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SJB Hotels Granville Ohio, Our Story

From Humble Beginnings to Thriving Success

"Live Local: Telling the Stories of Athens County"
July 2019-Volume 3-Issue 7
Story by Fred Kight

The story of SJB starts with Sandy and Jack Bortle. This couple's venture into hotel lodging has created local jobs that have benefited the Athens area economy and beyond for years.

Do you remember the Valley Drive-in Theater? Jack and Sandy Bortle certainly do. It changed their lives. The drive-in was on Columbus Road in Athens where the Days Inn is now located. The husband and wife ran the theater for five years.

"We had purchased the drive-in thinking we could sell the property to a hotel company," said Jack. "No hotel company would buy it and have developed 36 hotels over the past 35 years."

So, they built the hotel themselves. "We approached local people to invest in the project," Jack said. "We told them that we knew nothing about the hotel business, but we would work hard to make it a success."

Shortly after the hotel opened the general manager left his job with no notice. Sandy jumped in and ran the property. Within a few weeks it was evident to her that a second hotel was
needed in Athens. Just three years later they opened their second hotel.

At age 40 the Bortles clearly found themselves starting new careers in hotel development ownership and management. "Since then, we have developed dozens of hotel properties," Jack said.

Today, the Bortles own the Hampton Inn and the Fairfield Inn and Suites in Athens. They also have properties in Ohio, West Virginia and have developed 36 hotels over the past 35 years.

"We found that there were many Ohio secondary markets in need of hotels," said Jack. "We have created hundreds of jobs in our hotels over the years. Our customer's spend money in addition to what they pay for the hotel room, which helps the local economy."

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Development History

SJB hotels has been instrumental in the formation of the following business entities for the purpose construction and/or renovation and operation of the following hotel projects:

  • (1987) Athens Motel Associates Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit Days Inn, Athens, Ohio.
  • (1989) Athens Motel Associates Limited Partnership, II * Developed a 102 unit AmeriHost Inn & Suites, Athens, Ohio (1990)
  • Bowling Green, Ohio 590 Limited Partnership * Renovated the former 100 unit Holiday Inn; re-franchised as the Days Inn, Bowling Green, Ohio
  • (1990) Zanesville, Ohio 1190 General Partnership * Extensive renovation of the former 60 unit Howard Johnson's; re-franchised as the Days Inn, Zanesville, Ohio (1991)
  • Findlay, Ohio 390 Limited Partnership * Renovated the former 115 unit Imperial House; re-franchised as the Days Inn, Findlay, Ohio (1991)
  • Lancaster, Ohio 1191-Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, Lancaster, Ohio (1992)
  • New Philadelphia, Ohio 1092-Limited Partnership * Renovated the former 104 room Delphian Motor Inn as a Days Inn in New Philadelphia, Ohio. (1992)
  • Logan, Ohio 692 Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, Logan, Ohio (1994)
  • Washington C.H., Ohio 194 Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, Jeffersonville, Ohio (1994)
  • Parkersburg, WVA 894 Limited Partnership * Developed a 79 unit AmeriHost Inn, Parkersburg, WV (1995)
  • New Martinsville, WVA 695 Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, New Martinsville, WV (1995)
  • Zanesville, Ohio 695 Limited Partnership * Developed a 60-unit AmeriHost Inn, Zanesville, Ohio. (1995)
  • Jeffersonville, Ohio 695 LTD* Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, Jeffersonville, Ohio (1995)
  • Kenton, Ohio 1095-Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, Kenton, Ohio (1996)
  • Mineral Wells, WVA 196 Limited Partnership * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn, Mineral Wells, WV (1996)
  • AMALP II 696 LTD * Developed a 61 unit AmeriHost Inn, Wilmington, Ohio (1996)
  • Canal Winchester, Ohio 1296-Limited Partnership * Developed a 61 unit AmeriHost Inn & Suites, Canal Winchester, Ohio (1996)
  • Cambridge, OH 996-Limited Partnership * Developed a 72 unit AmeriHost Inn & Suites Cambridge, Ohio (1999)
  • Hebron, OH 1097 LTD * Developed a 72 unit AmeriHost Inn & Suites, Hebron, Ohio (2000)
  • Oxford, OH 899 LTD * Developed a 60 unit AmeriHost Inn & Suites, Oxford, Ohio (2000)
  • East Liverpool, OH 899 LTD* Developed a 66 unit AmeriHost Inn & Suites, East Liverpool, Ohio (2001)
  • Maumee, OH 901 LTD* Developed an 85 unit Baymont Inn & Suites, in Maumee, Ohio (2002)
  • Rickenbacker 1001 LLC* Developed a 96 unit Baymont Inn and Suites, in Columbus, Ohio (2003)
  • Weirton 902 LLC * Developed a 79 unit Baymont Inn and Suites, in Weirton, WV (2004)
  • Heath OH 703 Ltd.* Developed a 76 unit Hampton Inn, in Heath, OH (2004)
  • Vienna, WV 803 LLC Developed a 76 unit Wingate Inn Vienna, WV (2005)
  • Columbus Airpointe 804 LLC* Developed 87 unit Best Western Hotel at Port Columbus Airport Columbus, Ohio (2006)
  • Athens, OH 405 LLC Developed and Operates an 86 unit Hampton Inn East State Street, Athens, OH (2007)
  • Mineral Wells WV 0506 LLC* Developed an 86 unit Holiday Express Mineral Wells, WV (2008)
  • Weirton WV 0208 LLC Developed and Operates an 86 unit Fairfield Inn & Suites Weirton, WV (2009)
  • Marietta 1209 LLC* Developed and Operates 104 unit Fairfield Inn & Suites Marietta, OH (2012)
  • Marietta Ohio 0812 LLC Developed a 102 Unit Comfort Suites Marietta, OH (2013)
  • Parkersburg WV 912 LLC* Developed a 100 Unit Hampton Inn & Suites Parkersburg, WV (2014)
  • Athens OH 1013 LLC Developed and Operates an 87 Unit Fairfield Inn and Suites Athens, OH (2016)
  • Columbus OH 0617 LLC. Developed and Operates a 120 Unit Fairfield Inn and Suites, Columbus, OH (2020)
* Property sold.