Mountain Shore Properties has opened the 40-room Hill Hall Hotel in Fayetteville, WVa. The boutique hotel debuts as a member of Design Hotels, part of Marriott International. Fayetteville is best known as the gateway to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and its iconic steel arch bridge.
Hill Hall Hotel is set within the town’s former high school and middle school buildings. The historic campus was extensively restored and reimagined, pairing preserved school architecture with residential interiors.
Guestroom types include standard and premium kings at approximately 330 square feet sleeping two; king suites at approximately 460 square feet; a double king suite at approximately 660 square feet with two private king bedrooms and a living area with a wet bar sink and refrigerator sleeping up to four; and Standard Queen rooms at approximately 240 square feet sleeping two. ADA-accessible rooms include a King Suite in the middle school building and one on the second floor of the high school building accessible by ramp.
Dining options include Patsy’s restaurant and Patsy’s Provisions, a 24-hour guest pantry.
“Fayetteville has always been more than a gateway to the Gorge, and I hope Hill Hall gives visitors another reason to spend time in town,” said Stephen Wendell, founder and chief executive officer of Mountain Shore Properties, the hotel’s developer. “If someone comes here for the Gorge and ends up staying an extra night, having dinner in town, meeting people who live here, or finding a local business they want to come back to, that’s a great outcome for us. We want Hill Hall to give people more time to get to know Fayetteville and everything happening here.”
Mae Pate, head of design at Mountain Shore Properties, led the design of the building, rooms and public spaces, drawing on the building’s history for material, artwork and furnishing choices. Zmmr developed Hill Hall’s brand identity and website. Aric Margolis of Charleston, W.Va., served as architect of record, with David E. Looper & Company as general contractor.
A large-scale mural by West Virginia artist Nichole Westfall anchors the mural room’s central lounge, with Kevin Barry Art Advisory curating additional artwork throughout the property. A custom-illustrated map by Stephen’s grandmother, Patsy, joins vintage photographs, handmade ceramics and gathered furnishings across both buildings. Hand-painted signage by West Virginia designer Jordana Bungard and an interior palette of deep greens, muted blues, clay reds, soft neutrals and natural wood reflect the surrounding New River Gorge landscape. David Robert Elliott and Braiden Maddox of Understory WV photographed the hotel and surrounding landscape.