Warwick Hotels and Resorts

Warwick Hotels and Resorts (WHR)
Private
Industry Hospitality, Hotels
Founded 1980
New York City, New York
United States
Key people
 Founder
Richard Chiu
Website warwickhotels.com

Warwick Hotels and Resorts (WHR) (formerly Warwick International Hotels) is a global hospitality company. As of June 2016, WHR encompasses 50+ hotels with more than 8,000 rooms in 25 countries.[1][2]

The group of hotels, known as The Collection, consists of owned and managed, managed and affiliate member hotels.

Warwick Fiji Resort & Spa - Hotel grounds

WHR was founded in 1980 with the purchase of the historic Warwick Hotel in New York City (Warwick New York Hotel) after which the company is named. WHR operates out of 4 regional offices: Europe, located in Paris, France, North America, located in Denver, Colorado, Middle East located in Beirut, Lebanon and Asia/South Pacific located in the Fijian Island of Viti Levu.

In June 2016, Warwick International Hotels completed a company-wide rebranding initiative led by branding agency Blackletter, that included launching a new corporate identity and logo.[3] The brand is now known as Warwick Hotels and Resorts.

History

Richard Chiu, President and Founder of WHR, established Warwick Hotels and Resorts in 1980 upon the purchase of the Warwick Hotel located on the corner of Avenue of the Americas and 54th Street in Manhattan, New York City.[4] The Warwick Hotel was originally commissioned by newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst in 1926 as a homage to the love of his life, Marion Davies, whom he later married, and for the comfortable accommodation of his Hollywood friends while frequenting New York City.[5] It was built by the world-renowned architect Emery Roth.

Soon after, a foothold was also established in Europe with the acquisition of the Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées in Paris (Warwick Paris), France, located just off the famous Parisian avenue, Avenue des Champs-Elysées. Other European acquisitions during the early years include: the Warwick Brussels (formerly Royal Windsor Hotel Grand Place) in Brussels, Belgium, the Hôtel Westminster in Paris, located on Rue de la Paix between Place Vendôme and the Palais Garnier opera house, and the Hôtel Warwick Geneva (Warwick Geneva) in Geneva, Switzerland. In North America, the Warwick Denver hotel in Denver, Colorado and the Warwick Seattle hotel in Seattle, Washington also joined The Collection.

From its base in America and Western Europe, WHR expanded into resort destinations. The acquisition of a resort on the Coral Coast of Fiji became the Warwick Fiji, a resort & spa. The success of this project spurred further expansion in Fiji and the nearby Naviti Resort was acquired.

Entering the 1990s, the Warwick San Francisco hotel was opened in San Francisco, California, marking the beginning of a decade of robust growth. Growth in the company was driven by a significant new direction for WHR internationally also, with the introduction of an Affiliate Hotel Program. Through its affiliate program, WHR provides sales, marketing and distribution expertise to qualified, independent and like-minded hotels seeking worldwide recognition, a global network and competitive procurement advantages while retaining the charm of an independent hotel. Like WHR, many of these hotels are also family run.

Momentum continued during the 2000s for WHR with the dawn of a new millennium, which marked WHR's entry into the Middle East and African market and its first foray into management contract agreements. As of October 2014, WHR manages nine hotels in the Middle East and Asia, including Dubai and Baghdad, Jordan and Lebanon, and Bali.[1][6] This period also saw its Affiliate Hotel Program mature as it adds key gateway cities into its Collection, including Bangkok, Barcelona, Madrid, Zurich and also two hotels in South Africa.[7]

In North America, the Warwick San Francisco recently underwent an extensive renovation program and re-opened in June 2014 with brand new rooms, a cocktail bar, The European, and a restaurant, Aveline.[8] In April 2014, the iconic Allerton Hotel located in the middle of The Magnificent Mile in Chicago, IL was acquired by WHR and has since been renamed the Warwick Allerton Chicago home to the renowned Tip Top Tap ballroom on the top floor, made famous by Frank Sinatra.[9]

This period also marks WHR’s entry into the resort market in the Americas, with the announcement of the Warwick Paradise Island in Nassau, The Bahamas, joining The Collection. The resort is currently closed, undergoing a full renovation.

On August 15, 2015, Warwick open their first resort on Cuba, Warwick Cayo Santa Maria Resort.

References

  1. 1 2 La Rédaction (2014-04-22). "Warwick International Hotels open its first Hotel in Dubaï". tourmag.com. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "#TransformTuesday: 14 June". transformmagazine.net. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  3. ↑ "Warwick International Hotels reveals new name, logo and identity". etbtravelnews.com. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  4. ↑ "Suited to the Culture". leadersmag.com. Leaders Online. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Warwick Hotels and Resorts(WHR)". hospitalitynet.org/. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Babylon Warwick Hotel Baghdad Has Opened Its Doors". travelpulse.com. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Warwick International Hotels continues to expand in Europe". www.travelandtourworld.com. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Pape, Allie (November 7, 2013). "Top Chef Casey Thompson Opening Union Square Spot". Eater. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  9. ↑ Hirst, Ellen Jean (March 25, 2014). "New Allerton Hotel owner may return Tip Top Tap to its high point". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 12 June 2014.

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