Inland American Lodging Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Inland American Real Estate Trust, Oak Brook, Illinois, has formed two new joint ventures for a combined investment of US$68.5 million with Kessler Enterprises, Orlando. The joint ventures will focus on developing two luxury boutique hotels in Charleston, South Carolina, and Mountain Brook, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Both hotels will be affiliated with Marriott’s Autograph Collection.
Inland American will be the majority owner of the properties, and Kessler Enterprises will develop them. The properties will be managed by Kessler Collection Management under a 15-year management agreement.
The 100-room Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook, set to debut in early 2015, will boast an on-site Grand Bohemian Art Gallery, Poseidon Spa, interactive cooking school, wine blending experience, 12,630 square feet (1,173 sq m) of meeting space and a rooftop terrace and restaurant.
The 50-room Grand Bohemian Hotel Charleston, also set to debut in early 2015, will mark The Kessler Collection’s first property in South Carolina. The hotel, located in Charleston’s Historic District, will include an on-site Grand Bohemian Gallery, more than 3,000 square feet (279 sq m) of meeting and event space, wine blending and tasting room with curated wine selections, fitness center, specialty coffee shop, farm-to-table culinary offerings and a rooftop restaurant and terrace.
“Despite the significant demand and the desire of travelers for modern comforts and amenities, both Birmingham and Charleston have not experienced a new luxury hotel in their markets for more than a decade,” said Marcel Verbaas, president and CEO, Inland American Lodging Advisor. “We are excited to be able to bring these markets two outstanding new properties.”