Dede Gotthelf: The Woman Behind The Southampton Inn

Dede Gotthelf took an unusual route to the ownership of the Southampton Inn. In 1997, she was helping a local realtor create a package to sell the iconic property. At the same time, her youngest son was accepted into kindergarten in New York City. These two things may not seem to have anything in common, but for Gotthelf, they created an ideal opportunity.

“I was running a financial consulting firm and decided, with my children in school, I could buy the Southampton Inn and spend the summers at the beach with family” she says with a laugh. “What was I thinking?”

The Inn was Gotthelf’s first foray into the hospitality business.

“I knew how to finance a hotel and I’d stayed in hotels, but knew nothing about the hospitality business,” Gotthelf says of the early days of her new business. “There was a hotel expert hired at the time who stated that the Inn had to cater to only one demographic; either corporate groups or romance getaways, weddings or empty nesters. Families would not spend time in the same space as socialites and corporate functions. But I disagreed.

“Families and businesses and couples could all share the beauty of Southampton; looking at the unparalleled beaches, walking trails and quaint shops,” she continued. “The Southampton Inn has defied the stereotypes for 25 years, with over 30,000 annual guests, and including dogs, children, elderly, LGBTQ, and corporate meeting participants. It feels like the blend of a charming bed and breakfast and a full service hotel. We have 90 rooms on six acres. And we are fortunate to have a wonderful staff, some celebrating their 20+ anniversaries with the company. The friendly, experienced staff is definitely one of the many reasons we are successful.”

Gotthelf had an impressive financial career before her dive into the hospitality industry. After graduating as one of the first 10 women at previously all-male Williams College, she accepted a job in the Global Credit Training Program at Chase Manhattan Bank. Her time in finance included a stint overseeing $1 billion of urban renewal projects for the New York State Urban Development Corp, now the Empire State Development Corporation.

She was Director of Investment Sales at Julien Studley; a partner in a Washington DC real estate development company; a general partner in one of the first waterfront buildings at constructed at Battery Park City, and purchased the Brooklyn Bridge (arches) from the City of New York. She formed Catco Group, a real estate development, brokerage and consulting company which became contract vendee for the Southampton Inn in 1997.

“The career change from finance and development to hospitality and tourism wasn’t planned,” says Gotthelf, “It just happened. It has turned into a creative daily challenge, and spans finance, facilities, marketing and sales, interior (and exterior) design, housekeeping, food and beverage, human resources, and lots of community and government collaboration. Career changes even run in the family. Gotthelf’s son, Edward, recently left his cutting-edge research as an atomic physicist to come back to Southampton and the Inn as the general manager.

Situated in the historic Southampton Village and within a mile from Coopers Beach, the Southampton Inn is an ideal place to spend time. Visitors agree with that; 70 percent of the Southampton Inn’s guests return year after year.

“We are open year-round, although we are busier in the summer months,” Gotthelf says. “Once you get here you don’t really need a car. You can walk or bike to most places. And for decades, the Inn has been connecting its guests to the myriad of local events: fundraisers: art fairs: theatre and concerts: special shopping discounts; and all kinds of local dining.”

The Inn also boasts an outdoor pool, tennis and pickle ball, banquet spaces including ballroom, meeting rooms, Claude’s Restaurant, indoor and outdoor dining, and 16 designated pet-friendly rooms. Enjoy a book from the Inn’s welcoming Library to read in one of the secluded spots inside or on the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Southampton Inn. Gotthelf and staff believe that these little things elevate the guest experience.

“We offer homemade cookies and iced tea or lemonade on summer Fridays,” Gotthelf says. “After housing hospital staff during the pandemic, the inn rooms and restaurant have received extensive make-overs including beautiful new Matouk linens, new Tempur-pedic mattresses, new sea shell carpeting, over 800 plants and bushes, and pack ‘n play as well as cribs in rooms where families stay.”

As for the annual rite of spring, “What will Claude’s be in 2023? What’s in store for 2024? Beloved Claude’s has changed its theme and brand this year. The Restaurant has been renovated inside and out with beautiful new European patio furniture and an elevated pub-style menu,” Gotthelf says. The Restaurant is open daily for breakfast, offers weekend brunch, and will open for lunch and dinner service on Thursday, May 23.

Gotthelf says that Southampton offers natural beauty, recreational opportunities, unique shops, fascinating museums, and world-class beaches. She believes that it is important to make these activities accessible to all, and also, that it is sometimes hard to make progress against the challenges posed by lack of housing for workers which makes staffing challenging for the entire local business community.

“We have a lot of things planned for the Southampton Inn,” Gotthelf says of the plan to add luxury suites with kitchens and private balconies, a possible indoor pool to attract visitors during the “off” seasons, as well as some new meeting/public spaces. “As much as I enjoy the changes and the energy and excitement of The Hamptons, I think it is important to preserve the peace, tranquility and beauty of the classic and historic Village of Southampton where I enjoyed growing up. The Inn offers a comfortable, convenient and welcoming stay, and allows visitors to enjoy all that the world famous East End of Long Island has to offer.”

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.