About Bien Vie

Bien Vie is a family-owned destination resort company. Dave Hooten, his wife Beverly Tomek, his son, Austen Hooten, and Austen’s wife Jamie are equal partners in the venture. 

Flipping the French phrase “Vie Bien” for their Bien Vie brand, the goal is to build on the “good life” theme at the resorts with other Bien Vie products from the various resort locations: local wines, organic olive oil, honey, lavender, chocolates, custom soaps, etc. Collaborations with local artisans are central to the development of these products.

Dave Hooten came from a background in finance and construction. His late wife’s father had been in the restaurant business and convinced him to purchase a restaurant in northern Wisconsin. The restaurant came with a 10-room motel which Dave and his son Austen gut-rehabbed. They then added 17 new cottages to the property which now operates as the Cranberry Inn of Mercer. Their experiences with the Cranberry Inn impressed upon them the significant role destination resorts can play as settings for the special events in people’s lives.

When the Waters Resort in Minocqua, Wisconsin became available, Dave and other partners acquired it. Dave eventually bought out the other partners and is in the process of renovating the 106-room resort.

Following Dave’s marriage to Beverly and the formation of Bien Vie, a growing interest in winemaking was fostered by a visit to a friend’s small private vineyard and winery near Galena. This interest led to the purchase of an established California vineyard on over 1,000 acres in Mendocino County. Dooley Creek Ranch now has a main building and associated cottages available for rent.

It was also on the visit to their friend’s vineyard that Dave and Beverly became aware of the Marine Hospital. Soon after, they purchased the approximately 10-acre site with plans to renovate the hospital as a small inn and add cottages on the property. With the availability of adjacent land, the proposed project area was expanded to over 97 acres and additional resort amenities were added to the plans.