LAKE WALES, Fla. — Following a court ruling, the City of Lake Wales is one step closer to regaining ownership of a historic downtown hotel.
“This hotel has been vacant for almost 20 years, and it has fallen sadly into deep disrepair,” said Ronni Wood, Executive Director of Lake Wales Main Street.
The Walesbilt Hotel first opened in 1927 in downtown Lake Wales. The 10-story building was known to provide lodging for the rich and famous.
“A very thriving Hotel. We had the likes of Gloria Swanson who visited the hotel. We had the DuPonts and Rockefellers who visited,” Wood said.
The hotel closed in the 1990s. In 2010, the City of Lake Wales transferred ownership of the vacant building to Raymond Brown, the manager of Dixie-Walesbilt LLC.
Brown agreed to renovate the hotel for apartments and retail space. After years without any progress on the restoration, the city sued Brown in 2022.
A judge recently ruled in the city’s favor, finding Brown made false claims about his financial backing and pre-sale of units. Lake Wales is now on track to regain ownership of Walesbilt Hotel.
“I don’t remember the hotel ever being a functioning hotel,” said Jessica Garrett, Co-Owner of The Ranch.
Garrett grew up in Lake Wales and owns the ranch eatery just a block away from the hotel. She said restoring it would benefit all downtown businesses.
“If it could be redone, I feel like it would energize the city,” Garrett said.
As the executive director of Lake Wales Main Street Wood said, regaining ownership of the iconic hotel is an integral part of the city’s ongoing plan to revitalize downtown.
“It’s at the very foundation of our economic development plan. It will create jobs. It will create new businesses. It will be the catalyst for new development as well as additional redevelopment,” she said.
The city’s original complaint also sought damages plus attorney fees. The court could award the city more than $1.5 million and attorney fees.
