New Full-Service Resort Marks Topping Out in Gulf Shores, Alabama
DDPartners, LLC, Peachtree Group and Woodbine Development Corporation are developing 257-room beachfront destination
GULF SHORES, ALA. (Oct. 29, 2024) – DDPartners, LLC of Birmingham, Alabama, and Marietta, Georgia, Peachtree Group of Atlanta and Woodbine Development Corporation of Dallas celebrated the topping out of Embassy Suites Gulf Shores, a full-service resort overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and its renowned white sand beaches – located in Alabama’s No. 1 tourism destination, the City of Gulf Shores.
The topping out ceremony represents a significant milestone with the placement ofthe final steel beam, signifying the structural completion of the project.
“Today’s topping out serves to celebrate our contractors and construction teams for their efforts to bring this resort to life,” said King Scovell, Managing Partner and Chief Development Officer at Woodbine.
“Since the groundbreaking, these crews have shown up day after day to construct the vision that was cast years ago. We are thankful for their efforts, and we look forward to this being a destination for people to enjoy.”
Embassy Suites Gulf Shores is a joint venture among the three firms. DD Partners and Woodbine are leading development and asset management efforts, and Peachtree will manage operations for the resort upon completion in summer 2025. The architect of record for the project is PFVS, and the contractor is Robins& Morton.
The eight-story property will have 257 all-suite beachfront guest rooms; a lobby bar and restaurant; a rooftop amenity terrace inclusive of a bar and grille, pool deck and an outdoor entertainment venue; and 13,620 square feet of enclosed meeting and pre-function space, including a 7,800-square-foot ballroom. The resort will also have a three-story parking garage and 7,618 square feet of leasable retail space that will include a Starbucks.
“We are thankful for all the people who have come together to make this project happen, including the folks at the City of Gulf Shores, our partners at Woodbine and Peachtree, and the local community – but especially the crews whose skills, strength anddedication have built the bones of this resort. Today, we celebrate their hardwork and what lies ahead for this incredible destination,” said Ron Durham, Co-Founder of DD Partners, a joint venture he formed with Ron Day.
Durham and Day have strong backgrounds in commercial real estate development in the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast, and they joined forces with Woodbine and Peachtree to pursue the Embassy Suites Gulf Shores opportunity. The team’s collective track record in hospitality and development – as well as DD Partners’ strong relationship with the City of Gulf Shores – resulted in the group closing on the project and beginning construction after many years of pursuit.
“The topping out of Embassy Suites is a testament to what can be achieved through vision and partnership,”said Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft. “This transformative project is exactly what we envisioned for our beach area when we adopted Vision 2025. The hotel's high-end amenities and substantial conference space will bolster our shoulderseasons, support local businesses year-round and serve as a catalyst for even more quality redevelopment in Gulf Shores,” said Craft.
Peachtree Group’s CEO and Managing Principal Greg Friedman said, “The next milestone, the opening of our Embassy Suites Gulf Shores, the area's newest full-service resort, will be more than just a grand opening – it will be a game-changer for this local economy. This stunning property will not only attract visitors but will also inject new spending into the community, creating jobs and supporting local businesses. The economic impact will ripple through the city and region, benefiting everyone from the workforce to public services. In Gulf Shores, tourism isn't just about being a top destination – it's about fueling economic growth and creating lasting opportunities for our communities.”
While it boasts plenty of its own amenities, Embassy Suites Gulf Shores will offer guests a great deal o foptions within the area. The property is situated footsteps from the beach as well as the Hangout Music Festival, National Shrimp Festival and NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships. It is also located adjacent to the city’s $15 million beachfront revitalization project, which was completed in 2018 as part of a master plan to enhance the area. Other nearby attractions include Gulf State Park, the Wharf at Orange Beach, Tanger Outlets, more than a dozen championship golf courses and easy access to the sports complexes in Foley.
About Robins & Morton
Robins & Morton is a privately held construction firm based in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Charlotte, Dallas, Huntsville, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, and Tampa. The firm specializes in the construction of healthcare, hospitality, higher education, entertainment, sports and government buildings. Since 1946, the firm has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to clients nationwide by cultivating a high-performing team that values integrity, safety, and innovative thinking. Robins & Morton is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 contractors in the United States, and one of the top 15 in the Southeast. To learn more about Robins & Morton, visit: www.robinsmorton.com.
About DD Partners, LLC
Based out of Birmingham, Alabama, and Marietta, Georgia, DD Partners, LLC was founded by Ron Durham and Ron Day. The team has more than 50 years of commercial real estate acquisition, development, construction, management and disposition experience across the Southeast. DD Partners has been involved in the Embassy resort project since its inception. DD was awarded the contract with the City of Gulf Shores through the RFP process, negotiated the terms and benefits of the Development Agreement with the City, secured the Embassy Suites by Hilton flag for the project and completed the conceptual design of the building before joining forces with hospitality partners Woodbine Development and Peachtree Group.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
About Woodbine Development Corporation
Woodbine Development Corporation is a full-service real estate company with more than 50 years of development, investment, acquisition and asset management experience. Since its founding in 1973, Woodbine has been involved in more than $7 billion in commercial real estate development, including resort, resort, mixed-use, office, residential, industrial and master-planned projects throughout the United States. The Dallas-based company offers a depth of hospitality expertise and services, including ground-up development, renovation, repositioning, asset management and ownership for full-service destinations and select-service stays for global and boutique brands alike. Its portfolio also features Woodbine Legacy Investments, an acquisition platform dedicated to the purchase and repositioning of lifestyle resorts, and Woodbine Commercial, a brokerage entity focused on industrial/office. Learn more at www.woodbinedevelopment.com.
ATLANTA(Nov. 3, 2025) - Peachtree Group (“Peachtree”) today announced that its hotel development portfolio has exceeded $2 billion nationwide, a significant milestone underscoring its ability to deliver large-scale projects in one of the most challenging hospitality investment environments.
According to a recent survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association, many hotel developers are delaying or scaling back projects, with some shelving them altogether. Despite this trend, Peachtree has continued to advance its pipeline, with. This milestone highlights the firm’s scale, execution capabilities and commitment to delivering projects when much of the industry is pulling back.
The firm’s largest property to open its doors in 2025, the Embassy Suites Beach Resort in Gulf Shores, Ala., features 257 all-suite guest rooms overlooking the white sands of the Gulf Coast. The eight-story hotel delivers a true beachfront experience with sweeping water views, distinctive food and beverage options and resort-style amenities.
In Dallas, construction teams celebrated the topping out on the dual-branded AC and Moxy by Marriott Uptown, currently Peachtree’s tallest hotel development at 19 stories in the heart of the highest-demand submarket of Dallas. The project will bring 264 upscale rooms to the McKinney Avenue corridor, a premier destination known for its mix of dining, nightlife, corporate offices and luxury residences. The much-anticipated hotel is expected to open in summer 2026.
And in Austin, Peachtree is undertaking its most ambitious project yet with the development of a dual-branded Embassy Suites and Tempo by Hilton. The 30-story tower will feature 480 guestrooms, crowned by a rooftop bar and lounge offering sweeping views of the city skyline. The project will also include 10,000 square feet of first- and second-floor space to be operated by a prominent, national restaurant group in the heart of Austin’s dynamic core.
“These projects reflect the full breadth of what Peachtree can deliver,” said Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO of Peachtree Group. “From a beachfront resort in Gulf Shores to a lifestyle-driven hotel in Uptown Dallas and a dual-branded flagship in downtown Austin, we are scaling across markets with projects that redefine experiences for guests and value for our partners. Each underscores the strength of our platform to execute in a challenging environment.”
Peachtree’s Opportunity Zone development program continues to advance with the topping out of its Residence Inn San Antonio and the openings of the Hampton Inn & Suites in Maui and the AC Hotel Detroit. Notably, Peachtree also opened The Ava Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton, in Paso Robles, Calif., in August, a lifestyle-branded hotel that marks a new era in hospitality for the Central Coast.
The firm is among the most active hotel developers in Qualified Opportunity Zones, with 11 hotels open, four under construction and three more in the pipeline. Peachtree has supported the program since its inception, strategically allocating capital to spur economic development and advance its goal of revitalizing underserved communities.
Rounding out its momentum, the firm recently celebrated the opening of the Homewood Suites in Jackson, Tenn. Looking ahead, Peachtree expects to open two more hotels in 2025: a Home2 Suites in Ashburn, Va.,and a Tru by Hilton in Huntsville, Ala.
These projects, along with others under construction across the country, showcase Peachtree’s ability to execute across the full spectrum of hospitality asset types from efficient, limited-service hotels to high-rise, amenity-rich destinations. The firm remains bullish on hotel development, recognizing that many existing properties have been starved of capital since the pandemic and in today’s higher-rate environment. Newer hotels are not only better positioned to capture demand but to outperform over the long term, creating what Peachtree views as a compelling, durable opportunity.
“Developing hotels in today’s environment requires both conviction and capability,” said Will Woodworth, Peachtree’s senior vice president, investments. “High interest rates, elevated construction costs and tighter credit conditions have slowed new supply, but our vertically integrated platform and access to capital allow us to partner with best-in-class brands to deliver properties on-time and on-budget that will elevate the markets in which we build.”
Peachtree is one of the most active hotel and commercial real estate investors in the U.S., with more than $8 billion in asset value under management. The firm’s development program complements its credit and equity platforms, leveraging its vertically integrated structure to originate, acquire, develop and manage assets across the cycle.
Our VP of Investments, Will Woodworth, was featured in Hotel Investment Today, discussing the important role Opportunity Zones (OZs) are playing in today’s hotel development landscape.
“It became a critical vehicle to be able to develop, period. Your investor base may have a slightly different motivation. So, their return expectations may be slightly lower. That takes that pressure off of the cost that’s going into the project to be able to get it done.” — Will Woodworth
At Peachtree Group, we recognize the transformative impact OZs can have, not just on hotel projects, but on the communities they help revitalize. As interest rates and construction costs remain challenging, OZs offer a path forward by aligning investor goals with long-term value creation.
"Five years ago, the land now labeled as 905 Seventh St. in Sacramento, California, was nothing more than a parking lot for light rail commuters. Today, it's home to the city's newest major hotel.
The AC Hotel Sacramento opened in March 2024 after its construction began in January 2022. Downtown Sacramento has been in desperate need of more hotel rooms, and the AC Hotel's arrival helped fill that demand, economic leaders in California's capital city said.
The hotel sits in an opportunity zone, which is land that developers are given extra tax incentives from the federal government to revitalize."
