Charles Mallory

With a penchant for the unrepeatable, the Greenwich Hospitality Group founder breathes new life into storied destinations across Connecticut and beyond.

Written by Katelyn Rutt

For Charles Mallory, the path to hospitality wasn’t clear-cut. The restaurateur and hotelier began his career in the oil shipping business, seemingly unrelated from the world of concierge desks and bellhops.

“I always had an interest in restaurants and hotels, and even considered going in that direction after college,” Mallory says. “Little did I know the shipping business would allow me to do a lot of traveling and spend significant time in hotels and restaurants throughout the world. It was a happy career for me and fueled my enthusiasm for those areas.”

Mallory’s 30-year journey zig-zagged from shipping to real estate development until his acquisition of the former Showboat Hotel in 1999—alongside friends, family, and investors. Greenwich Avenue, referred to as the “Rodeo Drive of the East Coast,” was the perfect location for the group’s first hotel renovation. The tired 1960s motel, a former coal yard, received a reimagining comparable to its colorful history and quickly secured its place as an iconic mainstay.

“Life went swimmingly until the financial meltdown of 2008,”

Mallory says. “I had been passive as a general partner until then, and had to roll up my sleeves and figure out how to run the business. I found I very much enjoyed it.”

Not dissimilar to his outlook on life, Mallory considers every detour or repositioning as the catalyst to a new destination.

“This crisis also gave us an opportunity to acquire two other hotels that were unfinished which meant we were officially in the hotel business, and not just in possession of a single or passive investment,” Mallory says. “The crisis ironically propelled the business forward.”

However, there are nearly 187,000 hotels worldwide. Mallory’s ace in the hole? Developing a destination that is impossible to replicate.

“I try to find unrepeatable locations or areas where there are real challenges to enter the market,” Mallory says.

“For example, Southport is driven by parking and zoning, so it would have been impossible to build another hotel there. West Hartford is a town-owned site that is in the heart of a delightful community, is close to business and social activities, and presents like a landmark. It has raised the bar for hotels in affluent suburbs.”

With Mallory at the helm, Delamar Hotels has an exciting future ahead. A hotel on the campus of Mystic Seaport in Eastern Connecticut will serve as a bookend to the Greenwich location, with glistening water and historic vistas from each guest room. Mallory describes the hotel as a “magical destination” with waterfront dining, a dock, and a pool.

“We have another Delamar underway in Westport which will be complementary to Delamar Southport and the newly-acquired lease at The Inn at Longshore,” Mallory says. “I am also a general partner for a build at Lime Rock Park, a historic sportscar racing track in Northwestern Connecticut. It’s a wonderful opportunity to create something unique...a luxury hotel at a sports car racing facility.”

As an auto history buff and avid collector, the hotelier also has plans to transform his collection into a movable feast of cars and boats that would be visible and usable in the group’s hotels and restaurants—alongside art courtesy of his close relationship with many museums and local institutions.

“I’ve loved cars ever since I was very young,” Mallory says. “I have two magazines that I’ve subscribed to for respectively 65 and 64 years in a row. I was also actively involved in vintage racing in the 80s and 90s. I’m built more for comfort than speed now.”

But Mallory isn’t slowing down any time soon. In a way, he is a new brand of superhero, helping to create thousands of jobs, save buildings from destruction, and reposition them for success.

“I learn from my mistakes and know my limitations in a very real way,” Mallory says. “Having good partners, a helpful son, and a supportive wife is a blessing. We also have a wonderful leadership team and staff from all over the world who work very hard and do it because they love it. People are a huge part of what makes Delamar Hotels so special.”