acquired the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas with the express intent to convert it into a SLS . It was during this period that Nazarian landed a cameo turn on “ The Hills ,” and featured prominently in a few episodes working ( loosely ) alongside one of TV ’ s most polarizing characters ever — Heidi Montag — which also meant he ’ d have to come into contact with one of TV ’ s most hated characters of all time — Spencer Pratt — who then was Heidi ’ s boyfriend and now husband . The interactions were awkward , clumsy , uncomfortable , but made for great television . If anything , it made you think : Who is this Sam Nazarian and what the heck is he doing on a reality TV show ?
“ The Hills ” may not have catapulted Nazarian to stardom , but it didn ’ t hurt in burnishing his reputation as a no-nonsense entrepreneur who knew how to develop and build brands . Years later , he sold SBE ’ s hotel platform to Accor but retained its food and beverage business . Now , and again , he ’ s looking to redefine hospitality .
Four years after Nazarian checked out of hotels , he got the urge to jump back into the space and he ’ s doing it this time with a somewhat unlikely partner , Wyndham Hotels & Resorts , a hotel company with a reputation that is high on value , lower on sultriness . But a genuine friendship between Nazarian and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts President and CEO Geoff Ballotti made the union an ideal match . In what is being billed as “ smart lifestyle ,”
Sam Nazarian founded SBE Entertainment in 2002 and is now back with HQ Hotels & Residences .
SBE and Wyndham have ambitions with a brand called HQ Hotels & Residences ( the HQ a nod to headquarters and being at the locus of communities ), a concept with a focus on millennial and Gen-Z cohorts that promises to be “ approachable ,” and for those consumers that oftentimes find themselves priced out of the somewhat nebulous lifestyle hotel market space .
Nazarian ’ s penchant for flair is amplified by his equity partner , singer / entrepreneur Marc Anthony and his company Magnus . The brand , with the expectation to open 50 hotels by 2030 , will fall under Wyndham ’ s Registry Collection Hotels , able to tap into the scale of Wyndham Rewards , Wyndham ’ s loyalty program , which has more than 105 million enrolled members .
It ’ s already confirmed two deals for projects in Detroit and Montreux , Switzerland , the latter a resort town on Lake Geneva . Both of which will be conversions of existing hotels . In Montreux , The Royal Plaza & Villa Toscane , originally built in 1905 by Swiss architect Louis Villard , with the two villas merged in 1989 , will be transformed into a 155-room hotel with 42 residences and is slated to open in 2025 . Post-renovation , it will be known as The HQ Montreux Hotel & Spa and include two signature restaurants from SBE ’ s Disruptive Restaurant Group .
Stateside , The Park Avenue House in Detroit will be revamped into HQ Detroit Hotel & Spa with 174 guestrooms . Detroit has become a locus of hospitality development with properties including the Shinola Hotel and the recently announced Detroit Edition and The Residences at The Detroit Edition , which will be part of Hudson ’ s Detroit , a mixed-use downtown development that will also include the relocated global headquarters of General Motors .
LEADING MAN Every new venture needs a solid leader to head the day-to-day blocking and tackling .
Nazarian and HQ Hotels in August appointed Mike Metcalf as president . Metcalf joins the HQ Hotels from Crescent Hotels & Resorts , where he most recently served as COO of the management company , which currently comprises more than 110 hotels across the U . S ., Canada and the Caribbean .
With two deals down and more than 15 more hotels under discussion , Metcalf admittedly said that his focus will be to source new deals and develop brand standards , with a focus on conversions and adaptive reuse opportunities . To help spur growth , SBE announced a $ 55-million key money and silver equity fund . It has announced already one development partner , LionGrove , which has committed to building 10 hotels in the Caribbean and along the Sun Belt .
What ’ s ahead for HQ ? HOTELS spoke to both Nazarian and Metcalf for further color and build-out of this new lifestyle brand .
HOTELS : Sam Nazarian brings a big name and big cachet . There are myriad brands in the lifestyle space now . How is HQ distinct and why will it thrive ? Mike Metcalf : Unlike other brands that try to develop bar and restaurant concepts for their hotels , HQ by SBE will bring already proven restaurant , bar and nightlife brands to their hotels , with culinary partners including 3-star Michelin Chef Dani Garcia , Chef Katsuya Uechi and Chef Wes Avila .
Mike Metcalf , president of HQ Hotels , and formerly the COO of Crescent Hotels & Resorts .
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