The Kessler Collection has a goal this year: expand its presence with two successful hotel openings. Making its mark in the Southeast, according to President/COO Mark Kessler, they’re focused on secondary and tertiary markets that attract both locals and visitors alike or as he likes to call them, “destinations within destinations.”
The first scheduled opening is The Atlantic, part of the Plant Riverside District in Savannah, GA, a project that’s been nine years in the making.
“We’ve been working on this project for nine years and I don’t know where the time has gone because here we are finalizing it. Our number one goal is to have a successful open [this summer],” Mark said.
The comfortable weather and availability of outdoor options have worked in their favor, Mark explained, and the hotel will surely expand the city’s riverwalk.
“We’ve been quite lucky because Savannah was designed with so much outdoor space and open space we knew that we had a great location on the river. Whenever you’re on a river people want to embrace it,” he said.
Mark estimates that approximately 80-90% of the people who experience the Plant Riverside District are actually locals and visitors, with 10% being hotel guests. “The way we designed it from the get-go was to experience what Savannah has to offer,” he said.
For Mark, these secondary and tertiary markets work well for The Kessler Collection. He explained that there’s often demand in places one wouldn’t normally expect.
“It’s about quality of life when we build our hotels we don’t only build them for visitors but for locals for staycations or celebrations,” he said, noting that during the design process, The Kessler Collection always questions if they’re adding and giving back to the community they’re developing in. A major way they do this is through supporting local and regional artists.
“Art has always been a key component to our hotels and we have been able to turn these buildings into a complex of museums,” said Diana Kessler, creative director, The Kessler Collection.
“The design process was very purposeful, thoughtful and intensive as we wanted to respect what the site provided us as a canvas and the history of Savannah, all while introducing something truly unique. Therefore, the local culture and inspiration of this project is multifaceted,” she added.
For Grand Bohemian Hotel Greenville in Greenville, SC—set to open this fall—adding these nods to local culture were equally important.
“[Greenville] offers a lodge experience, it’s a nature-feel. When you’re in those rooms overlooking the river, all you’ll see are treetops and the river so you’ll feel like you’re in a forest or a destination…certainly not in downtown Greenville,” Mark said.
Like The Atlantic, Grand Bohemian Hotel Greenville has ample outdoor spaces including a lawn function space and a restaurant and bar overlooking a river and falls.
“Our motto has always been that we want to be where people want to be, not where they have to be,” Mark said.
For The Kessler Collection, it’s about expressing this bohemian lifestyle through design.
“The Atlantic Building has a maritime concept; handsome and contemporary with custom furnishings inspired by a regal yacht,” Diana said. “Maritime and nautical art and photography will be featured throughout the building. The overall ambiance of The Atlantic is strong and powerful like the ocean.”
Mark added that they design to really embrace nature and what it has to offer.
“Our properties as we design them, as they go through construction, you see new opportunities for growth and the influence they have on the community,” he said.
The Kessler Collection is focusing on these two projects this year, and then will look to future growth opportunities, Mark said, with its sight set to more in the Southeast. A major reason being the influx of people to the South and the leadership of these cities and communities and their outlook toward the future.
“Greenville is a very planned city and the government had a master plan. They looked to the future in development and don’t have tunnel vision. They embrace tourism and the leisure guest and developed cities to be responsive to that. It’s attractive and helped Kessler. It makes people want to road trip there. We found that a benefit,” Mark said.
Wherever The Kessler Collection looks to, its brand ethos will remain the same: “Our Grand Bohemian brand is a very distinct brand,” Mark said. “They’re all unique and much like a child they all have their own personality and you love them for different reasons. Building inspiring places is our mission.”
