SilverNeedle, IHG and Hilton launch new brands
New brands from Hilton Worldwide, InterContinental Hotels and SilverNeedle Hospitality have all just been released.
Singapore-based SilverNeedle Hospitality is launching a new upscale brand with the first in to be Brisbane. Situated in Fortitude Valley, northeast of the CBD, the first Sage Hotel will comprise 111 rooms when it is refurbished from two storeys of the heritage building known as TCB.
The TCB building is a landmark in Fortitude Valley, with a history dating back to 1902, when it was a department store operated by Irish draper Thomas Charles Beirne. Forwin International Investments acquired the site in 2003. The three-storey building houses about 22 tenants including eateries and boutiques on the first floor, with the remaining storeys leased as offices. Forwin International will convert the office space to Sage Hotel, a modern upscale brand that caters to the business traveller. The hotel is scheduled to open 18 months after the refurbishment is complete.
“At SilverNeedle Hospitality, we recognise there is an important group of business travellers who desire a stable and uncomplicated life as they conduct their business in unfamiliar cities,” said Iqbal Jumabhoy, managing director & group chief executive officer at SilverNeedle Hospitality. “Not only is the Sage Hotel designed to fulfill the needs of this group, it also complements our suite of offerings that includes six other brands. Our intention is to develop the Sage Hotel brand throughout Asia Pacific in the upscale segment.”
Sage Hotel Fortitude Valley is SilverNeedle Hospitality’s second commitment to Brisbane, following Next Hotel in the CBD which will open later this year. SilverNeedle Hospitality also operates the SilverNeedle Collection of boutique hotels, Chifley, Country Comfort, Australis and Sundowner brands.
The brand promise of Sage Hotels, The Complex Made Simple, the Simple Made Special, focuses on the guests’ desire for simplicity. Its typical guests comprise the small business owner or entrepreneur, or a senior manager or family breadwinner.
Meanwhile Hilton Worldwide has announced the launch of Curio – A Collection by Hilton, including plans for the First Hotels to join the new brand.
Created for travelers who seek local discovery and authentic experiences, Curio will be a carefully selected, global collection of distinctive four to five star hotels. Just as the word “curio” can refer to something of interest, unique or even rare, each Curio hotel will be different from the next, with individuality being a common thread, along with the quiet reassurance of the Hilton name behind every location. Letters of intent have been signed for the following properties: SLS Las Vegas Hotel & Casino; The Sam Houston Hotel in Houston, Texas; Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, S.D.; The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, N.C.; and a soon to be named hotel development in downtown Portland, Ore.
Jim Holthouser, executive vice president, global brands, Hilton Worldwide, said, “Curio expands our portfolio to a total of eleven exceptional brands and creates additional opportunities to serve our existing customers even better, attract new customers and grow our pipeline. With Curio, we can help owners leverage our scale, scope and expertise while keeping intact each hotel’s individual character.”
SLS Las Vegas, owned and operated by SBE, is located on the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip at the site of the former Sahara Hotel & Resort – a location steeped in Las Vegas history. The hotel and casino will open following a three-year, $415 million renovation, which includes the total redevelopment of three existing Sahara towers. Billed as a high-style collaboration between SBE Chief Executive Officer Sam Nazarian, renowned design icon Philippe Starck and James Beard Foundation award-winning chef José Andrés, the re-imagination of this development will feature an all-encompassing, mixed-use resort and casino with more than 1,620 guest rooms and suites, 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and a collection of SBE’s acclaimed dining and nightlife brands when it opens later this year in time for the September U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend.
Richard Solomons, InterContinental Hotels Group CEO has launched the Even Hotels brand – a new brand from IHG that meets the large and growing demand for a hotel brand to help wellness-minded travelers keep their balance on the road at a mainstream price point. An industry first, Even invites wellness on every journey by providing solutions for all aspects of travelers’ wellness needs.
With an emphasis on four components, Eating Well, Resting Easy, Keeping Active and Accomplishing More, the brand serves as a travel partner, helping guests feel better about their experience and themselves based on the choices they are able to make. Globally, no other brand does this under one roof, at a mainstream price point. The brand launched in 2012 and is expected to be a key pillar in the IHG portfolio of preferred brands and in the long term, a key driver in market share growth in the US Even Hotels expects to open its first properties in early 2014 and continue strategic development efforts in key markets including the Tri-state area, the Washington, DC area, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Portland, Seattle and Los Angeles.
