targeted program to suit each client’s commercial real estate needs.
