New York Palace

28 July 2008 London, July 28, 2008 - The London-based Dorchester Collection announced today that it will add two American five-star hotels to its portfolio - The New York Palace in New York and the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. The Dorchester Collection which owns and manages The Dorchester in London, The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Le Meurice and Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris, and the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan, will take over the management contracts of both hotels with immediate effect.

The Dorchester Collection also announced major investment plans for both properties. The intention is to transform The New York Palace into one of New York's most luxurious hotels. Whilst at the Hotel Bel-Air, a new USD 6 million spa will open in 2009.

Christopher Cowdray, CEO of Dorchester Collection, says, "We are delighted to welcome both these iconic hotels to the Dorchester Collection. All our hotels have their own style of individuality and these are no exception. We have ambitious plans for growth and are targeting 15 hotels in key North American and European cities in the next 5-10 years. To have secured such landmark hotels in the gateway cities of New York and Los Angeles is of tremendous benefit to our portfolio."

The New York Palace is one of the city's most iconic hotels and is located in midtown Manhattan on Madison Avenue. With 899 rooms, it consists of the landmark Villard Mansions, built in 1882 which houses the hotel''s Michelin-starred GILT restaurant and a contemporary 55-story tower. Christopher Cowdray said, "The hotel has great potential and we fully intend to preserve and enhance the heritage, reputation and unique character of the hotel whilst at the same time ensuring that it provides the highest possible standards of service and excellence that Dorchester Collection is known for."

The Hotel Bel-Air has 91 guest rooms and suites set in 12 acres of landscaped gardens, privately nestled in Stone Canyon. Constructed in 1946 by Texan entrepreneur Joseph Drown, it has developed into one of the most iconic and respected properties in the world and is perhaps most famous for "Swan Lake" with its own resident swans. In 2006, the hotel underwent a USD 22 million renovation and each of its 91 rooms has its own unique design, some of which are tailor-made for frequent guests. Renovations also included a newly designed restaurant, the addition of the Wine Terrace and state-of-the-art equipment in the fitness center.

The New York Palace Key Facts

• 899 rooms including 86 suites
• Two Michelin-star, GILT restaurant and bar
• American brasserie Istana
• 7,000-square-foot spa & fitness center that overlooks St. Patrick's Cathedral
• Extensive conference & banqueting facilities

Hotel Bel Air Key Facts

• 91 rooms including 36 suites
• 12 acres of landscaped gardens and courtyard fountains including Swan Lake
• 3 conference & meeting rooms from 10 - 160 people
• Al fresco dining at The Terrace
• The Restaurant offering Mediterranean style cuisine
• Fitness center & private spa suites
• 80-foot outdoor, heated swimming pool

Dorchester Collection 

The Dorchester Collection is the successor to the Dorchester Group, originally established by the Brunei Investment Agency in 1996 to manage its collection of hotels in Europe and the USA. The Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the world's foremost five-star luxury hotels.

The launch of Dorchester Collection in 2006 signalled a change to the strategic goals of the company. By applying its unrivalled experience and capability in owning and operating some of the world's great individual hotels, the company's mission is to develop an impeccable portfolio of the world''s finest hotels, both traditional and contemporary, through acquisition as well as management of wholly-owned and part-owned hotels, and to enter into management contracts for luxury city hotels.

Backing the strategy is a strong company branding that expresses the market's universally high regard for the current portfolio and the distinctive common values held by all Dorchester Collection hotels.

The current portfolio is owned and managed by Dorchester Collection:
The Dorchester in London
The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills
Le Meurice in Paris
Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris
Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan

 

For further information on Dorchester Collection, please contact:

Anna Glover
Director of Communications
Dorchester Collection
Telephone: +44 (0)207 319 7524
Email: aglover@dorchestercollection.com 

Laura de'Castiglioni or Sophie Darley
Peretti Communications
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7915-4777
Email: laura.dc@peretti.com / sophie.d@peretti.com