About
A strong foundation leading successful growth.
Established in 1988 as a family-owned business, we have grown into a fully integrated development, management, and investment company that develops, operates, and owns the world’s leading hotel brands as well as boutique hotels. Raines has maintained a family-oriented culture that believes in building relationships with our partners and being an integral part of the communities where we operate.
Raines at a Glance
Hotels Managed
48Hotels Under Development
2Number of Keys
4,386Projected Revenue
$192MBrands We Work With
Meet Our Team
Through dedication and a variety of experience, we have created a reputation within the industry for personal service and exceptional results. Our leadership team brings together select individuals with diverse expertise, allowing partners to connect with the company principals and form one-on-one relationships.
Chrisie Raines
CFO/Founding Partner
David Raines
COO/Founding Partner
H.S. Russell
Founding Partner
A Family Culture
Though the origin of Raines began in 1954 as the family entered the gas industry, the beginning of the hospitality sector started in the early 1980’s as a passion of Mark Raines. The son of Rock Raines who owned and operated several truck stops throughout his time, Mark opened his first hotel in 1992, a Super 8 Motel on Highway 52 in Florence, SC.
In the mid-90s Mark, his father Rock, and brother David formed Raines Development Group (RDG) and pursued their first Marriott flag, a Courtyard by Marriott on Hospitality Blvd. in Florence that opened in 1998. Just a few years later, the trio opened a SpringHill Suites by Marriott just next door to the Courtyard – part of what later became 5 Marriott select-service properties all in one campus.
Mark’s son, Grey, joined the team during the opening of the SpringHill in 2003 as the General Manager of the property. With a passion for development, Grey furthered his career by working side by side with his father, to develop the Residence Inn by Marriott, opening in 2009. It was at this time that Chrisie Raines, wife to Mark and mother to Grey, joined the family business as head of accounting.
Today, Raines Hospitality is simply Raines, led by managing partners Grey Raines and David Tart from Charleston, SC. David brings 15 years of hotel development and investment experience working in several markets across the Southeast and the industry’s leading brands. Grey and David share a passion for the industry and a similar small-town history when beginning their hospitality careers. The partnership brings scalability and opportunity for growth resulting in Raines now consisting of 19 hotels across the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Choice brands throughout the Southeast.
As Raines continues to grow and evolve, what will not change is the family culture that the founders of this company instilled.
Investing in Our Community
Raines prides itself on being a community partner by volunteering, giving, and supporting numerous organizations such as these.
Help 4 Kids is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization in Florence, SC supplying food packs to elementary schools in Florence County for students who are identified as “food insecure.”
Over the last two years, Raines has dedicated time to make quarterly visits to the Help 4 Kids warehouse to assist with the bagging of weekend meals. Raines has also assisted in donating necessary food items by hosting local food drives at numerous properties – engaging associates as well as guests.
For more information on Help 4 Kids, please visit their website at help4kidsflorence.org.
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McLeod Regional Medical Center is a locally owned, not-for-profit healthcare system composed of over seven hospitals, including one in Florence, SC. McLeod Children’s Hospital provides the highest level of pediatric care and technology in the Florence region. Nearly 100 beds are dedicated to serving the needs of children with over 53,000 receiving care each year.
Each year, Raines supports the McLeod Children’s Hospital by volunteering in the annual radiothon event, sponsoring the annual golf tournament, and donating guest rooms throughout the year. Raines also hosts its own fundraiser event each fall, Mr. Mark’s Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest – a fun event for the associates that give back to the community. In 2018, $10,000 was raised for the McLeod Children’s Hospital through this event.
For more information on the McLeod Children’s Hospital, please visit mcleodhealth.org.
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The Southeastern Baseball Classic is a high school baseball tournament held each spring in Hartsville, SC.
Mark Raines, one of the Raines founders, loved baseball and the Hartsville Red Foxes. He sponsored the classic for many years, and in his honor, Raines continues to do so. Since 2015, in honor of Mark, a scholarship is given each year to a participating student. The scholarship is known as the Mark Grey Raines Scholarship.
For more information on the Southeastern Baseball Classic, please visit southeasternbaseballclassic.com.
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