One of Coast’s future projects includes a two-year, $14 million renovation of The Benson in Portland, Ore., which was built in 1913 by local lumber magnate Simon Benson. The goal is to give the hotel a more contemporary European feel, while bringing it back to its historic roots. The cleaned-up look is being paired with local elements, including photography of the Portland area by a world-renowned Swedish photographer.
Additionally, Coast is working on a $2 million refresh of the Coast Bellevue Hotel in Washington, which will include a new name and new technology, playing off the technology boom occurring in the surrounding area.
Coast plans to keep its expansion process as simple as possible. The company is focused on increasing name recognition with both new and old contacts and showing off results that currently exist in Coast Hospitality’s portfolio, ultimately building and fostering strong relationships that will last for many years to come.
Good Advice
Doug Rigoni, president and CEO of Coast Hospitality, offers some region-specific development tips.
Think local. “You need to know the market, which comes with knowing the locals and what that area has to offer. One of the things we like to do is partner with locals in different markets to get a better scope of the area.”
Fill in gaps. “Taking inventory is extremely important. You need to know what kind of properties already exist, and what kind of properties are missing from the area. Those are the gaps you want to fill.”
Know what’s driving demand. “You have to know about the demand generators. If you look at Seattle, for example, there are a lot of companies attracting people to the Pacific Northwest for leisure purposes. Learn about what is driving guests to your area or region.”
