HotelChatter

Aside from profiling these owners and talking about the new hotel projects, we also get a look into how Jason Pomeranc, arguably the creative force of the brand, conceptualizes his hotels:

“You have to keep going back to your inspirations, and it varies from property to property,” he said. “At 60 Thompson, it was the new American bohemia, Kerouac and Pollock. At the Roosevelt it was classic Hollywood. In Beverly Hills, it’s Valley of the Dolls. For 6 Columbus, we drew from the 1960s, a swanky time for Central Park South, so we used Yves Klein’s international Blue, a mod color prevalent in that period. The Lower East Side will have a very industrial feel. Each property has its own intellectual soul.”

We're not going to lie...we like all of these inspirations. Valley of the Dolls for Thompson Beverly Hills? Bring it on. Although one would think there would be more pink inside the place. But we are sure the hotel will place the "pill bottles" of M&Ms on the nightstand like they do at the Roosevelt.

And aside from obstacles like the crappy hospitality market after 9/11, two-years of construction delays at Six Columbus and some reports of bad service, Thompson Hotels seems to be winning the boutique/small luxury hotel game. 60 Thompson was able to hold occupancy in the rough years of 2001, 2002 and 2003. Hollywood Roosevelt needs no explanation, once they worked out a put-the-guests-first policy. Gaige House in Sonoma made the Conde Nast Travelers top hotels list at #42 for U.S. hotels.

Next up is rapid expansion across North America including some hotel residences. But whether or not the winning streak can continue as more Thompson Hotels open remains to be seen. Let's hope Jason has a lot more soul-making ideas up his sleeves.

Related Stories:
· Yes, It Has a Mood, but It’s Not a ‘Boutique’ [NYT]
· What's Next for Thompson Hotels? Apparently, A Lot [HotelChatter]
· Thompson Hotels [Official Site]