In 1954, Caldwell Watson took his friend and Army buddy Hal Barnes fishing on Lake Ouachita, just outside Hot Springs. Watson made the suggestion to Barnes that he should apply for a lease for property on the lake, and if he did, Watson said, he would run a business there for him.
“My dad applied for this lease and was awarded the lease,” Bill Barnes said. “So Caldwell is really responsible for my dad starting Mountain Harbor. Caldwell is who suggested it and was dad’s first partner here.”
Mountain Harbor Resort started in 1955 and has transitioned from a small fishing outpost into “one of the top resorts in Arkansas,” according to the Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Bill Barnes started working in the business when he was 10 years old, washing the dishes in the evenings and on the weekends.
“I grew up doing this,” Barnes said. “I have done everything that has to do with the resort.”
Barnes, the president of the Tri-Pennant Family of Resorts, will be inducted into the 2019 Hall of Fame at the 45th annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism at the Embassy Suites in Hot Springs on Feb. 26.
“There was a time in high school and college when I didn’t know if I wanted to do this or not, but I always gravitated back to it because Dad needed the help,” Barnes said. “A lot of the time, it was just Dad and me, and I just fell in love with it.
“God wired me to serve people. I love serving people. I would rather be catching a boat, pumping gas, busting a table or pouring coffee than doing most of what I do now, which is the back-office stuff.”
Barnes said being inducted into the Hall of Fame has always been his dream and hope.
“I knew it would have to be earned, and when I got the letter that I was going to be inducted, it was a wonderfully proud moment,” Barnes said. “As I’ve said to everybody who has asked me, being inducted into the Hall of Fame is an acknowledgement of all the wonderful people who have mentored me and worked with me through the years. …
“… The management team here at Harbor and my partners at Iron Mountain and Self Creek — we really are a family,” Barnes said. “Except for some of the newer hires, we have been together for 25 years or longer, several of us for over 35 years.
“We are a family, and we cater to families. We are a family management team that operates family resorts, and that is the part that I am most proud of.”
Barnes said that, honestly, the only reason he is being inducted is “because of all the terrific people who manage the Tri-Pennant Resorts.”
Wayne Woods, the retired chief executive officer for the advertising agency CJRW in Little Rock, said he has worked with Barnes for more than 50 years. The two met in an English class at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
“Barnes is just an iconic leader,” Woods said. “He has been a real leader in our industry, and his staff is extremely loyal to him, and he is loyal to Arkansas Parks and Tourism.”
Woods said Barnes is “innovative and has a solid crew that is loyal to him and their customer base.”
“I couldn’t say enough about him and his ability as a resort operator,” Woods said. “I just think he is the best in the state.”
Barnes was also inducted into the Arkansas Hospitality Hall of Fame in 1999.
“I have worked with him for 50 years, and I can’t say enough about him,” Woods said. “He is a nice, personable man who respects everybody.”
Barnes said that when Mountain Harbor Resort first started, it had just 12 rooms and probably 20 to 35 boat stalls. Now, between the three resorts, the business stores more than 2,000 boats and operates over 100 lodging units.
“We wouldn’t be here if not for the four generations of customers who have supported us and done business with us, many of whom are dear friends of mine,” Barnes said. “I’m just very proud of where we are and where we are going.
“I honestly believe that in five years, [tourism] will be the top industry in the state.”
“Bill’s motto is ‘Lead, follow or get the hell out of my way,’” Woods said. “He is a workaholic who constantly has his fingers in his operation.
“In my mind, he is just the best. His accommodations are the best in Arkansas. He has condos, cottages, motel rooms that are all updated and top-of-the-line. His marina has all kinds of rental stuff, and his restaurant is just top-of-the-line. … I love to go over there and spend a weekend on the lake.”
Barnes graduated from Hot Springs High School and currently serves as a member of the State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission, is president of the Lake Ouachita Association and is a member of the Arkansas Forestry Commission Boat Committee.
“I have been on the Parks and Tourism Commission for 16 years and have had the privilege to serve three governors, all of whom have acknowledged the value of hospitality as an industry …,” Barnes said. “One of the things I like about our business and the hospital industry is we are a wonderful entry-level industry — we employ tons of kids.”
Barnes said Mountain Harbor has about 60 permanent staff members, but during the summer, the staff grows to about 115, and almost all of those are high school or college students.
He said the hospitality industry is also critical in bringing in new business.
“When other industries look at a state to locate, they look at the quality-of-life resources,” Barnes said. “If we bring a bunch of people into this state, what can they do to enhance their quality of life? Hospitality in Arkansas is a key component to attracting industry because we really do offer wonderful quality-of-life experiences.
“It is a big deal to industry relocation because we have the quality of life that they are looking for. As an industry, it is a state resource.”
Barnes credited his management team at all three resorts and the water sports industry for his success.
“I work with a wonderful management team that all love the same thing I do, and that’s serving people,” Barnes said. “The other big thing — for all the resorts — is the evolution of the water-sports industry. …
“… You look at the industry now, and there so many ways to enjoy the lake. You can get around quickly and yet have the serenity of a nice stable platform. It has been an evolution for the water-sports industry.”
Barnes said that while there are a lot of resorts on Lake Ouachita that are good, he doesn’t look at in terms of what separates his resorts from the others.
“Our philosophy at all of our resorts is Business 101,” Barnes said. “You provide the very best product you can provide at a fair price, and you absolutely do everything you can in your power to serve your customers.
“I’ve watched economic downturns in my time, and there have been years that have been fairly flat. But we have grown virtually every year, and that is because we never lose sight of the fact that we exist to serve our customers.”
He said that when customers leave one of his resorts, he asks that they tell three or four people about it, and whether they go to a competitor or one of his resorts, “that isn’t as important as doing everything we can as an industry to serve them well.”
“Then we all win,” he said.
Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.