CHARLESTON, South Carolina—Hospitality management company Charlestowne Hotels announces a formal agreement with Avantgarde Hospitality and Reliance Capital Partners to oversee management of its four boutique hotel assets in Chicago; the 63-room, all-suite The Ivy Hotel; 55-room The Willows Hotel; 52-room Majestic Hotel; and 45-room City Suites Hotel.
Charlestowne has assumed all management responsibilities for the Chicago portfolio, inclusive of revenue management, strategic operations, food and beverage, human resources, information technology, and marketing services.
“A success-driven leader in the industry with an award-winning portfolio of hotels, Charlestowne will undoubtedly amplify the exposure of our unique boutique properties, and the characteristics that make our hotels some of the most sought-after places to stay and play in the Windy City,” says Andre Koren of Avantgarde Hospitality. “In order to be successful in a competitive market like Chicago, we partnered with Charlestowne, who not only has a proven record of delivering bottom-line results and exceeding guest expectations, but provides a management team that is strategic, innovative, and can consistently perform at a high level. In addition, having Charlestowne’s core specialties centralized under one roof, provides our hotels with a full bench of experts right at our fingertips.”
Charlestowne’s in-house marketing team will spearhead a brand refresh for The Ivy Hotel, located near the city’s commercial district, the Magnificent Mile. Charlestowne’s food and beverage team will support a brand repositioning of the hotel’s rooftop bar, Sky Terrace, with the goal of making it a go-to venue for cocktails and cuisine with views of the Chicago skyline. The refresh will also include a hotel lobby and support of back-of-house management and services for the all-suite property, with 675 square foot suites.
The Northside neighborhood of Lakeview hosts the other three boutique hotels, each of which celebrates Chicago’s history. In Wrigleyville, The Majestic Hotel’s baseball-inspired amenities emphasize its proximity to Wrigley Field and the city’s love of baseball. Located near some of the area’s live music venues, City Suites Hotel plays homage to Chicago’s arts and music scene, while the décor at The Willows Hotel draws its inspiration from the local zoos and nature surrounding Lincoln Park. Charlestowne’s operations team will develop packages and on-site programming designed to drive revenue and turn out-of-town visitors and local Chicagoans into returning guests. The revenue management team will help generate demand and increased ADR across all properties.
“Charlestowne’s expansion into Chicago marks an incredibly monumental moment for our company,” says Kyle Hughey, chief operating officer for Charlestowne Hotels. “After honing our skills the last four decades, we’ve developed a strong corporate infrastructure that has set us up for success in a competitive, primary market like Chicago.”
