PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—The Independent Collection (IC), a boutique collection of lifestyle hotels managed by HHM, has announced the addition of the St. Gregory Hotel in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle, adding to the lifestyle hotels in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, and Santa Barbara that are already part of the Collection.
The acquisition of St. Gregory marks the third IC hotel in D.C. and the 10th property added to the Collection. The Independent Collection has doubled in size in two years, going from five to ten hotels in its managed portfolio. The Collection has aggressive expansion plans to double again over the next two years, with specific pipeline hotels in markets such as Key West, Northern and Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, and further expansion in existing markets.
“We are proud to be tactically expanding in key neighborhoods throughout the U.S.” said Naveen Kakarla, president & chief executive officer, HHM, who initially launched the first hotel in the Collection over eight years ago. “We continuously seek out strategic opportunities for growth to bring our guests new options and experiences relevant to the lifestyle traveler. With the addition of the St. Gregory Hotel to our D.C. portfolio, which already includes the two diverse properties and neighborhoods of The Graham Georgetown and Capitol Hill Hotel, our guests now have an accommodation option in Dupont Circle, a quintessential IC neighborhood rich with boutique shops, cultural destinations and remarkable restaurants.”
IC has also announced its new loyalty and perks program, IC Local, which rewards all members during every stay for their continued loyalty and contribution throughout the calendar year. Vetted to meet the needs of independent travelers, the IC Local program provides devoted guests with collection-wide rewards and locally-crafted amenities, such as a cupcake from Georgetown’s Baked and Wired (where the locals satisfy their cupcake cravings), chocolate from Philly chocolatier Verde, or a bottle of wine from a Santa Barbara-based vineyard. Members receive benefits based on their earned tiers — Gold, Platinum, and Black — and can accelerate their status within the program by staying at different Collection hotels within the same year. Other benefits include mini-bar credits, point allotment, a birthday discount, late check-out, and room upgrades to guaranteed availability for Black status members.
“Now is a very exciting time for the IC,” said Foiz Ahmed, vice president, Independent Collection. “We have come so far as a Collection and have evolved toward creating a much more holistic experience for both our guests and associates with an emphasis on training, consistent programming and further enriching our already strong ties to our local communities.”
