Hotels in the works

New properties will be debuting in the coming months and years, including the first Kimpton in San Antonio.

First Kimpton in San Antonio coming from White Lodging
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle Collection, will open its first hotel in San Antonio in late 2024.

Located in the Central Business District and at the intersection of the La Villita and Southtown neighborhoods, the 347-room hotel will be part new-build and part adaptive-reuse of an 1850s-original schoolhouse. The property’s juxtaposition of the historic and the modern will embrace the city’s spirit of authenticity and the neighborhood’s creative energy.

Owned and operated by White Lodging and with the support of HKS Architects and KTGY Simeone Deary Design Group, the Kimpton in San Antonio will feature a 10-story tower housing a modern and airy lobby, guestrooms and a rooftop pool and lounge with views overlooking downtown and the neighboring greenspace. Two adjacent historic buildings will undergo careful adaptive-reuse to become a high-end restaurant, lobby bar and several one-of-a-kind hotel suites. Bridging the historic buildings, the courtyard and its natural foliage will soon become an outdoor entertainment and event venue for hotel guests and the local community.

In addition to the courtyard, the hotel will feature more than 10,000 sq. ft of flexible meeting and event space, inclusive of a 5,000-sq.-ft. ballroom.

“We’re looking forward to expanding our footprint in the Lone Star state,” said Mike DeFrino, CEO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “Our hotels in Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth perform incredibly well, and we believe that San Antonio will round out our Texas portfolio nicely. Our partners at White Lodging are the ideal operators to bring this new Kimpton to life and embrace the soul of San Antonio.”

Furthering its historic backstory, the hotel’s location has global significance as the site of the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1992. The Kimpton in San Antonio will bring much of the city’s arts, flavors and entertainment into the hotel and restaurant experience, creating a welcome respite for those traveling to the Alamo City and an energetic destination for locals to call their own.

“The Kimpton in San Antonio represents the first of the brand in our portfolio of urban, experiential and lifestyle hotels,” said Jean-Luc Barone, CEO, White Lodging. “This area represents a new hub for the city where history, culture, art, entertainment, commerce and transformation—and the future of San Antonio—seamlessly come together.”

When it opens in late 2024, the Kimpton in San Antonio will be the boutique hospitality company’s s fourth in Texas, joining the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, the Kimpton Pittman Hotel in Dallas and the Kimpton Harper in Fort Worth.

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City set to debut in October
Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Utah, is set to debut in October.

Located downtown, the property will be the only hotel directly adjoining the Salt Palace Convention Center and is poised to anchor the city as a top destination for hosting world-class events, the company reports. The hotel’s arrival will bring 60,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including one of the largest hotel ballrooms and most expansive outdoor rooftop event terraces in the city.

The upcoming opening of Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City marks the largest convention hotel to debut in nearly 20 years in Salt Lake City. The 25-story hotel will feature a glass facade, and the top floors will comprise 700 guestrooms and suites, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the skyline and surrounding mountain peaks. Designed for both business and leisure travelers, accommodations will connect guests with modern essentials along with tech-forward conveniences such as streaming capabilities, a Smart Mirror vanity and digital room entry via the World of Hyatt app.

The lobby will serve as a central place to convene, complete with a double-sided fireplace, seating areas and locally inspired artwork. The space will also feature three dining venues, including Contribution, an upscale street-facing bar; The Salt Republic, an open-kitchen American bistro; and Market, a local artisan grab-and-go store. Mar | Muntanya, a Spanish-inspired specialty restaurant, will be housed on the sixth-floor rooftop terrace, located adjacent to an outdoor heated pool, cabanas and firepits.

At the heart of the hotel will be a mix of indoor and outdoor meeting and event facilities suitable for hosting both intimate and large-scale gatherings. Spaces will include two ballrooms, breakout rooms, pre-function space, an outdoor event terrace and a Broadcast Lounge, one of the first of its kind to debut across the Hyatt Regency brand enabling meeting guests to experience their event in a hybrid manner.

Chartwell Hospitality and Rockbridge to develop hotel at Nashville International Airport
Chartwell Hospitality has partnered with Rockbridge to develop a Hilton Hotel at the Nashville International Airport (BNA).

The new property will bring an elevated level of hospitality and convenience to travelers, bring new jobs and economic opportunities to the Nashville community, and help make BNA one of the highest-rated airports in the U.S., according to the companies.

“Chartwell Hospitality is thoughtful about every property we develop, ensuring all industry and local regulations are met and every amenity is carefully planned,” said Will Schaedle, EVP, Chartwell Hospitality. “Our experience in thoroughly executing properties of this caliber has led us to an increased amount of development at airports, metropolitan neighborhoods and beyond. We are proud to work with the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority and we are eager to see this property become an asset to travelers. We are also excited about the partnership with Rockbridge and continuing our relationship with them.”

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) selected Chartwell Hospitality to be its hotel partner for the BNA Vision Plan that will expand the airport and surrounding area to accommodate BNA’s continued increase in passenger traffic. The Hilton hotel will be the tallest building at BNA and the first and only hotel on MNAA property situated at the airport’s terminal door. Vertical construction of the Hilton property commenced on July 1, and will create hundreds of construction jobs and about 150 full-time jobs once the property opens.

The hotel will feature 292 guestrooms, about 16,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and a rooftop pool and Sky Bar that provides unique views of the Nashville airport. An oversized fitness center is located on the top floor to take advantage of views as well. The hotel will feature a café, lobby bar and full-service restaurant for travelers to enjoy coffee, drinks, and meals prior to flights without having to enter the terminal.

“The Hilton at BNA will be an outstanding addition and improvement to the Nashville airport,” said Rob Schaedle, CEO, Chartwell Hospitality. “Nashville is our home too, so we are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide a much-needed amenity to the airport and guests of Nashville as they arrive to work, play and hopefully hear some of the great music our town has to offer. It will surely get BNA one step closer to being recognized as one of the best airports in the country.”

Crain Construction in Nashville is the general contractor for the Hilton at BNA, hired by Chartwell Hospitality to build the hotel. Relatedly, Chartwell Hospitality is also part of the development team of two hotels at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. The projects include a Marriott that is scheduled to open in Q4 and a Residence Inn that will open in late summer. Chartwell Hospitality will also serve as the management firm of these two hotels at JFK Airport.

North Point Hospitality breaks ground on Savannah property
North Point Hospitality, an Atlanta-based hotel development and management company, has broken ground on its newest hotel, AC Hotel by Marriott Savannah Historic District/Riverfront. The 170-unit hotel will be located on the east end of River St. overlooking the Savannah River.

“We are proud to work with Marriott International to bring this lifestyle brand to the Savannah Riverfront,” said S. Jay Patel, president/CEO, North Point Hospitality. “With more than 20 years of development and operating experience in Savannah, we are confident the AC Hotels brand will add to the rich hotel landscape in the market.”

The property will feature a rooftop bar and dining experience with panoramic views of the Savannah River and will be open to the public. The ground floor offers MOOD, a market and café space serving specialty coffee, wine and upscale provisions. The amenities throughout the property include more than 4,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, valet parking and large fitness center.

“We are excited North Point Hospitality has chosen to bring the AC Hotels brand to Savannah’s historic district,” said Noah Silverman, global development officer, U.S. & Canada, Marriott International. “The groundbreaking event last week is representative of the continued relationship between Marriott International and North Point Hospitality in bringing lifestyle brands to dynamic markets.”

Approximately 250 individuals will be engaged by the general contractor and its subcontractors during peak construction activity. Once stabilized, the hotel will employ more than 100 full-time team members and support staff. The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2024.

The AC Hotel, along with a 316-space parking structure, is phase two of the company’s planned development, River Street East. River Street East is a mixed-use campus including four hotels with 630 rooms, multiple retail spaces and riverfront dining options with captivating views of the Savannah River, all wholly owned and operated by North Point Hospitality at a total build-out cost exceeding $350 million.