contracts than the brand , with some key assets , including Viceroy Los Cabos , Viceroy Chicago and Sugar Beach , A Viceroy Resort , in St . Lucia .
Highgate said it now aims to add hotels to the Viceroy portfolio in “ key urban gateway markets and select resort destinations ” in the coming months .
According to Daniel Lesser , president & CEO of LW Hospitality
OUR MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY HAS BEEN THE PAIRING OF MULTIPLE TECHNOLOGIES TO ALLEVIATE “ NOISE ” IN THE SERVICING PROCESS OF OUR PROPERTIES – WHETHER THAT ’ S ADVANCED ORDERING SYSTEMS IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE , AI COMMUNICATIONS TO GUESTS ’ MOST FREQUENT NEEDS , OR DEMAND- AND LOCATION- BASED LABOR ALLOCATIONS .
– CHRIS GREEN
Sugar Beach , A Viceroy Resort in St . Lucia is at the site of an 18th-century sugar plantation .
Advisors , the move is precisely more of a management addition play than a pure brand play . “ Highgate is front and center in the management business ,” he said . “ It ’ s no big secret that the smaller platforms have been getting gobbled up for quite some time now ,” referring to the likes of third-party management companies , like Aimbridge and Remington , snapping up smaller management platforms , or lodging company moves , such as Wyndham Hotels & Resorts ’ acquisition of Europe ’ s Vienna House brand , Accor ’ s acquisition of 21C Museum Hotels or , more recently , Hyatt ’ s deal for Dream Hotel Group .
“ Smaller platforms get to a certain plateau where , unless a significant amount of capital gets injected , they can ’ t get to the next level ,” Lesser said .
The Viceroy brand has strong cachet , but losing its New York flagship , following previous losses in Abu Dhabi , Palm Springs and Anguilla , is hard to overcome . The fact is that Viceroy is a smaller brand company that has yet to hit a critical mass . As Lesser pointed out , companies these days launch one hotel and call it a brand . “ Somebody opens an independent hotel , right ? Whatever it ’ s called , it ’ s a new brand ,” he said .
The reason for the deal is readily evident to Richard Russo , principal at Highgate , and steeped in the legacy Viceroy has engendered over the years . “ Viceroy has built an outstanding customer reputation due in part to its strong service culture and incredible team ,” Russo said . “ Through complementing Viceroy ’ s platform and DNA with Highgate ’ s diversified ability to grow through real estate acquisitions , development and third-party growth channels , Highgate intends to add brand-accretive hotels to the Viceroy portfolio that will further enhance customer perception and brand awareness . Further , through powering Viceroy with a proprietary relationship with Highgate ’ s
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