Salamander Resorts Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary This Year — Here's How Owner Sheila Johnson Built a Hotel Empire

After a successful career in entertainment, Sheila Johnson, the cofounder of BET and America’s first Black female billionaire, took a risk to become a hotelier. It paid off — this year, she celebrates the 10th anniversary of the opening of her first hotel, Salamander Resort & Spa, in Virginia, one of seven properties now in her portfolio (others in the group include Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club and Half Moon Jamaica).

Ahead of the release of her memoir, "Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Triumph," which publishes this September, Johnson looks back with T+L.

What inspired you to move from television to the travel space?

“After BET, I was trying to rediscover myself and learn to be out on my own. When I moved to Virginia, I was still young enough to start a new career. So this 340-acre property in Middleburg came up for sale, and I decided to make a bid on it.” 

Why did you choose to open a resort there?

“The town was going downhill. So I knew that if I opened a resort, it would be the financial anchor. So far, it’s worked beautifully. We’ve added activities like the Middleburg Film Festival, and the American Ballet Theatre has performed. I like to bring experiences that the town can feed off.” 

How do you think Black travelers feel walking into a Salamander property, knowing that a Black woman owns this?

“Every time I drive to the Virginia hotel, I’m like, ‘I can’t believe I built this.’ I’m very proud of myself, but to see faces of color coming through the door is really terrific. I want to go out of my way to meet as many guests as possible, because I want them to also feel a sense of ownership here.”

Where do you travel when you want to relax? 

“I go to my own house. I live on a 200-acre farm in Middleburg, and it’s the best. I can walk up to three miles and never leave the property. That’s my sanctuary.”

A version of this story first appeared in the August 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Force of One."