Downtown hotel will bring out local flavor

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants touts itself as the anti cookie-cutter hotel-and-restaurant company. With more than 50 individualized luxury hotels and restaurants already operating throughout the United States, the San Francisco-based company might soon be bringing one of its signature boutique establishments to Sarasota.

Civix Inc., a Sarasota-based real-estate development company, recently announced that it has signed a letter of intent with the Kimpton to bring a proposed new hotel to a .95-acre parcel of county-owned land, across the street from the historic courthouse at 20 N. Washington Blvd.

The proposed project would be the company’s third hotel in the state, and, though no official renderings or plans for the hotel have been produced, the new building is slated to be a 10-story, 150-room establishment that represents Sarasota’s unique environment and culture.

Ave Bradley, senior vice president of design/creative director for Kimpton, says that she and her creative team devote considerable time and effort to localizing their hotels to reflect the cultures of the cities in which they build. They immerse themselves in each city and explore its landscape, history, architecture and culture. They dine in local restaurants, grab coffee or drinks around town, explore the nightlife, chat with locals or join them on a jog — anything to get a feel for the city.

“The last thing we want to do is look like outsiders imposing our view of what we think a city is like,” says Bradley. “We want every decision we make to come from an educated, informed place.”

According to Bradley, no detail is too small to be incorporated into one of its hotels. At the Hotel Palomar in Phoenix, the area rugs include a pattern inspired by the skin of a local sidewinder snake, and other décor incorporates logs and other themes inspired by indigenous desert trees.

Its two Miami hotels represent different ends of the cultural spectrum: The Surfcomber, in South Beach, incorporates the neighborhood’s laid-back atmosphere with a pastel blue-and-yellow color scheme and 1960s-themed bikini fabric repurposed into its rugs. The Epic, located downtown, emphasizes the city’s thriving nightlife with sleeker, contemporary design.

“We never want the design to be too over the top or in your face,” says Bradley. “There needs to be meaning behind everything. If a customer has a question about the pattern in a rug or a particular decoration, we want to be able to give them a meaningful answer.”

Although plans for a Sarasota location are still in the preliminary stage, Bradley says she looks forward to bringing Kimpton’s eye for detail to Sarasota — a city with a rich history of arts and culture.

“We want to deliver hotels that are chic and stylish and responsive to local culture,” says Bradely. “It will take a lot of hitting the pavement; having coffee here and wine there to get a feel for the marketplace and what we can bring that’s new, but authentic.”

Contact Nick Friedman at [email protected].
 

DO THE LOCAL MOTION
Kimpton senior vice president of design, Ave Bradley, shares examples of localized hotels the company has built. 

Hotel Monaco
Location: Alexandria, Va. 
Year opened: 2008
Number of rooms: 241
Details: This hotel taps into the historic charm of the city, and Kimpton’s website boasts its Civil War-era ambience and convenient foot transport along historic brick-paved streets, colonial row houses and shops, galleries and restaurants. It’s like stepping into the past without leaving modern-day luxuries behind.

Surfcomber Hotel
Location: South Beach, Miami
Year opened: 2012
Number of rooms: 186
Details: This hotel features direct beach access and reflects the relaxed, breezy atmosphere of South Beach. Bradley says Kimpton saw an opportunity to provide a low-key hideaway, which they accomplished with a pastel blue-and-yellow color scheme and burlap-covered surfboards.

Epic Hotel
Location: Downtown Miami
Year opened: 2009
Number of rooms: 411
Details: Located in the heart of downtown Miami, this hotel complements the city’s bustling nightlife, which is reflected in its sleek, modern design elements, rooftop pools and its surrounding businesses and culture.