The Dorchester Collection, London, is in celebration mode. Not only was it partying at home last week during the Queen’s Jubilee, but it is also in the midst of celebrating the 100th anniversary of its iconic Beverly Hills Hotel, while its neighboring Bel-Air is now back in the pink after completing two-year refresh. Next year marks 100 years for the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris, and the beat goes on for the collection, which now manages its hotels separately from its ownership group.
CEO Christopher Cowdray told HOTELS earlier this week that the group is anxious to get back into New York City after selling The Palace, and he is actively working on two deals with a goal of reaching 15 hotels (there are currently nine) by 2015.
After having finished a complete renovation at Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan, Cowdray said next up is a refresh of Le Richemond in Geneva. In addition, the group has acquired three buildings along side the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris and plans to add suites and a ballroom to drive business in an increasingly competitive market.
Here, watch HOTELS Editor In Chief Jeff Weinstein interview Cowdray at the NYU hotel investment conference, where they discuss plans for further development, including pursuit of more third-party management, the state of business and marketing in the ultra-luxury segment.
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