GROUNDBREAKER
HOW ANDREW ZOBLER ' S PENCHANT FOR PARTNERSHIPS HAS HELPED SYDELL SUCCEED .
Contributed by JULIANA SHALLCROSS
It ’ s a cool but sunny day in January on the terrace of the NoMad Bar in Las Vegas . A jazz trio is playing a special set inside to a buzzing brunch crowd but out on the patio , the vibe is calm and relaxed . Inside feels like old New York with its lit-up bar , tufted camel-colored leather seating and maroon velvet-covered banquettes . Outside feels like the South of France with the bright sunlight , palm trees , and rattan seating . Yet the airplanes cruising over the Strip are constant reminders that this is neither New York or France , but Las Vegas .
Andrew Zobler sits down near the Mediterranean-style wall fountain and places a hardcover book he ’ s been carrying with him on the table , “ Ritz & Escoffier : The Hotelier , The Chef and the Rise of the Luxury Class .” This is what a busy hotelier reads during his downtime .
Zobler is coming off one of the most demanding years in his career as founder and chief executive officer of Sydell Group . Last year , the company — which created the NoMad , Line and Freehand hotel brands and also manages The Saguaro brand — opened five new hotels , including Park MGM Resort and Casino in Las Vegas , a partnership with MGM Resorts . More impressively , three of those hotels opened within the first month of the year .
Needless to say , the somewhat elusive Zobler is looking forward to taking a break in 2019 . “ Personally , I ’ m trying to find some balance ,” he says . “ This past year has taken a toll on me physically with flights and meetings and all that kind of stuff .”
The terrace bar at the NoMad Las Vegas inside the Park MGM Resort .
While Sydell Group has no new hotels to open this year , the company still has several exciting projects in the works . Plans are underway for a Line Hotel in San Francisco , opening in 2020 as a new build , a rarity for Sydell which often seeks out historic buildings for adaptive reuse . Another Line Hotel is being dreamed up for Detroit , while the upscale NoMad brand is expanding to London . This would be Sydell ’ s second hotel in London , after The Ned which
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April 2019 hotelsmag . com 27