INVESTMENT
SAGE PUTS ITS TWIST
ON EXTENDED-STAY
CATBIRD WAS BORN BASED ON A UNIQUE REAL ESTATE OPPORTUNITY AND NOW SAGE HAS PLANS TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE CONCEPT .
by JEFF WEINSTEIN & KATHAKALI NANDI
When Sage Hospitality was presented with an opportunity in its hometown of Denver , Colorado , that it quickly realized was best suited for an extended-stay hotel , it decided to create a unique product with eclectic twists to differentiate from the established concepts in the marketplace . Enter , Catbird , which Sage President and CEO Walter Isenberg has designs on growing as a new brand .
“ River North ( RiNo ) Art District in Denver is an emerging neighborhood . There ’ s office and residential spaces , lots of nightlife , great restaurants and bars . We wanted to do something different and had this idea of an extended-stay property , but with a lifestyle component . We developed the brand with that thought ,” Isenberg says .
The 165-key hotel blends hotel with home , with its patent-pending rooms with 10-foot-high ceilings , in-room kitchens stocked with highend housewares and pre-measured spices , custom-made multi-functional furniture and ample storage space . Catbird ’ s rooms also include lofted beds and high-tech entertainment facilities like 4K ultra HD projectors that project onto screens that drop down in front of large windows . Each floor is also equipped with a water filling station ( that dispenses still and sparkling water ) and a complimentary laundry service .
Catbird , which opened on August 17 and is jointly owned by Sage , Walnut Development Partners and EXDO Development Group , is on a good track , Isenberg says . “ It ’ s been open just one month [ as of mid-September ] but the early returns are very positive . We hope to grow the brand ,” he says .
Elaborating on the brand ’ s expansion plans , Isenberg explains they are not looking to franchise and will instead partner with developers . “ We are talking to some developmental partners and then we would own and manage .”
STRAIGHTFORWARD , SIMPLE The hotel is straightforward and simple and feels like you ’ re in somebody ’ s home , Isenberg says . “ There ’ s a robust grab-and-go service that you can bring up to your room . The food we serve on the rooftop bar is again pretty straightforward .”
The hotel ’ s rooftop houses The Red Barber , a communal bar retreat experience . Boasting a diverse food and beverage selection , the bar also features adaptable , flexible spaces like an event deck , amphitheater for live performances , a lawn with lifesized yard games , hot tubs for hotel guests and more .
The Catbird kitchen has a unique operation , which allows guests to walk up to the chef on the griddle to explain how they want their food .
One of the important aspects of
62 hotelsmag . com November / December 2021