Developer Dave Curtis a critical cog in the revitalization of Jekyll Island.
BY TESS MALONE
If you’ve stayed at one of Jekyll Island’s hotels in the past, say, 30 years or so, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the work of Dave Curtis. From the historic Jekyll Island Club Resort to the more modern Westin Jekyll Island, Curtis and developer Leon N. Weiner and Associates, Inc. (LNWA) have renovated and built four hotels and two residential developments on the island since the 1980s. They, along with the Jekyll Island Authority and others, have been instrumental in helping to upgrade the look and feel of the entire island. that, when Curtis first set foot on the island in 1985, he didn’t know anything about Jekyll or the hotel industry.
Delaware-based LNWA has long been known for building single-family homes for all income levels, but through the developer grapevine, Curtis and his boss, Leon Weiner, heard of an opportunity to restore the once-grand Jekyll Island Club, formerly a private resort for the nation’s uber-wealthy. Intrigued by the island on their first visit, they drove up to Hilton Head to meet the original developer of the South Carolina vacation destination, Charles Fraser.
He told them that they would never be successful trying to develop a resort on Jekyll. “Leon was just the sort of person who, when you told him he couldn’t do something, became determined that was exactly what he wanted to do,” Curtis says.
Curtis started commuting from Wilmington, Delaware, to Jekyll to woo investors for the future luxury resort. “It was hotter than Hades on Jekyll, and these folks would get off the plane and see this kid in shorts and a golf shirt and be like, ‘Who is this guy?'” says Curtis, who was just 28 at the time. “But the story of this facility that used to be owned by the wealthiest people in the world on this beautiful barrier island was so unique it attracted investors from Boston, Colorado, and North Carolina.”
Curtis and his partners restored the Jekyll Island Club into a 134-room hotel for $20 million (that’s nearly $57 million today) in a meticulous renovation that included recreating plaster friezes and cleaning years of paint off woodwork with toothbrushes. Despite running at only 22 percent occupancy in the first year, the developers persevered, reducing their rates and gradually building a loyal clientele. Soon the property became a sought-after wedding destination, and with more weddings came the need for more hotels.
In the middle of a maritime forest on the south side of the island, LNWA built the 138-room Hampton Inn in 2010. As the island grew, so did the company’s hotels with a 200-room Westin (2015) next to a new convention center.
By 2021, Curtis and LNWA added a 209-room Courtyard and Residence Inn, a dual-branded Marriott property. Curtis, now managing principal of LNWA, also spearheaded two residential developments, raising more than $190 million in original investments. “His love for Jekyll has been evident as he has worked cooperatively and diligently with the Jekyll Island Authority to improve the island over the years,” says former Jekyll Island Authority Executive Director Jones Hooks.
Through the decades, the infrastructure of the island has changed, but the character hasn’t, according to Curtis, who eventually bought a home on St. Simons after spending years in the Golden Isles. “What was there in 1985 were basically 1960s versions of motor inns, and now there’s something for everyone from luxury hotels like the Westin to more affordable properties like Days Inn,” he says. “What hasn’t changed substantially is the feel of Jekyll as more of a retreat than an active vacation destination.”
