Dogfish Head is getting into the lodging business in Lewes.
In late spring 2014, the 16-room Dogfish Inn will open in downtown Lewes, Del., at what is now the Vesuvio Motel.
The brewer has actually been accommodating a few of its visitors at the Dogfish Head Brewmaster’s Suite at the Inn at Canal Square.
“Our migration a few boat-lengths down the canal will give us a bigger home base dedicated to exploring all of the off-centered opportunities in this beautiful part of the state,” according to the company blog.
“We’ve already got great excitement from the Department of Tourism, Delaware Economic Development Office and the Governor’s Office for this project,” says Dogfish founder and President Sam Calagione. “And we’re excited to work with the local agencies as well because we’re very confident that this motel will bring a lot more business not just to Dogfish but to the other local retailers and restaurateurs in Delaware.”
The inn overlooks the harbor in Lewes, in between the brewpub and distillery in Rehoboth Beach and our production brewery in Milton. The brewery has undergone a major expansion and has added states to its sales territory.
Studio Tack in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Lighthouse Construction in Magnolia, are designing and renovating the Lewes inn.
The motel will not come with any image challenges for Dogfish Head to overcome. The property has earned generally good reviews on websites, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp.
News of the inn comes at about the same time as the opening Hyatt Place Hotel in Dewey Beach. The hotel targets a market that might include some Dogfish Head fans, since it comes with a media center, free Internet access and a selection of lighter food offerings around the clock.
Speaking of Food, Dogfish Head has partnered with a food company to distribute its beer-infused brats that are now being sold at the Milton brewery.
