ATLANTA — IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) announced the signing of its first Vignette Collection hotel in the United States in McMinnville, Oregon. Scheduled to break ground in late 2023 and open in 2025, The Gwendolyn will occupy a coveted location along McMinnville’s historic Third Street retail and cultural district in the heart of the state’s famed Willamette Valley wine region and one hour’s drive from the state’s Pacific coast and downtown Portland.
A first-of-its-kind hotel for the region, The Gwendolyn will feature 92 guestrooms, destination restaurant and retail spaces, a rooftop pool with an accompanying restaurant and bar, a fitness center, and a spa. IHG Hotels & Resorts will oversee the hotel’s evolution alongside owner Hugh Development—a Portland-based real estate development firm with more than four decades of CRE and asset management experience—and operator Practice Hospitality.
Matt Frankiewicz, senior vice president, development, Americas for IHG Hotels & Resorts, said, “Vignette Collection hotels attract travelers expecting a distinct, luxurious, and highly localized experience. We’re thrilled to debut this Luxury & Lifestyle Collection brand in the United States alongside Hugh Development and Practice Hospitality. Their commitment to sustainable design and a positive community impact are true to Vignette Collection’s brand values and IHG’s True Hospitality for Good mission.”
Andrew Clarke, founder and principal, Hugh Development, said, “As a native Oregonian with family connections to McMinnville, I am honored to bring our team, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and our development partners together to bring the first U.S. Vignette Collection hotel to our state. The Gwendolyn will complement the historic and charming identity of Third Street while also conveying the brand’s signature elegance and sense of curiosity. We look forward to contributing to McMinnville’s growth while establishing a destination where travelers and the community can gather and engage.”
Each Vignette Collection hotel features a name reflective of a unique element of its history, character, or location; The Gwendolyn serves as a tribute to Clarke’s aunt.
The Luxury & Lifestyle Collection brand’s U.S. debut follows the signing of its first Americas region hotel—the El Gran Encomendero in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula—this year, and previously announced properties across Asia, Europe, and Australia following its August 2021 launch. The first Vignette Collection hotels to open include Hotel X Brisbane Fortitude Valley in Australia and Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok in Thailand. IHG anticipates securing more than 100 new Vignette Collection properties in global urban and resort locations and heritage destinations within the next decade.
