SHANGHAI,?April 21, 2014?/PRNewswire/ –?Cachet Hotel Group?(CHG), announced today important milestones for their continued global expansion at a press conference held during the China Hotel Investment Conference (CHIC) in?Shanghai, China. The announcement included a robust hotel pipeline and detail of 2014 initiatives across current properties including the unveiling of a new brand called NANO Hotels & Resorts – with plans to announce its first property in?Manhattan, New York?City later this year.
According to Cachet Hotel Group CEO,?Alexander Mirza, “In 2014 we are focused on the continued expansion of lifestyle and luxury brands worldwide. To reach this goal we are focused on three pillars of strategic growth:? design innovation, service personalization and partnering with world class developers such as?Harry Gross, who will help take us to the next level.”
Innovation: NANO Hotel
CHG is pleased to partner with world-renowned architect?Michael Arad?and real estate developer?Harry Gross?of G-Holdings on the creation of the NANO Hotel brand. The first NANO Hotel will be located in?Manhattan, where the brand is headquartered. The Cachet Hotel Group will be developing and managing NANO branded properties in?Asia, the?Middle East?and?Africa.
CHG is also collaborating with?Harry Gross, a visionary in the hotel industry recognized with bringing the concept of the?New York?design hotel to the global marketplace. With over 40 years of experience, the president and chief executive of G-Holdings, has been recognized with a variety of industry awards including the 2013 “Development of the Year” award from the?Americas Lodging Investment Summit?(ALIS) for the tallest hotel-only building in the nation, a 68-story tower in Midtown Manhattan.
According to Gross, “NANO exists for the experienced traveler who is yearning for an unusual experience. ?To them we offer a refuge, a place of quiet, serenity and security in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. This new brand reflects a relaxed confidence and contemporary style, inspired by the people and places that give life to NANO?from American culture art icons such as?Richard Serra?and?Donald Judd?to?New York City?soul and attitude?giving the brand a spirit that is unique only to NANO.”
Arad, famous for the creation of the World Trade Center Memorial, is a partner at Handel Architects LLP in?New York?and will be overseeing the creative process with a mission to bring a relaxed contemporary style to the property.
CHG and G-Holdings developed NANO Hotels, Resorts and Residences in response to four marketplace growth opportunities:
- Quiet Design: NANO will offer a refuge, a place of quiet, serenity and security in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.
- Artistic Focus:?NANO will feature local artists throughout its properties, whether in photography, sculpture, oil paintings or video installations.
- Technology Personalization:?NANO’s booking engine, technology interfaces and mobile applications will enable guests to customize their experiences.
- Culinary Innovation: NANO will also be a place where high-level chefs create intelligent interpretations of classics and present them with a casual comfort.
NANO Hotels & Resorts will embrace minimalistic design, signature comfort, and cutting edge technology. The properties will feature striking exterior architecture, a 24-hour market, all-day bistro, and exhilarating nightlife. Exclusive CHG celebrity design partner,?Jay Godfrey, will lend his creative touches to the decor elements that will set NANO apart from other hotels in the city. In addition, Chef?David Laris?will provide fresh, innovative menus through a network of up and coming culinary talents.
The first NANO Hotel will open in?New York City. The brand will also target top tier urban and resort locations throughout?China,South East Asia?and the?Middle East, with plans to open in major cities around the world including?Miami,?Shanghai?and?Dubai. The Cachet Hotel Group and G-Holdings development plan includes both investment in real estate and straight management contracts. The partners are currently seeking to acquire land and build mixed use NANO projects in gateway cities and resort markets around the world. In addition, they are also seeking to work with established developers and may invest equity into mixed use projects that feature a NANO Hotel & Residence.
About?Cachet Hotel Group:
Cachet Hotel Group (CHG) is a?Hong Kong-based management company established in?May 2013. CHG was co-founded byRobert Roche?and formed with a focus on creating distinctive, new hotel brands, NANO, r., and Cachet, while taking the URBN brand to the next level. CHG commits to being a company that “cares” with a corporate mission revolving around innovation, luxury and personalization. With numerous projects in the works, CHG is focused on establishing outlets in?Greater China,Southeast Asia?and?India.
About G-Holdings:
G Holdings is a dynamic 40-year-old real estate development firm with its roots in the fashion industry and a proven record of bold innovation and financial success in the hotel industry. Led by?Harry Gross?and his sons, Ron and Etai, the Gross Family have completed ground-up construction of five Marriott branded hotels in?New York City, with a sixth Marriott hotel underway. Among its hotel developments include the Courtyard by?Marriott Times Square?in 1998, the first new construction Courtyard inNew York City; the Courtyard by Marriott at JFK International Airport; the Residence Inn Philadelphia Center City by Marriott; the Residence Inn by?Marriott Times Square; and the Marriott Ghent, the first Marriott property in the heart of?Ghent,?Belgium.
About Handel Architects:
Handel Architects LLP is an architecture, interior design, and planning firm that began in?New York City?in 1994. Today the practice is led by Founding Partner Gary Handel alongside Partners Blake Middleton,?Glenn Rescalvo,?Frank Fusaro, andMichael Arad. Handel Architects is working on projects across?North America,?South America, the?Middle East, and?Asia, with more than 150 architects, interior designers, planners, and support staff from offices in?New York City,?San Francisco,?Hong Kong, and?Abu Dhabi. The firm has gained national and international recognition for work such as the Dream Downtown Hotel in?New York City, the World Trade Center Memorial in?New York City, the Millennium Tower in?San Francisco, and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in?Washington DC’s?Georgetown?neighborhood.
Handel Architects has won numerous Design Awards and is regularly featured in architectural journals and design publications. The firm’s clients range from private developers to publicly funded organizations to institutional and not-for-profit groups.
About?Michael Arad:
Michael Arad’s?design for the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site, titled “Reflecting Absence,” was selected by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation from among more than 5,000 entries submitted in an international competition held in 2003. Mr. Arad joined the?New York?firm of Handel Architects as a Partner in?April 2004?where he has worked on realizing the Memorial design as a member of the firm.
A native of?Israel, Mr. Arad was raised there, the U.K.,?the United States?and?Mexico. He served in the Israeli military from 1988 to 1991 in the reconnaissance unit of an infantry brigade. Following his military service, he came to?the United States?and earned a B.A. from?Dartmouth College?in 1994 and a Master of Architecture from the?Georgia Institute of Technology?in 1999.