MORGANTOWN — The new owners of Lakeview Golf Resort said they expect to spend $2 million in the next 12 to 18 months improving the property and restoring it to its former state.
Sameer Ailawadi, owner of Ail Hospitality, the Rockville, Md.-based hotelier, who acquired the property in an online auction last year for $2.5 million, said renovation work is being done in the public areas, and includes such projects as installing new carpeting and painting.
As part of the changes being made at the resort, which has two golf courses on 412 acres, Ailawadi said they will re-open Legends Sports Bar & Grille by the end of this month.
“A soft opening followed by a grand opening in March,” said Ailawadi, adding the restaurant’s old carpets and wallpaper are being removed.
“There will also be a total restoration of the kitchen,” he said. “This will happen slowly because we have to keep the place open and running.”
Ail is keeping Lakeview open year-round and made the resort part of the Trademark Collection by Wyndham late last year. The deal gives Ail access to Wyndam’s reservation system and exposes the resort to a larger customer base. In addition, Ailawadi said most of Lakeview’s staff — with the exception of a new general manager — was retained after Ail took over ownership.
Ailawadi said there are also plans to begin offering two buffets next month. The first will be a Sunday breakfast/brunch buffet that will begin in early March. That offering will be followed by an international buffet, also planned in the February-March time frame, he said.
Event wise, Lakeview is planning a Valentine’s Day Gala for Feb. 14. That event includes hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner for two, a bottle of wine, and dancing and live entertainment. Costs vary between $160 per couple and $225 per couple, which includes overnight accommodations and chocolate-covered strawberries in the room.
On Feb. 23, Ailawadi said Lakeview will host West Virginia’s Premier Wedding Expo with Monte Durham of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta” as the featured speaker.
Lakeview, founded in 1950 by Ward Christopher, has 36,500 square feet of meeting space, a 40,000-square-foot fitness center, Legends and Fusion Restaurant, several swimming pools and direct access to other outdoor recreation options.
Golf legend Sam Snead won the West Virginia Open and set the Lakeview course record of 67 in 1958, according to Golfer’s Lifestyle Magazine. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer played an exhibition match in 1971 and tied the course record. The Mountainview Course opened in 1985 for play. Brian Ault was the course architect.
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