Casino owner Sal Lupoli buys Mainsail Motel for $7.35M, expands Hampton Beach empire

HAMPTON — Sal Lupoli has purchased the Mainsail Motel and Cottages for $7.35 million, adding to his Hampton Beach portfolio that includes the Casino complex.

Harris Real Estate announced the sale Wednesday, congratulating Dave and Kara Hartnett, who ran the Mainsail at 40 Ashworth Ave. for a decade. Lupoli signed the documents Dec. 20 as the manager of the listed owner, Ashworth Hampton Beach LCC, according to the Rockingham County Registry of Deeds.

The Hartnetts bought the hotel for $2.6 million in 2014 and ran it for more than a decade.

The couple decided to put the property on the market in June to retire in Key West, Florida, in the offseason. They nearly closed on a sale with Realtor and former “Bachelorette” contestant Christian Smith in October, but it fell through due to financing issues.

“He couldn’t raise the necessary capital,” Hartnett said. “We were very lucky to have several interested parties.”

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Lupoli expands Hampton Beach footprint with Mainsail purchase

Lupoli’s purchase of the property comes at a time when he is looking to redevelop his properties at Hampton Beach. Not only does he own the Hampton Beach Casino complex, but also adjacent properties between D Street and C Street. Those properties include Cascade Restaurant, JB’s and a string of walkup eateries like Sal’s Pizza. Also on that block are the Candy Corner, Farr's Famous Chicken and the Community Church, also known as the Singing Church.

Lupoli announced in June he plans to invest $400 million to $600 million into his properties, but so far has not submitted any plans with the town planning department. The project, he said at the time, could include a convention center spanning two blocks from C to F Street that incorporates the historic Casino Ballroom. He said he envisioned businesses, entertainment, rentals, residential space and possibly a hotel.

Whether the Mainsail will become part of that redevelopment is unclear. A spokesperson for Lupoli did not respond to an inquiry into his plans for the motel.

Lupoli, who grew up in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, is the fourth largest real estate developer in Massachusetts by square foot, according to the Boston Business Journal. He made his fortune starting with the Sal’s Pizza chain, which has had a location on Hampton Beach for 30 years. He is known for developments like the Riverwalk Innovation District in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he turned an old mill space into a multi-use complex with 600 people living in residential units.

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Mainsail an iconic property at Hampton Beach

The Mainsail’s original building and several cottages were built in 1940, according to town records. An extension was added to the main building in 1986, and in 1998 a second large street-side building parallel to the original motel structure was built.

The Hartnetts bought the Mainsail in 2014. Kara Hartnett’s family, the Schaakes, had been on the beach for 140 years, and Dave Hartnett’s family had owned land in Hampton and Seabrook for a long time.

Dave Hartnett said they gave the property, consisting of 40 hotel rooms and 19 cottages off Ashworth Avenue, “TLC” over the years.

Improvements made include removing all the rugs from the hotel rooms and cottages and installing new vinyl planking. They also replaced the appliances and mattresses and rebuilt the pool area.

The current condition of the Mainsail factored into the price north of $7 million, according to Realtor Alex Louiseau.

“The Mainsail, I think, is such a unique property. Dave and Kara took such good care of it,” Louiseau said. “It’s probably one of the nicest hotels, motels, on Hampton Beach.”

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Hartnett said he’s aware of Lupoli’s intention to redevelop his properties and doesn’t know what that means for the Mainsail.

“He invested in an iconic and successful operation,” Hartnett said. “I can’t imagine he will change what Kara and I have developed in the last 10 years.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach Casino owner Sal Lupoli buys Mainsail Motel for $7.35M