Fort Scott Inn sells for over $1 million

Alex and Rina Desai took ownership of the Fort Scott Inn on Tuesday. They plan future improvements and a franchise affiliation. (Ruth Campbell/Tribune)

HotelBrokerOne has sold Fort Scott Inn to Fort Scott Hospitality Co., a Kansas corporation, for $1.075 million, a news release said.

Alex and Rina Desai make up Fort Scott Hospitality, and they took over on Tuesday. Their families have hotels in Texas and Kansas and were looking for properties in the area. Eventually, Desai said, they plan to turn the hotel into a franchise, but for the time being, it will remain the Fort Scott Inn. Its eight employees will also stay on.

Most likely, the hotel will become part of the Choice Hotels International chain, as an EconoLodge.

"We might even think about a Days Inn or something like that," he said.

Desai said they plan to make improvements to the lodging and "definitely" plan to reopen the restaurant. "We're thinking about leasing it," he said.

The couple, who are expecting a child, haven't been in Fort Scott long, but they have already experienced its hospitality. "We're looking forward to some events in town," Rina said. "... We look forward to planting some roots here."

Mike Craddock, managing broker for the Oklahoma City-based HotelBrokerOne, said his company has been running the Fort Scott Inn as an interim step to selling it since June 26, 2011.

The hotel was constructed in 1980 as a Best Western with 78 rooms. It was sold for about $13,782 per room by Sunflower Bank, which also provided the financing, the release said.

Craddock, Tracey Thomas and Alex Goodin of HospitalityOne, LLC, managed the property, taking over from Sunflower.

"This has been a fabulous opportunity for us, and we have enjoyed our time in Fort Scott," Craddock said in the release. He added that the people of Fort Scott have been wonderful to get to know. Tracey Thomas will miss eating at Marsha's Great Plains Deli, and they both will miss watching games at Sharky's.

Craddock said leaving is very bittersweet. "We've fallen in love with Fort Scott. The people have been really, really great. It's not a fun process, especially when you have a city like Fort Scott and you get to know people and get to do some popsitive things in the community," he said.

HotelBrokerOne was founded in 1987 and offers acquisition and disposition services, consulting, lender portfolio evaluation, interim property management and receiverships for hospitality properties.

The firm's headquarters is in Oklahoma City with offices in Dallas, Phoenix, Miami, Salt Lake City, Kansas City and Tulsa.