Trends

-- Hotels, 6/1/2007

Come For ART, Stay For DINNER, Go To SLEEP

Restaurateurs Michael Bonadies and Chett Abramson are heading up efforts to take the 21c Museum Hotel concept national. The original 91-room boutique in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, features a gallery devoted to 21st-century artists that has become one of the city's top attractions. The hotel's Proof on Main restaurant has been named one of the nation's best new eateries by Esquire magazine, and its weekly bourbon-tasting sessions have become a popular staple. The museum collection ranges from whimsical to confrontational, with gallery displays changing at least twice a year. The 21c concept has proven enticing enough that at least fi ve management companies have approached Bonadies and Abramson about launching the brand elsewhere. Details on the second property may be announced this summer. "Each hotel will have its own unique design," says Bonadies, who helped turn Myriad Restaurant Group's Nobu into a dining empire. "We will do new-builds, conversions and renovations, and they will all have their own feel, but what will be consistent is the art concept." Future 21c locations will be urban, and Bonadies believes the brand can serve as a focal point to neighborhood revitalizations. "It is creating a lot of civic pride in Louisville, and we hope we can replicate that elsewhere," he says.

Omni's Muffin-Scented NEWS

In an effort to drive morning F&B sales, Omni Hotels is participating in a pilot program in which berry muffinscented stickers are affixed to the fronts of USA Today newspapers. The scents, which are activated by removing the top layer of the two-ply stickers, are intended to motivate guests to grab a bite to eat before heading out for the day. Starbucks is a co-sponsor of the sixmonth program, which began in April, but Omni expects the stickers to boost all of its in-house F&B areas.

Even if the aroma of a fresh-baked muffin does not entice guests to buy actual muffins, Omni hopes it at least puts them in a good mood, which can never be a bad thing, says Caryn Kboudi, vice president for corporate communication. "We wanted to go with something that was indicative of that time of day and give the guests something to put a smile on their face," Kboudi says. "Anything you can do to make them have a better day is worth it."

The top layer of the sticker reads, "Start your day with a freshly brewed cup of Starbucks coffee and..." followed on the second layer by, "...pair it with a fresh muffin. Available at Omni Hotels." Once the pilot period ends in September, Omni could opt to try out different scents, Kboudi says.

Kemps Market 7th Offering

Respected London hoteliers Tim and Kit Kemp have opened their latest project, the 50-key Haymarket Hotel, outfitted in shades of pastels in a contemporary London style. The Haymarket, located squarely in the city's theater district and steps from Trafalgar Square, is the Kemps' seventh London-area property under the Firmdale Hotels boutique umbrella. The hotel is in a landmark building, and the Kemps successfully merge contemporary themes with the classical setting. Tim Kemp says his wife's interior design at the Haymarket is as good as any she has done. "The hotel is a place of color-that is what you will feel when you go there. It is like spring, really. There is no other hotel like it."

The Haymarket boasts the largest hotel pool in London, at 14,000 sq. ft. (1,300 sq. m), and an Italian restaurant that seats 100. Other amenities include a conservatory, drawing room and a dining room known as The Shooting Gallery, which was its original purpose. Bathrooms include cast-iron tubs, heated towel rails and bidets, and all are supplied with bespoke Miller Harris bath products.