Sunset Motel in Greenport has sold to the former owners of nearby The Menhaden, the new owner confirmed.
Daniel Pennessi said he and his wife purchased the 24-room motel in October. The Greenport hotelier said permit applications for renovations have been filed with the town, even as the siding and roofing are replaced on the building. He intends to replace some windows and put in a pool, in addition to some other work. He does not plan to add any more rooms.
“We’re working away,” he said, noting that the space is being renovated. “We hope to get some rooms done and open for the season.”
Mr. Pennessi emphasized that Sunset Motel is different from The Menhaden, which sold this summer to Atlantic Equity Partners, a New England-based real estate private equity firm.
Mr. Pennessi built the 16-room Front Street boutique with his wife Kristen, opening for business in December 2018.
“We saw the need for a luxury accommodation. And that property was different in a lot of ways, you know, being downtown and the direct access, walkability to all that Greenport has to offer,” he said of The Menhaden. “Sunset, you know, I think that there is still a demand for luxury accommodation. But it’s all about striking the balance. And this one, I think it’ll be a little bit more family friendly, family-oriented resort type feel.”
Though only a five-minute drive from The Menhaden in downtown Greenport, the waterfront motel is not within walking distance of the village.
“That’s always the push and pull of it, right? You want to be able to deliver a true North Fork experience. And you want to still be able to play to the clientele in this case,” he said.
The property was purchased from the Levin family, the original owners of The Sound View in Greenport, which was sold in 2016 to Eagle Point Hotel Partners.
“We’re very excited about [Sunset Motel]. We worked very closely with the Levin family, and they’re one of the first families of hospitality on the North Fork if you will,” Mr. Pennessi said. “We were fortunate enough to be able to make a deal with them that was good for everybody.”
The Pennessis are also partners in Croteaux Vineyards in Southold.
