The French Quarter Inn, a hotel located in downtown Maysville, has been acquired by James and Amanda Keith, along with their development partners.
The Keiths have acquired the French Quarter Inn from its original owners, Gary and Bunni Phillips, and will take over the operation of the facility in July. The Ledger Independent recently spoke with James and Amanda Keith in an interview to discuss their acquisition.
“The acquisition was realized with the continued support of Judge Owen McNeill and Tyler McHugh over six years. The French Quarter Inn was first built in 1997, and has long been a fixture in Maysville’s downtown, drawing thousands of visitors a year,” the Keiths stated in a press release.
For the Keiths, Maysville brings to mind family connections. James Keith’s father, John D. Keith Jr., was born there in 1936, and as he grew up, he heard his mother and father talk about Maysville. Keith& Keith Motor Company, a business located on Second Street, was founded by James Keith’s grandfather and great uncle, John D. Keith and Thomas A. Keith, Jr.
“I have pictures of their home and family Christmases at 7 West Third Street,” James Keith stated. “I grew up with pictures of Maysville and my dad always singing ‘Maysville, hometown of my heart.’”
In 2006, James and Amanda Keith saw a sign for Maysville during a road trip and decided to pay a visit to James’ father’s home. While there, he became acquainted with family members and has visited ever since, spending Thanksgiving with his extended family.
The Keiths have a background in historic preservation and hospitality. While in grad school, they purchased a landmark property, restoring it to single-family living. Later, they purchased another landmark property, restoring it to a six-room Colonial Revival Mansion.
After COVID-19, James and Amanda Keith visited Maysville again and began to think that the French Quarter Inn would be a nice expansion. They ultimately made the decision to go back to North Carolina and restore a property there, the NuWray Hotel. This hotel, located in Burnsville, N.C., is the Keiths’ most recent project and North Carolina’s oldest continuously operating hotel, opened after three and a half years of restoration.
A little over a month after restoring the NuWray Hotel, Hurricane Helene traveled through Yancey County, where the hotel resides. In November 2024, James and Amanda Keith decided to take a vacation and came to Maysville.
“It was the first time we’d left North Carolina in almost coming close to three and a half, four years and we came to Maysville,” James Keith stated. “It felt a little bit like coming home because we both feel oddly connected here.”
They decided to “open the can again,” and five years later, James Keith expressed, he could see development being done, with “a different energy” in Maysville.
Some dear friends and development partners of the Keiths offered to help bridge the gap and bring it “to a close and a reality.”
“They said if you do anything like you did at the NuWray, we want to be with you,” said James Keith. “What got it over the line for them, they visited once. All they had to do was come up and visit once, and Maysville sold itself.”
Rising Tide Hotels, a boutique hospitality management company in Charleston, S.C., is an operating partner with the Keiths and will assist in managing the French Quarter Inn. From a good friendship to a working partnership, the Keiths have expressed that having them on board makes it feasible to guide the direction of everythingand have functional operational support “on a day-to-day basis.”
“They took one look at Maysville, and they said, ‘We want to be a partner with you in this endeavor,’ and so they agreed to take both on with us,” James Keith stated.
“What we like about this is, with the planned upfit, is being able to offer to the community of Maysville, ‘Hey guys, take a — it’s a five-hour drive down to the mountains of western N.C. and Asheville; it’s beautiful. Hey, go down there, and if you’re from Maysville, Mason Co. or the general area, here’s a discount on the room,’” said James Keith. “’Come play in the western N.C. mountains and vice versa to those folks in Carolina.’ Say ‘Hey, come up to the Ohio River Valley, take the b-line, try all the bourbons, go down to Louisville for a day, take the drive or go to Cincy, see a baseball game, but stay here, and it’s a good place to use a home base while you go around.’ And both are areas that are not major tourist attractions, but once people find it, they realize, ‘Oh man, this is special, this is a good reason to come up.’”
James Keith expressed that what he and his wife like about both locations is that it brings energy, development and attraction, as well as something to do in places that “are seeing a development upswing,” noting that a little boost of energy and a place where people can rest “helps a lot.”
He also expressed that Maysville is a preserved and beautiful place, and that the view from the hotel is something you cannot beat, recalling the knowledge that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all there.
“Our plan right now for the upfit of the hotel is, with all the contactors and everything coming to town for the next couple of years, we’re going to work with them and listen to the community,” said James Keith. “We have a plan for the restoration of all the rooms for remodeling and renovating all the rooms, bathrooms top to bottom, but it seemed like it might be a good idea to focus initially on bringing back the food, beverage program.”
During the remodeling, the Keiths will focus on the restaurant and bar areas first, expressing their opinion that this will enhance offerings for hotel guests, opening back up to the public.
“The first thing we need to do is make an impact,” said James Keith. “And I feel like adding jobs and creating a place that is not only for visitors to see the history of the place, but also for the public to enjoy again. A place for them to be proud of, a place for them to happily put their family members and visitors up.”
The Keiths expressed that there was something that felt special, that they felt very welcomed by other people and that “there was something for them to do here.”
“What I do think it hopefully does is continue the already embedded development momentum that is so obvious downtown that both Tyler and Owen have worked so hard for, and we want to be a part of that,” stated James Keith.
Economic Development Director for the Maysville-Mason County Industrial Development Authority (MMCIDA) Tyler McHugh stated, “This is an exciting project not only for Downtown Maysville, but for the entire community. The French Quarter Inn has long been an important part of Maysville’s identity and tourism economy, and I believe James and Amanda Keith understand both the history and character that make this property so special. Their background in historic preservation and hospitality, combined with their personal connection to Maysville, gives me a great deal of confidence in the future of the property. The planned investment and renovations will help strengthen Downtown Maysville while preserving the authenticity and charm that residents and visitors have appreciated for years.
“I also want to commend Gary and Bunni Phillips for the tremendous impact they have had on our community through the French Quarter Inn over the years. Their commitment to Maysville helped create a destination that has welcomed visitors from across the region for decades. We are excited to welcome the Keith family and their team to Maysville and look forward to seeing the continued growth and positive momentum this project will bring to our downtown and local tourism industry.”
Mason County Judge Executive Owen McNeill stated, “I believe this is a positive step forward for Downtown Maysville. I’m thrilled the facility will retain the family-owned and local atmosphere that the Phillips curated over the years. They could have easily sold to a larger, corporate entity, but always placed Maysville, Mason County and their family atmosphere first. The Keith’s stuck with it and, with their plans to expand the amenities, I believe will be incredibly successful.
“What better narrative can there be in the amount of energy they spent getting back to Maysville. The Keith Automobile Company was once the best-known automobile dealer in Northeastern Kentucky. James’ grandfather was a huge investor in downtown, operating out of what today is Hippie Burger. The Keiths’ return to Maysville is a ‘coming home story’ in and of itself.
“This project will not only improve our downtown atmosphere with additional options for food, beverage, entertainment and lodging but also underscores our authenticity in Maysville and Mason County. We have an incredible team working on new amenities for downtown. Economic Development, Main Street, Tourism, our Chamber and others are all working hard to support economic activity and vibrancy in downtown and across Mason County. While nothing happens overnight, we have several new building owners and investors in downtown, all with their own exciting plans. I believe the addition of the Keiths and their investment in the French Quarter property are the first of several new neighbors and investors. Collectively, they’ll join current successful entities stretching from Buck’s and Hippie Burger to Holli’s Cold Pressed Juice and more, in helping grow our momentum in Downtown and across Maysville and Mason County.
“Given their experience, energy and the incredible team of professionals they have behind them, I believe the Keiths and their team will be tremendous additions to our area.”
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