NEW YORK—Hotel industry veteran Edward Scheetz has announced the launch of a new hospitality brand, Chelsea Hotels, a rebrand and evolution of the former King & Grove Hotels. Chelsea Hotels includes Hotel Chelsea, Martha Washington, McCarren Hotel & Pool, Ruschmeyer’s, and Astor Hotel, which is slated to open in 2016. In a move that supports his vision and strategy for growth, Scheetz enrolled design agency Pandiscio Co. to help further develop the unique identities of each property and to create Chelsea Hotels, a new brand that unites them.
Located in the center of the Chelsea neighborhood, Hotel Chelsea, built in 1884, has fostered an array of creative talents, including Bob Dylan, Virgil Thomson, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Viva, Leonard Cohen, Arthur Miller, and Janis Joplin, among many others. Revered as a creative and cultural nexus, the Chelsea, built originally as a residential cooperative, quickly became the most culturally significant hotel in the United States, catering to a unique and diversified group of people. Hotel Chelsea became New York’s first utopian community that, through its mix of residents from all over the world, creative energy, and public spaces, encouraged interaction between all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds.
Chelsea Hotels embodies this spirit and celebrates the authentic communities and individuality of its family of five properties—some with historical significance, others with relatively new construction, all with a different look and feel—tied together with an underlying philosophy and approach to service.
“We wanted a name that reflects what we stand for as a brand, and Chelsea Hotels does just that. In the spirit of our most iconic property, Chelsea Hotels welcomes all to become part of a community rooted in culture, creativity, and shared experiences,” said Scheetz, CEO of Chelsea Hotels.
The roll out of Chelsea Hotels will begin with this month’s launch of McCarren Hotel and Pool, formerly King & Grove Williamsburg. In late August 2014, King & Grove New York will relaunch under the hotel’s original name Martha Washington. The historic Hotel Chelsea will open in 2015, and a new project, Astor Hotel, will open in 2016. Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk is currently open.
