Two recent openings (and one slated for later this month) mark some notable firsts in terms of brand or segment debuts.
Fenwick Island, Del.
Real Hospitality Group has opened Fenwick Island’s first hotel in the upscale segment. The 65-guestroom Fenwick Shores, Tapestry Collection by Hilton sits between the Atlantic Ocean and Little Assawoman Bay.
Designed to celebrate the island’s heritage, Fenwick Shores honors the local history of merchant ships with nautical details, textures and finishes that are woven into the guest experience. The property has two restaurants, an outdoor swimming pool, beachside lounge chairs, a fitness center and 24-hour market. The property also has 1,560 square feet of event space.
The opening of this property marks the continued growth of RHG’s portfolio, which has added seven additional properties and more than 1,300 guestrooms in the past six months to its management portfolio.
Jersey City, N.J.
Hilton has brought its Canopy brand to the greater New York City area with the 211-room Canopy Jersey City, the brand's debut in the region.
Wilson Associates designed the property to reflect the culture of the local Powerhouse Arts District. Inspired by the aesthetic of an artist’s studio, Wilson Associates included the application of industrial materials, refined details, a warm palette and modern furniture.
One of the smallest neighborhoods in Jersey City, the Powerhouse Arts District comprises manufacturing buildings from the 1800s that have been transformed into artist live/work spaces in the later 1990s and early 2000s. Wilson Associates designed the new property as though it were a creative artist’s studio.
The reception desk is built with butcher’s block reminiscent of the neighborhood’s warehouse history, and the lobby is lined with unfinished works of art. To complement the various unfinished canvases that are scattered throughout the space, the design team used a warm color palette in combination with more neutral tones that give all the works-in-progress an opportunity to stand out. The studio also will display a rotating art program.
Omaha, Neb.
The Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel is set to open this month in Omaha as the brand’s debut in Nebraska.
Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel is a $75 million reinvention of the historic 1916 Blackstone Hotel in the city’s Blackstone District. The hotel developers, principals of Clarity Development and GreenSlate Development, have been working to redevelop the area over the last seven years.
The eight-story building, an example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture, was declared an Omaha Landmark in 1983 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Significant historical and design elements of the original hotel were restored by management company Pivot Hotels & Resorts.
The hotel has 205 guestrooms including 31 suites, a swimming pool and pool club, a mixology-forward cocktail lounge, a cafe serving French-inspired fare, high tea served daily, a solarium and a rooftop terrace. The property will also have five food-and-beverage concepts, many of which will serve fare from purveyors within the city.
The property's 50+ piece art collection, entirely produced by Nebraskan artists, will be the first-ever hotel curation by community activist and artist Watie White.