FEATURE ARTICLE, MAY 2008

WESTERN HOTEL PROJECTS
Hospitality developers demonstrate distinctness in their projects but location and luxury are core, common themes.
Anastasia Parsons

Interpreting luxury, making it unique, an experience customers will not soon forget, is the cornerstone of the modern hotel industry. Whether it’s redefining the needs of today’s business traveler, standing out in an already well-established hospitality environment or crafting a destination for an emerging tourism market, the one common thread is that the experience is comfortable, memorable and worth a return trip. Luxury as distinctive as a fingerprint is the goal, and many hotel developers in the western United States are working to achieve this with their newest crop of accommodation projects.

Crowne Plaza Las Vegas

Standing out in a city known for standing out is never an easy prospect, but the Crowne Plaza brand, a subsidiary of InterContinental Hotels Group of Windsor, United Kingdom, had an ace up its sleeve when it chose to enter the Las Vegas market, says hotel owner and manager Andrew Lai. Lai was looking for an established brand to affiliate with in Las Vegas. At the same time, Crowne Plaza was looking for a smooth transition back into the regional fold. Enter the Crowne Plaza Las Vegas, a 386-room, new build property slated for a fourth quarter 2010 opening.

“For us, it just absolutely encompasses a perfect development opportunity for Crowne Plaza,” says Gina LaBarre, vice president of brand management for Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts. “It’s a great way for us to grow awareness of our brand. [And] even though the economy is slowing, it’s still growing in Vegas.”

Perched on the edge of central Las Vegas’s Chinatown area, just west of the Vegas Strip’s major casinos, the estimated $170 million project will feature amenities both synonymous with the city’s reputation, as well as that of Crowne Plaza. Guests seeking to experience the Las Vegas vibe will be greeted by a 28,000-square-foot casino, three in-house restaurants, three lounges, a full-service spa, an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center and retail space. Convention and business travelers will benefit from the property’s 16,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, its on-site business center, the wired and wireless Internet connection capabilities throughout the hotel, and its close proximity to the Las Vegas Convention Center. All will experience Crowne Plaza’s patented Sleep Advantage® program to ensure a restful environment via staff training and specialized products and services.

The look and feel of this Crowne Plaza will pay homage to the property’s surroundings by adopting a modern Asian theme for the exterior and interior of the build. Architects and developers are currently being sought for this project, with groundbreaking slated for early 2009.

Trump International Hotel and Tower Waikiki Beach Walk

Trump International Hotel and Tower is slated for completion in August 2009.

When it comes to tourism, few destinations carry as much recognition as Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. The city claims a storied past as a vacation getaway, and much of the area’s economy is tied to the travelers visiting Hawaii’s shores each year. Officially launched in early 2007, the Waikiki Beach Walk was billed as “the gathering place for the new Waikiki,” according to the development’s official website, and many, such as those with The Trump Organization LLC, were eager to play a part.

Upon completion in August 2009, Trump International Hotel and Tower will feature 38 stories of approximately 469 luxury hotel-condominium units. Guests and owners will experience ocean views, as well as those of Fort DeRussy Park. Available amenities will include separate residential and hotel lobbies, an on-site fitness center and spa, 24-hour maid and concierge services, a library, a wine cellar, indoor and outdoor dining and bar areas, an outdoor swimming pool, cabanas, and a sun terrace.

The design of the tower draws upon its unique position as a modern high rise in a lush tropical locale rich with local history, according to Jason Grosfeld, senior managing director for Irongate of Los Angeles, the property’s developer. Materials such as Koa wood, granite and marble, among others, will help outfit the space with Hawaiian influences, and tropical landscaping will help complete the feeling of residing in paradise.

Grosfeld, whose organization is also developing the Trump Ocean Resort in Baja, Mexico, says, “Hawaii is a great place to invest because the project will maintain its value over time. Investments in Waikiki are somewhat insulated by the Asian market, and because Waikiki is such a draw, the real estate market is more protected there than it is even in other locations in Hawaii.”

Fairmont Tamarack

The $600 million Fairmont Tamarack development in Tamarack, Idaho, will feature 224 hotel-condominium units and 81 penthouse residences.

When most couples retire, they look forward to traveling, taking up a new hobby or playing tennis a few times a week. If, however, tennis has been your career for more than 20 years, well, what else is there? The answer for the sport’s powerhouse first couple, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff, was simple, real estate. Enter the $600 million Fairmont Tamarack hotel-condominium project in Tamarack, Idaho, a year-round resort catering to outdoor enthusiasts who like a little luxury with their fresh mountain air.

Nestled in central Idaho’s Payette River Mountains and bordered by Lake Cascade, the Fairmont Tamarack will feature 800,000 square feet and offer 224 hotel-condominium units and 81 penthouse residences. Units will be individually purchased, but available for use by hotel guests when not in use by the owners. One of the most important aspects for the resort, according to developing partner Echo Partners LLC of Coral Gables, Florida, was the incorporation of the beauty of Fairmont’s natural surroundings.

“The Fairmont design takes its clues from mountain environments and western roots, to design based on the elegant traditions of Fairmont hotels,” says Rob Oppenheim, president of Echo Partners. “The materials will be locally recognizable, reminiscent of old mountain lodges of the west.”

Already established as an outdoor recreation destination, amenities such as ski lift access and a private snow-front lounge with a ski valet for the winter season, and a scenic Robert Trent Jones Signature Golf Course and water sports on the 30,000-acre Lake Cascade for the warmer months, were key for the resort’s overall attraction. Additionally, the Fairmont will offer a 21,000-square-foot on-site spa, three restaurants, conference facilities (including a grand ballroom), indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness center, 24-hour concierge service, and retail offerings.

The Nines

The $125 million Nines will open its doors in Portland, Oregon, at the end of the summer.

Gaining notoriety in a market tends to be an uphill battle for most hotels. When the Nines opens its doors in late summer 2008, however, it will hold two key distinctions from other area properties in that it will have certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver status and already have 100 years of recognition behind it. Located on the top nine stories of the historic May Department Stores Company (now owned by Federated Department Stores, parent of Macy’s Inc.) building in downtown Portland, the aptly titled the Nines is a $125 million project being developed by Sage Hospitality Resources for the Starwood Hotels & Resorts brand of luxury.

“When done, the building will be back to its original intent of a beautiful, elegant building,” says Chris Zielger, project manager in design construction for Denver-based Sage. “This building has a long history with the people who grew up in Portland. In it’s heyday, it was the place to be.”

Ziegler and his team have worked hard to see the restoration of the building’s grand tradition. Having worked with similar historic properties in other markets, such as The Blackstone Hotel in Chicago and the Renaissance Providence Hotel in Rhode Island, Sage understands the ins and outs of maintaining a particular aesthetic while working to update it to modern luxury standards. Guests will immediately be greeted by a 7,000-square-foot atrium towering 100 feet to afford abundant natural light. The nostalgic but modern feel will both update the space while maintaining its original cast of turn-of-the-century luxury. Artwork from local and other Oregon artists have also been commissioned to add local flare to the property. Additionally, 14,000 square feet of high-tech meeting space, which includes a 7,000-square-foot ballroom and wired and wireless services, will be available to Nines guests.

Though the repurpose of an existing property is nothing new for Sage, the Nines is the organization’s first LEED project. The challenge, says Ziegler, was to provide a level of luxury expected by guests within the constraints of LEED green practices. The sustainable result: a 90 percent recycle rate on construction waste, the utilization of cutting-edge power and septic systems, low-emission building materials and green housekeeping initiatives.

The Merrill Group Project

By working to satisfy one market need in Vernal, Utah — building a Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse — The Merrill Group of Companies recognized another development opportunity.

“Our people traveled there [to the Lowe’s site] quite often and could never find a room,” says Carol Dvorak, director of project management for Woodland Hills, California-based Merrill. “We drove 20 miles out of town. [Then] the light bulb went on. We did a hotel study and here we are.”

Located 175 miles east of Salt Lake City, Vernal has become a unique destination for the state. Its lakes and mountains attract outdoor sporting enthusiasts year-round. A well-known quarry of Jurassic dinosaur bones has become a popular draw. And many major U.S. energy providers are working to develop the area’s crude oil reserves. All of these factors added up to a need for, among other services, increased accommodations, according to Dvorak. The concept that emerged was a 109-room, four-story hotel inn and suites development set on 2.5 acres of land at the corner of 2000 West and Highway 40.

The project, which will feature conference and meeting facilities for hotel guests and those in the community, will begin construction this summer, approximately 1 year after Merrill broke ground on the 300,000-square-foot Vernal Towne Center, the catalyst for this particular build. The as yet untitled hotel is estimated for completion in first quarter 2009.

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