Woodlands Inn in Summerville to be sold; memberships end Sept. 14

The acclaimed Woodlands Inn in Summerville is scheduled to be sold next month, and a newspaper is reporting that the high-end getaway will no longer operate as a lodging and restaurant.

“There is a transactional closing scheduled for Woodlands Inn on September 17, and more information will be available after this date,” said Matt Owen, spokesman for the inn’s owner and operator, Salamander Hotels and Resorts, in a written statement. “In the interim, the hotel and restaurant remain open during our regular hours of operation.”

The Summerville Journal Scene said it obtained a letter to Woodlands members from Wayne Malagon, the general manager. The letter said property is being sold to former state legislator Tom Limehouse, who owns Summerville Auto Auction.

All memberships at Woodlands will be canceled as of Sept. 14, the newspaper reported.

“I regret I can’t go into it more at this time,” Limehouse said today.

He did not dispute the accuracy of the news report. He referred all questions to Owens, who could not be immediately reached for comment.

Salamander sold the Woodlands about two years ago to Summerville Inns of Grandeur LLC, but took it back in late 2011 after the new owner ran into financial troubles

Salamander is a hospitality firm owned by Virginia billionaire Sheila C. Johnson

The Woodlands is housed in a former private mansion built in 1906 on what is now Parsons Road. It was opened as an upscale inn and restaurant in 1995.

The tiny getaway holds the distinction for being the only property in South Carolina that holds both the Forbes Five Star and the AAA Five Diamond ratings in the accommodations and dining categories, which it has retained for six straight years under Salamander.

Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, bought the resort in 2006 and embarked on an extensive makeover.

See Thursday’s editions of The Post and Courier for more details.

Contact John McDermott at 937-5572