Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants announced its plans to expand the brand’s footprint in the heart of both Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee, with two new hotels opening in 2016.The boutique hotel chain has been selected as the operator of a new 180-key boutique hotel in Nashville, adjacent to the Vanderbilt University campus in Midtown, and has also purchased an historic building in Chicago’s Central Loop neighbourhood which will be converted into a four-star, 281-room hotel.
Kimpton to Open Its Fifth Property in Chicago
The 14-story iconic building, which was originally constructed in 1894 and currently serves as commercial office space, is one of only two existing office buildings in Chicago created by internationally-renowned architect William Le Baron Jenney. Scheduled for a Q1 2016 opening, the new hotel will feature a destination restaurant and bar, a lively Library Bar on the second floor adjacent to the lobby and living room, as well as 9,500 square feet of prime shopping space on the ground floor. Offering more than 12,500 square feet of meeting and event space on the 14thand 15th floors, the hotel will also feature a top floor ballroom with views of LaSalle Street. This will be Kimpton’s fifth property in Chicago, joining the Hotel Burham, Hotel Allegro, Hotel Monaco and Hotel Palomar.
“Chicago has proven to be a consistently successful market for Kimpton, and this new hotel will give us an opportunity to leverage many operational synergies here with our other four hotels,” said Kimpton President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Depatie.“We are excited to expand our footprint in this great city, and bring Kimpton’s unique design and heartfelt approach to hospitality to this historic Chicago building.”
New Upscale Hotel Opening in Nashville
Buckingham Companies has awarded Kimpton the management contract for the Nashville hotel, which will be part of the 17-story, 600,000-square-foot Buckingham Midtown project. Kimpton’s first hotel in Tennessee, anticipated to open in late 2016, will feature 180 rooms, a restaurant and bar, 6,500 square feet of meeting and event space and a pool. The architecture of Buckingham Midtown will reflect the neighbourhood’s diversity and energy featuring modern elements where the development faces the Midtown area, and traditional design facing the storied Vanderbilt campus.
“Kimpton has long admired the eclectic vitality of Nashville and we’re so excited to bring our unique amenities and guest experience to people travelling to the city, “said Mike Depatie, president and CEO of Kimpton.
The Nashville hotel is part of Kimpton’s expanding presence in the Southeast region. In addition to the Buckingham property, Kimpton recently announced plans to open a hotel in the former R.J. Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem, N.C.
