Commercial Observer
By Cathy Cunningham
The Nashville-based firm fell in love with the historic Rusacks hotel, and it ended up inspiring a brand-new brand.
Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners acquired the then-Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in November 2019. AJ Capital announced plans to add 44 keys, a rooftop bar —the first one in St Andrews —and a new restaurant. Rusacks sits in the very heart of the Home of Golf, with 600 years of golf history surrounding it, overlooking the first and 18th fairways on the world’s oldest golf course as well as the North Sea.
The first time Ben Weprin, the CEO of AJ Capital, set foot in the hotel, he looked out across the 18th hole, set against the backdrop of the sprawling West Sands Beach. “Someone said to me, over my shoulder, ‘That’s where they filmed “Chariots of Fire,” ’ and I said to myself, ‘OK, I cannot believe the opportunity here.’ ”
After all, AJ Capital’s company tagline is “Everything we do tells a story,” and Rusacks provided the opportunity for a brand-new chapter in the firm’s $4.5 billion investment portfolio.