We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Alexander. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.
Lisa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
We saw an opportunity to create Wellspring Manor & Spa after visiting multiple “luxury” brand hotel and noting a visible absence of Black culture. As long-time residents of the metropolitan Washington, DC area, we knew that there was an opportunity to meet an unmet need to bridge the gap between culture and luxury, elegance and relaxation.
Lisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My husband, Kevin Alexander, and I are the owners of Wellspring Manor & Spa. Wellspring is a second career for both of us but we each bring strong business experience to the table. I’ve served as the CEO of a management consulting firm for the last 23 years. My husband is a retired surety bond underwriter working large scale construction projects. I bring the creative concept and marketing skills. Kevin brings strong financial acumen.
We got into the industry after realizing that we could fill an unmet need in the region to create a luxury destination that spoke to the food, music, art and entertainment preferences of high household income travelers of color. We are focused on create a space where our guests can feel safe, seen and celebrated in a way that mainstream luxury hospitality hasn’t.
Wellspring Manor & Spa is a 5-suite luxury bed and breakfast destination featuring an on-site spa, on-site art gallery, on-site pool and a soon-to-be opened gift shop with bespoke cultured gift options.
We’re most proud of our 5-star ratings and what we call #TheWellspringExperience. The Wellspring Experience is not so much of a thing as much as it is a feeling of rest, relaxation, and care that our team creates for our guests. Centered around art, food, music and outstanding service, we’ve been intentional about creating a space not found anywhere else in the DC region or the nation.
As a Black-owned destination targeting luxury travelers and experience-goers, Wellspring offers guests a unique, intimate guest experience on a 7-acre estate hidden in plain sight.
Details about Wellspring can be found at www.wellspringmanor.com.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
What has helped us build our reputation within the regional luxury hospitality market is our consistently outstanding service and the way that we have centered travelers of color throughout the guest experience. Rarely is the traveler of color seen or centered at more traditional destinations. We’ve mastered that and our guests feel it from the moment the arrive on our grounds until the moment they leave.
Our art collection, featuring the work of over 40 artists of colors from around the world, has been a hallmark of our space and is the conduit through which we speak to the local community. So many of our guests and visitors first learn about us because of our art collection. Once a month, we host an art-focused open house (or gallery walk) where the public can walk through our space and take in our ever changing collection. Every piece of art featured at Wellspring is produced by an artists of color and is one-of-a-kind. Our gallery is just one of the features that makes us unique and has helped us build a reputation of excellence.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
Our best source of new clients has been the HBCU community. Many of our guests are HBCU alumni and members of the Divine 9 community.
Social media has also been an excellent source for new clients for Wellspring. We have a presence on both Facebook and Instagram (@wellspringmanorandspa).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wellspringmanor.com
- Instagram: @wellspringmanorandspa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellspringmanor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellspring-manor-spa/?viewAsMember=true
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueFT8C2Uglg&t=142s