NEW YORK—Hotel industry veteran Edward Scheetz is launching Chelsea Hotels, a rebrand and evolution of the former New York-based King & Grove Hotels.
Chelsea Hotels includes several historic hotels, including the iconic Hotel Chelsea (1884) and Martha Washington (1905), as well as McCarren Hotel & Pool (2011), Ruschmeyer’s (1952), and Astor Hotel, which is set to open in 2016.
Design agency Pandiscio Co. will help further develop the identities of each property, and create a brand around Chelsea Hotels to unite them.
According to the company, Chelsea Hotels will embody “a spirit that celebrates the authentic communities and individual nature of its family of five properties tied together with an underlying philosophy centered on individuality, authenticity, creativity and community.”
Most notable of the properties is Hotel Chelsea on West 23rd St., which has seen its share of celebrities, including Bob Dylan, Virgil Thomson, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Viva, Leonard Cohen, Arthur Miller and Janis Joplin, among others.
“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,” stated Edward 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, King & Grove New York will relaunch under the hotel’s original name, Martha Washington. The historic Hotel Chelsea will reopen in 2015, and a new project, Astor Hotel, will open in 2016. Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk, Long Island, is currently open.
Chelsea Hotels is the evolution of King & Grove Hotels, a lifestyle hotel group founded by Scheetz and partners that developed Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk, King & Grove Williamsburg, King & Grove New York, and later acquired Hotel Chelsea.
From 1994 to 2007, Scheetz was with Morgans Hotel Group where he oversaw the acquisition and development of properties that included Delano Hotel, Morgans, Royalton and The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In 2005, Scheetz was appointed CEO and led the company through its IPO.
Prior to Morgans Hotel Group, Scheetz served as partner at Apollo Management where he managed its real estate funds. In 1997, he founded NorthStar Capital Investment Corp. with David Hamamoto. Scheetz began his career in Dallas at real estate firm Trammell Crow Co.