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Chris Jones, an owner of the Beach House and of Sole East, has his sights set on “swank-ifying” two more Montauk establishments: the Sail Inn and the Lido Motel.
Earlier this month, the investor expressed “serious interest” in both properties when asked if he’d purchased any of three resorts he told the Daily News he had his eyes on in 2013.
The third of the three, Daunt’s Albatross West Motel, was sold in 2014 by the Daunt family for $2.6 million to an LLC that is now renovating it. At 20 South Elmwood Avenue, it’s a mere hop, skip and a jump from the Beach House at 55 South Elmwood in downtown Montauk, thus seemingly the most likely purchase for Mr. Jones.
But Mr. Jones said he is not involved in that property. However, he does envision reinventing both the Sail Inn and the Lido Motel as the kind of “boutique” resort to which the former Ronjo Motel, now the Montauk Beach House, and the former Shepherd’s Neck Inn, now Sole East, have been transformed.
The Sail Inn in particular holds promise for “a very nice food and beverage concept,” Mr. Jones said, adding however that he’d “not signed anything” yet.
With 10 guest rooms in addition to a bar and restaurant, a more glamorous version of the blue-collar Sail Inn could be the first incursion of its kind into the Montauk Harbor area, which is at a distance from Montauk’s downtown.
“Montauk, it’s a terrific place,” Mr. Jones said. “Back in 2005, when we bought Sole, from my point of view, it needed to grow.”
At 548 West Lake Drive, the 5,200-square-foot Sail Inn is listed with Douglas Elliman for $2.9 million, while the 19-room Lido Motel, at 5 South Emery Street and 2 South Euclid Avenue, and at one point listed for $2.9 million, is no longer on the market, according to Zillow, although Trulia had it listed at $2.675 million.
Virginia Garrison on Mar 16, 2015