August hotel openings, renovations, brand updates
Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills recently opened." width="580" height="326" />The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills recently opened. (Photo: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts)
The U.S hotel industry reported positive year-over-year results in three key areas during the last week of July.
Occupancy rates were up 0.3% to 77.4%. The average daily rate reached $132.21, an increase of 1.2% over the same week last year. And revenue per available room was up 1.5% to $102.39. That’s all based on the latest data from research firm STR for the week of July 23 to July 29.
Hoteliers moved into August feeling optimistic, with a slate of new openings, renovations and other updates.
First new Waldorf Astoria on the West Coast opens
The iconic Waldorf Astoria New York may be closed for renovations for the next few years, but the luxury brand has moved to the West Coast.
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s luxury brand, opened the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills at the famed intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards.
The 12-story hotel is next to The Beverly Hilton, a popular spot for celebrities. It’s the first new build on the West Coast for the brand, and only its second California property. The Waldorf Astoria now has 26 hotels and resorts.
The hotel has 119 deluxe rooms plus 51 suites, designed by the firm Pierre-Yves Rochon, Inc. The exterior architecture is a collaboration between PYR, Perkins+Will, and Gensler.
"Bringing the renowned Waldorf Astoria brand to Beverly Hills has been a dream for many years," says the hotels’ owner Beny Alagem.
Each guest has a personal concierge, and access to a private Rolls Royce house car with free drop-office service within a two-mile radius. A rooftop pool available only to guests has private cabanas. The design of the building is meant to evoke the Hollywood style of the 1940s.
The hotel has views of the Hollywood Hills, and rooms have private balconies. The hotel also has 6,300 square feet of meeting spaces.
Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten will oversee the three dining venues. Fine dining establishment Jean-Georges Beverly Hills will be the chef's signature restaurant. There will also be The Rooftop by JG and Jean-Georges Beverly Hills Bar.
Hyatt House opens first New York City property
The Hyatt House New York/Chelsea, a 150-room extended-stay hotel, has opened in Chelsea’s historic Flower District. The 30-story new-build is the first Hyatt House to open in New York City.
The property has floor-to-ceiling windows, loft-like guestrooms, apartment-style kitchen suites, outdoor space, and views of the city’s skyline.
Some one-bedroom suites have private balconies, while 74 feature kitchenettes with stainless steel appliances. All rooms have a refrigerator and microwave oven.
Designed by Nobutaka Ashihara Architect PC, the rooms range from 270 square feet to 510 square feet. There are communal washers and dryers. For families and groups, there are 60 connecting units. The property’s 18 one-bedroom suites feature their own in-room washer/dryer units and pull-out sofa beds.
A 30th floor open-air rooftop recreational area has views of such landmarks as the Empire State Building, and One World Trade Center.
For dining, there is the second floor H BAR, where a complimentary breakfast is served. The space turns into a bar in the evening. The 24-hour H MARKET on the ground floor has grab-and-go items.
Hilton gets smarter with smartphones
Hilton reached a milestone in its push to introduce digital key capability globally. With the introduction of the feature at the Hampton Inn & Suites Washington D.C.-Navy Yard, the hotel chain now has rooms accessible by smartphone available at 2,000 of its hotels worldwide.
Digital key is available on the Hilton Honors app. From their smartphones, guests can book a room, check-in, choose their desired room from a digital floor plan set against Google Maps and request additional items to be waiting for them.
So far, Hilton Honors members have had 30 million digital check-ins, 3 million room key downloads and more than 13.6 million doors opened. By the beginning of 2018, Hilton expects to have it available at more than half of its portfolio.
“We’ve more than tripled our rate of Digital Key hotel installs since 2016 and are on pace to exceed our goal of 2,500 hotels by the end of 2017, enabling us to scale across our 14 brands worldwide to deliver exceptional and consistent experience for guests everywhere,” says Geraldine Calpin, chief marketing officer at Hilton.
A number of other major hotel brands are also experimenting with digital key technology.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago debuts a new look
Chicago has a newly renovated luxury hotel.
The $100 million dollar renovation was spearheaded by San Francisco-based design firm BAMO. The new modern look was inspired by Chicago’s architecture, showcasing skyline news.
“The creative re-design takes inspiration from the city, unveiling a true sense of place,” says Billy Quimby, principal of BAMO.
The focal point of the 12th floor lobby entrance is the Flying Wave, a floating sculpture made from four types of hand-blown glass meant to evoke Lake Michigan.
The property has an art collection inspired by the neighboring Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. It includes Roy Lichtenstein’s Wallpaper with Blue Floor Interior in the ground floor lobby.
There is more than 25,000 square feet of event space, including the largest luxury ballroom in Chicago.
A new modern Italian steakhouse called Torali is located on the 12th floor. There’s an adjacent Torali Bar and the Rooftop at Torali. There’s also a new spa.
A new Kimpton arrives in Denver
The Kimpton Hotel Born Denver has opened in Denver’s revitalized Union Station neighborhood. The 200-room hotel is located at the end of the Union Station platform.
Designed by Denver-based Semple Brown in collaboration with Ellen Bruss of Ellen Bruss Design, Hotel Born uses natural and handcrafted materials that match the pine-filled mountains visible from the hotel’s windows. The hotel also has 700 original works by local artists.
“We designed Hotel Born to reflect a spirit and aesthetic that we see as distinctly Denver,” says general manager Von DeLuna.
A new restaurant, Citizen Rail, is on-site. Tavernetta By Frasca, co-owned by Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, will open later this summer adjacent to the property.
Other amenities including complimentary SUV transportation within a two-mile radius of the hotel as well as access to Colorado Athletic Club and the Museum of Contemporary Art. There’s also yoga mat in every room.
The hotel has nearly 14,000 square feet of event and meeting spaces.
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