With Spring Break right around the corner, the excitement is building in the hospitality industry throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal area.  I sat down with Steve Hicks and Paul Stewart, two longtime friends and part-time business partners, who will soon be cutting the ribbon on Beach Village Resort, a 71-unit Orange Beach resort.

Steve, a dentist in Mobile, and Paul, Steve’s patient, formed a friendship while attending church together. Their families enjoyed each other and were often together for dinners or entertainment. It was on a train trip that a business was created between the two. Steve expressed, “If I was ever going to form a business with someone, it would be Paul Stewart.”

Paul was working for Hill and Brooks, the coffee and tea business owned by his father-in-law. In his late ’20s, because he had saved his money, he bought a lot in Orange Beach to build a house for his family. A new beach craze was exploding, and to offset expenses, he decided to place his house in a rental program for vacationers coming to Orange Beach.

“I realized I was making more money in the rental business than I was selling coffee and tea.”  That’s when he knew it was the right time to form an investment partnership with Steve in beach properties.  They purchased a large lot on the Gulf Front beach with plans to build a house and rent it when they weren’t using it.

They researched what amenities were most attractive to vacation renters. With input from Kaiser Realty, they determined the best way to go was a 5 or 6-bedroom house on the beach with a pool.  A stunningly beautiful house plan generated a fabulous opportunity for multi-family or large-family beach travels.  

The plan was so exciting, that Kaiser began taking rental reservations the following summer before construction was complete. During the first year on the rental market, this particular house was the number one beach rental for Kaiser Realty.

One day, Paul mentioned to Steve that their property had substantially appreciated. “Did you know that our property is now worth over a million dollars?” At that, Steve immediately said, “Let’s sell it!” It didn’t take long for an offer to be presented to them, but it fell through before it closed. Two weeks later, they had a new offer for $200,000 more and sold it!  

Their excitement and desire for beach development have never changed with these two. “The market was really hot at the time, and it was theorized that if you built on the beach, you couldn’t go wrong. With rental income and appreciation, it was a good investment. We’ve learned over the years that that is not always the case,” says Steve.

Each step of the way, Paul and Steve learned more about beachside real estate. They took the money they earned from their first sale and assumed ownership of a failed project at the Perdido Pass. To make the deal work, a few more partners were added, and Porto Del Sol was born. A 34-unit condo with a deep water marina, this development included both an indoor and outdoor pool, picturesque water views, and was steps away from retail shops and upscale dining. 

“We knew that the view of Robinson Island with the sunrises and sunsets would be incredible,” says Steve. “From the very beginning of studying this property, we knew it was right.  My wife had an experience during our decision time that showed me it was special.  She was relaxing on a pier at the property and was splashed by a stunning dolphin. She had never seen such a beautiful site up close and personal, as it played around this area for a few minutes. She truly claimed it as a ‘wink’ from God, and we all knew He was behind this finding.”

After selling Porto del Sol, another profit was realized, and the guys began to venture out again in 2008/09. No one saw the devastation ahead as the economy began to collapse. The guys had invested in raw land and beach lots in the Orange Beach area and the beach had become devalued, and there wasn’t much interest in beach property.  

“No one was buying anything.” Paul and Steve were still responsible for paying their monthly payments which they called ‘chin ups’ because you had to keep your ‘chin up’ through a bad economy. This quickly became a time of reevaluation of faith and trust. All over the US, the economy was struggling, “We survived 2010 and that’s about all,” says Paul.

The downturn in the economy allowed them to purchase properties at reduced amounts for future projects. One such property was 10 acres in Orange Beach which would become known eventually as Cottages at Romar. “We planned it, developed the lots, wrote the subdivision documents and by-laws. Once we had the infrastructure completed, we sold the project to Kaiser Realty in 2012,” says Paul. The single-family fee simple lots sold quickly and are still considered one of the premier rental properties in Orange Beach today. 

Around the same time, they purchased a bank-owned abandoned project on the Intercoastal Waterway in Bon Secour. “We brought several mixed-use development suggestions to the city of Gulf Shores and none was acceptable.”  The project was ultimately sold.

Always looking to improve, Paul and Steve looked at what was going on in the 30-A area of the Florida panhandle. Developments like Seaside, Watercolor, and others were building off the front beach. Steve referred to those houses as ‘rear-loaded’ where you park in the back and the front of the house faces a natural area, the water, a lake, or a pool. 

“Part of the success story is building high-quality properties,” says Paul. “We were told over and over that people wouldn’t pay for nice stuff. We disagreed. Build it nice, don’t cut corners, and people will buy.” This has been their guiding mantra through every project. 

In 2014, Steve and Paul developed Sugar Sands RV Resort, a 60-unit luxury RV property located adjacent to the Baldwin County Beach Express. Steve says, “I always enjoyed meeting and spending time with the snowbirds who visited the Resort.” The RV Park was sold in 2018.

Following the RV Resort, a 21-acre parcel was purchased out of bankruptcy, adjacent to Tannin Village. “We are always looking for a project, always looking to do better,’ says Steve.  

The property encompasses wetlands, lakes, marsh, and access to 30 miles of biking trails in Gulf State Park. They engaged the services of WAS Design in Foley to design what would become Beach Village Resort.  

The property included deeded access to the Gulf Beach across the street. Steve and Paul traveled to different resort properties, including Mahogany Bay in Belize, looking for ideas that would separate Beach Villages Resort from the other single-home village-type developments in the area. With access to the beach, and a beautiful natural area leading into the Hugh S. Branyon Back Country Trail, they decided the best plan was to build exceptionally high-quality small cottages.

The plan was divided into 3 phases, with the first consisting of 21 homes, each with 2 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths.  They were a great design for two families traveling together with younger children. The second phase of 16 homes included back porches and the third phase of 30 larger homes that had options for a small office or bunk room. 

Each home was built to gold-fortified standards and has 12’ ceilings on the main floor and 10’ ceilings upstairs. An outdoor private shower is part of every home. Called ‘casitas’, each cottage has a personality found in its owner's chosen unique names and inside decor.

The casitas face the interior courtyard, the zero-entry pool, the children’s amazing water slide, and the ever-moving lazy river. The pool is heated in winter and cooled in the summer. There is a common covered area with overhead fans, televisions, and tables for dining and it houses the restrooms for men and women. Each home has access to a private walking bridge leading to the State Park. One of the best services at BVR is the Jeep shuttle service to the public Gulf Beach across the street during peak season.

Safety is paramount, especially because small children who ride bikes and throw balls, can play without fear of traffic. Beach Village Resort is a nice, quaint, gated community designed to operate as a self-contained resort with on-site management to address any need whether a homeowner or a guest on the property.

“We want our owners and guests to relax and enjoy their vacation because everything is taken care of for you,” says Steve. There are daily activities and events scheduled throughout your stay. “We are located in the heart of everything. There are no elevators to contend with, and we have plenty of areas to park.”

“The pool is the hub.  We have live music from 1 until 4 every Monday. On Tuesday, we bring in local experts such as naturalists for BVR Discussions from 9 to 10 AM around the pool,” says Sarah, the on-site manager and activities director. “Wednesday is Yoga by the Pool, Thursday is Trivia Night, and we have Movie Night by the Pool on Thursdays and Sundays.”

What started in October 2019 is almost complete. The last four homes are under construction and will be 3000 sf. and able to accommodate 15 to 20 people for family and friend getaways. Liquid Life Vacation Rentals handles all rentals at Beach Village Resort.  These homes will be available this Spring and Summer. 

So, what is next for Steve and Paul? “We are just two entrepreneurs with different careers still going strong,” says Steve. They seem to have found their niche!