Staying Ahead of the Curve
While Hotel Eastlund involved the turnaround of a 50-year-old property that fell into disrepair, Eventi, a Kimpton hotel in the heart of New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, was only a few years old when its ownership group, DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners, invested in a major renovation.
DLJ bought the site on Sixth Avenue at 29th and 30th streets 10 years ago, its vision for a hotel that reflected the character of the neighborhood. The firm felt confident that Chelsea’s northern migration would one day reach 29th Street. Shannon Spillett, director of development marketing and New York City marketing for Kimpton, recalls the neighborhood as less than appealing back then. “I remember thinking this was a strange area for a luxury hotel,” she says. “It wasn’t a neighborhood most people would go to, and there weren’t a lot of restaurants or things to do.”
Since its debut in 2010, Eventi has helped the neighborhood develop into a more energizing destination populated by new restaurants and shops. In order to stay relevant and keep that momentum going, however, the owner decided to invest in a multimillion-dollar renovation of the 5-year-old, new-build hotel. Unveiled in fall of 2015, the renovation included a new steel black façade, a living room lobby design, and upgraded dining options led by world-renowned chef Laurent Tourondel and Michelin-starred chef George Mendes, who occupy restaurants adjacent to the hotel.
In addition to bringing the hotel up to date, General Manager Julian Miller says the refresh is attracting a more diverse group of discerning travelers and locals. “It’s rare for a hotel to undergo such a major repositioning and refashioning when it’s already successful—and so soon after opening,” Miller says. “Our ownership group realized we still need to be ahead of the curve and find a way to give our guests what they’re asking for, which are these really fun food and beverage outlets on the ground floor, as well as a sense of community.”
When Eventi first opened, it had a Spanish restaurant called Bar Basque on the second floor and a modern, upscale food court, FoodParc, on the ground floor. While the hotel always did great business, the food and beverage outlets struggled to hit the mark, Miller explains. The ownership group wanted the new restaurants to provide the local neighborhood with high quality, approachable food in a comfortable environment, Spillett adds. “It’s not a fussy neighborhood, so it needed something casual. We looked to create different outlets that were all approachable, affordable, and could easily co-exist, whether you’re going to a gala or a game at Madison Square Garden afterward,” she says.
Chef Tourondel’s L’Amico, which features an American menu with Italian influences, has an open kitchen with wood-burning ovens reminiscent of a modern farmhouse. During warmer months, floor-to-ceiling windows open to blur the lines between the restaurant and the Chelsea neighborhood outside. Tourondel also debuted a bar and lounge, The Vine, that serves classic cocktails, craft beers and wines, and all-day fare. Meanwhile, Chef Mendes’s restaurant, Lupulo, serves up rustic Portuguese fare in a tavern-like setting inspired by the famed breweries of Lisbon.
The structure and furnishings of the revamped hotel lobby emphasize a connection to New York’s contemporary culture and history. Finishes include a 20th century-inspired canopy, a stacked felt reception desk, fabric wrapped panels, and custom brass light fixtures. A collection of contemporary art flows throughout the lobby and The Vine.
The hotel already had a strong base of business travelers, so Miller sees transient weekend travelers as its biggest opportunity to drive rate, post-renovation. “Our opportunity for continued growth is to keep our guests here with us and happy, and maintain our occupancy,” Miller says. “You want to grow smart, and that’s what this new transformation is going to allow us to do in 2016 and for years to come.”
