ATLANTA—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced that it has acquired a new asset in Brooklyn, N.Y., that the company will develop as a new hotel under its EVEN Hotels brand, expanding the wellness hotel brand’s portfolio in the Greater New York City area and accelerating its growth in urban markets. This new property will be the fifth hotel added to the EVEN Hotels brand’s development pipeline, and the announcement comes as EVEN Hotels prepares to open its first two properties in spring 2014.
“As the third largest central business district in New York City and a strong commercial and residential development market that continues to gain momentum, Brooklyn was a natural and very purposeful location for EVEN Hotels,” said Kirk Kinsell, president, the Americas, IHG. “Since introducing the EVEN Hotels brand, we have been committed to actively growing our portfolio in key urban and suburban markets that have a large base of wellness-minded individuals and travelers. We have been inspired by the wellness revolution taking place in Brooklyn and are looking forward to having a strong presence in the community.”
The downtown Brooklyn EVEN Hotels property will be located at the intersection of Nevins and Schermerhorn Streets, only four blocks from the Barclays Center and in the heart of the booming Boerum Hill neighborhood. At launch, the brand named the New York metropolitan area as a key development market for EVEN Hotels, and has since announced two midtown Manhattan EVEN Hotels, which will be located on West 35th Street and East 44th Street. The Manhattan properties will open in mid-2015, while a location in Norwalk, Conn., is set to debut in spring 2014, and will be one of the first two EVEN Hotels properties to open. The other property, situated outside of Washington, D.C., is located in Rockville, Md. The Brooklyn EVEN Hotels property announcement continues IHG’s development momentum in the Brooklyn market, following the grand opening of the Hotel Indigo Brooklyn in September and the October announcement of the Holiday Inn Brooklyn Nevins Station, which will open in early 2015.
Since the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004, the area has undergone transformations which have resulted in $9 billion of private investment and $300 million in public improvements currently underway. These figures prove a strong commitment by both the public and private sectors to continued growth within the community, and validate the strength of the market for business and leisure tourism.
Construction has already begun at the site of the new Brooklyn EVEN hotel, which will feature all signature aspects of the brand specially designed to serve the wellness-minded traveler. Elements include adaptable public workspaces; an open-style Market and Bar; an EVEN Hotels Athletic Studio; flex space for small group fitness classes; guestrooms featuring the EVEN Hotels In-Room Training Zone; as well as design and technology elements to help guests maintain the balance they desire. The 83,000 square foot Brooklyn hotel will feature 204 guestrooms and 13 guestroom floors, and is expected to open mid-2015 in conjunction with the midtown Manhattan EVEN Hotels properties.
