Resort Capital Partners Closes On Joint Venture At Jackson's Snake River Sporting Club

Snake River Sporting Club, a luxury resort and residential community set on 1,000 acres of pristine Wyoming wilderness, embarks on a series of ongoing enhancements while introducing expanded amenities and year-round programming, turning the longtime seasonal hideaway into a four-season retreat for owners and guests.

Snake River Sporting Club is designed around the natural beauty of the surrounding land and national forest, offering guests a protected place to experience a variety of outdoor pursuits in an unspoiled setting. Commencing this spring and continuing throughout 2021 and the years ahead, extensive renovations and additions to the resort reinforce its commitment to providing a best-in-class experience.

Resort Capital Partners (RCP), a leading real estate investment advisory firm, represented ownership to arrange a joint venture with hospitality industry expert Sandy Beall to help usher in the new phase of growth at Snake River Sporting Club. Sandy’s accomplishments are numerous, including founder of Ruby Tuesday and chairman and co-founder of Blackberry Farm, among other successful ventures.

“This was a rare opportunity to advise an ideally located destination residential resort in a high barrier to entry market,” said Rick Newton, founding partner, Resort Capital Partners. “Snake River Sporting Club is a unique property with great hospitality potential in the attractive Jackson Hole area. RCP generated a number of strategic proposals from select family office groups and is pleased to announce the closing of the deal.”

“We appreciate the thoughtful process that Rick and the RCP team displayed throughout the engagement, said Christopher Swann, CEO of Cygnus Capital, Inc. “RCP has deep expertise in the industry and helped us thoroughly evaluate a wide range of strategic options over the past year, which ultimately led to a successful transaction.”

Construction on the new Elk Run Lodge begins this spring and will include luxurious overnight accommodations, a complete fitness and wellness program, and a new, full-service spa featuring advanced treatments and the latest wellness technologies. It will also house an expansive gym and fitness center with two studios and daily programming with a variety of instructor-led classes.

In addition to an expanded array of activities and introducing new adventure experiences, significant investments will be made across all aspects of the property. Starting with the central hub of activity and main social space, the Clubhouse will be updated with new interiors come fall 2021. The resort’s soaking pool and infinity-edge pool with iconic mountain views will have refreshed lounging and outdoor dining areas.

An expanded equestrian program is underway, including permitted access to the Bridger-Teton National Forest for full-day rides and increased on-site riding opportunities for even more possibilities to explore the area by horseback with lunch rides and ring lessons. Future plans include a complete revitalization of the original, historic Snake River Ranch, which dates back to the 1800s. Celebrating the cowboy lifestyle of the old west, the Ranch will be restored to its original glory with a new complex for weekly rodeos and will serve as the hub for all adventure and equestrian activities.

The nearby Barn bodega will also be transformed into a casual gathering place with all-day food and beverage service bringing families together for live music and outdoor movies, as well as access to Beaver Pond with paddleboards, kayaks, a slide, and rope swings, alongside an expanded kids’ camp. The Barn is equipped to host festive events, donning chandeliers down the central pathway and complemented by an outdoor gathering pavilion. The property’s old-time drinking shack will be brought back to life as a whiskey house, and a robust culinary garden will grow fresh produce for meals.

In addition to Snake River Sporting Club, the principals at RCP have been active over the past year, successfully closing six deals within the past six months, including advising the owner of the Forbes Five-Star property, The Wheatleigh, in Lenox, Mass. on a new hotel management agreement with Life House. RCP also represented a large Charleston Family Office investor on the land sale of a 13-acre oceanfront property in Panama City, Fla. of which more than one million square feet will be developed into a hotel alongside residential product. Additionally, RCP sourced both the co-general partner and limited partner equity investors for the acquisition and renovation of The Westin Snowmass Resort and Wildwood Inn in Snowmass, Colo.