A bit of history on the Hot Springs Hotel

Although the Mills family has returned their portion of stock holding of Big Springs Spa, Inc., three of the four original individual/family stockholders are still in place, as well as the surviving directors and officers of the corporation, who own Hot Springs Hotel and Spa. 

President Lee (Bud) Petrillo formed the corporation with Jim Mills along with two other business entities when they purchased the Holiday Inn, which is in the Hot Springs State Park (HSSP). They were in their lawyer’s office in Casper when they closed the deal in March 1978. According to Petrillo, the business entities were all family and friends, a “closely held corporation.” 

About 15 years ago, the hotel became the Days Inn under the Wyndham Chain, and in late 2021; the hotel became independent from a franchise. This change was agreed to and approved by HSSP. Petrillo said, “From a financial standpoint that’s the primary reason we went independent and that was something we had to have approved by State Parks based on the original lease and all that, which they finally agreed to based on our working relationship.”

Over the years, they have updated the hotel in all the public areas and also made improvements structurally and mechanically. Petrillo added, “We’ve really established a much better working and friendly relationship with all the hierarchy of State Parks and also with the State Legislature, which is very important. So we have a great working relationship there and they’ve been in agreement with everything we’ve done.”

In 2015, Mary Mills died suddenly and unexpectedly, so Petrillo took over the operational management of the corporation.

Petrillo does not expect much change and believes things will stay in place potentially for the next five to ten years. Their on-site management with general manager Jenni Dorman and office manager/controller Angie White is “a very important part of the operation,” said Petrillo.