Sarah Wetenhall never set out to become a hotelier. But when opportunity rang in 2016, she answered. That call came from her late father-in-law, Robert C. Wetenhall, who advised Wetenhall and her husband, Andrew, to purchase the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach.
The iconic Colony Hotel, often referred to as
“Pink Paradise,” rises six stories in Palm Beach
The family’s history with the nearly 80-year-old property dates to 1969, when Robert purchased it with a business partner. Even after the ownership structure changed two decades later, he maintained a penthouse apartment there. Sarah herself began spending weekends and holidays at the hotel after she and Andrew met at Vanderbilt University in the late ’90s.
Despite these deep roots, “there was every reason in the world to not buy this hotel,” Sarah says. “We had three kids and our youngest was 1. We didn’t consider ourselves entrepreneurs. We had never owned a business or been in business together.”
Moreover, the Colony had not been profitable in decades. “The litany of reasons why we were bonkers and should not do it went on and on and on,” she adds.
Yet, after much deliberation and many poignant conversations with Robert, Sarah and Andrew took the plunge, purchasing the Colony in late 2016 and immediately getting to work. “I knew nothing, but I knew the experience that I wanted to create for people,” she says. “I felt confident in what I believed Palm Beachers were craving as a hospitality offering.”
The Wetenhalls dedicated their first year of ownership to learning, holding off on making any physical changes to the hotel. “We made a pact to learn the business, to learn this hotel, and get to know the employees,” says Sarah, who serves as the hotel’s CEO. “We were really just going to be a sponge.” Consultant Susan Ritchie was brought in to teach Sarah the ins and outs of the hospitality—a crash course that lasted two years. Robert, who passed away in 2021, served as a sounding board during those early years, too. “I would commute from New York to Florida, work these long days trying to turn this operation around and trying to understand it, then I’d ride the elevator up and sit with my father-in-law in the evenings and talk through it all. It did wonders for our relationship and those are incredibly special memories that I will never forget.”
Sarah—who had spent 15 years in the fashion industry doing PR, marketing, and advertising before taking time off to have her children—also promptly penned a mission statement for the hotel she hoped to create, one that remains unchanged 10 years later. “I thought, if we’re going to start making changes and evolving this business, we need a roadmap, but even before we have a roadmap, we need to have a goal,” she says. “And I’m proud to say that that hotel exists now. That hotel is alive and thriving.”
Soon, improvements were rolled out across the board—from modernizing operational systems to enhancing culture and service. The Colony began to shift from “an apathetic land of no,” as Sarah puts it, to the full-service hotel she had long thought it should be. In 2019, Swifty’s, a fixture on Manhattan’s Upper East Side until 2016, was reincarnated to evolve the property’s F&B offering. “It had been closed [in New York] for just long enough for people to miss it, but not so long that it had been forgotten,” she says. “It’s this sort of nostalgic love of the past but interpreted in a more modern aesthetic.” It was the introduction of Swifty’s restaurant that cemented the tone for the Colony’s new chapter.
A playful custom handpainted de Gournay wallcovering wraps the lobby of the Colony
Then, when Covid hit and the hotel temporarily closed its doors, Sarah, Andrew, and general manager Bruce Seigel considered what they could accomplish during the closure that wouldn’t have been possible while the hotel was operating. Ultimately, despite Andrew’s initial reluctance to invest in a non-revenue generating area, the team chose to embark on the lobby redesign. “We were signaling change not only to our guests, but also to the community,” Sarah says. “We were convincing our hotel guests to stay with us, but we were also convincing local Palm Beachers to get behind us, and the only way to do that was through the initial impression in the lobby.”
To achieve the true spirit of Palm Beach style, the Wetenhalls tapped Mimi Maddock McMakin and Celerie Kemble of local firm Kemble Interiors. Completed in early 2021, the lobby, now fittingly dubbed the Living Room, is wrapped in a pink custom handpainted de Gournay wallcovering brimming with illustrations of South Florida flora and fauna alongside cheeky references, like the appearance of the Colony’s mascot, a spider monkey named Johnnie Brown. A variety of upholstered seating options further echo the hotel’s signature pink façade throughout the interiors.
From there, Kemble Interiors went on to upgrade the rest of the six-story property, including its hallways, pool area, and accommodations. The final phase of the restoration, comprising all 79 guestrooms, wrapped up in late 2022—just in time for the hotel’s 75th anniversary.
Not long after, once business had stabilized and the Wetenhalls felt satisfied with their progress, they began considering their next move. “People had started asking, ‘Is there going to be another?’” says Sarah. “[Having] discovered that we were entrepreneurial in midlife, we looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s try another.’” Deciding to take the brand on the road and see how it would be embraced in another environment, the couple set their sights on the Hamptons. “It’s our home. We’re New York City people Monday through Friday, but we’ve had a home in the Hamptons for 20-plus years, and we knew it was a market that had many parallels to Palm Beach,” she says. “They are both inventory-constrained, luxurious resort destinations, but destinations that can be closed. The Hamptons and Palm Beach are not places that are easy to unlock and unpack if you’re not from the area, or connected to someone, and you want to come visit. There are a lot of similarities between the two places, and we knew them both well, so it was a natural choice.”
The Hedges Inn reopened in East Hampton, New York with interiors by David Netto
The years-long search yielded a match in early 2025, when the couple purchased the Hedges Inn, a 12-room East Hampton landmark originally established in 1873, from John Cumming, whose family had owned the inn for more than 30 years. “It’s a historic property, and it’s the first thing you see when you pull into East Hampton Village,” she says. “Similarly to the Colony, which is the tallest building on the island, both buildings stand out in their respective communities. We believed the Hedges, although it had been loved by the Cumming family, hadn’t ever reached its potential. We felt there was a lot of opportunity to take this really important landmark and help her become the best version of herself.”
To usher the hotel into its latest era, Sarah hired New York- and Los Angeles-based designer and author David Netto. Although his first commercial project, “I knew it was David from day one,” says Sarah. “He was raised in Manhattan and had a summer home two blocks from the Hedges. He grew up riding his bike around these streets, seeing all the beautiful houses. He gets East Hampton style, because he’s lived it.” The inn’s new look, which Sarah describes as “Americana and nostalgic, but at the same time very well-traveled and rather savvy,” was officially unveiled in June.
Now, fresh off their second opening, Sarah is certain: “There will be a third. Once we got traction and people in the Hamptons reacted positively and welcomed us with open arms, we looked at each other and said, ‘They get it, and there’s going to be a third,’” she recalls. “The two brands are different, but there are overarching themes between the two. It’s the same style of hospitality, but unique to place.”
“At the end of the day, we’re here for people,” Sarah notes. “We’re here to help make their dreams come true, make their vacation great, or make their business trip as painless as possible. Whatever it is, it’s about serving people, meeting their needs, and bringing joy to their lives.”
The Hedges’ renovated restaurant and bar area is now home to Swifty’s
Antique and vintage pieces sourced from the U.K., Maine, and Massachusetts are layered throughout the Hedges
The 12-key Hedges features eight room types, including the Superior Deluxe, shown here
Bespoke lounge chairs and scalloped umbrellas line the Colony’s pool area
Kemble Interiors completed the restoration of the Colony’s Living Room lobby in 2021
This article originally appeared in HD’s September 2026 issue.