HotelChatter

Tags: Andre Balazs / Standard Hotels / Hotel Hype / Seattle Standard / → All Tags

Andre Balazs To Seattle Rumors Part III

HotelChatter Exclusive
Weeks ago we told you that HotelChatter readers were chirping about Andre Balazs opening up a Standard Hotel in Seattle now today, an "anonymous" tipster sent us a tip from a not so anonymous email address, and gave us a semi-believable scoop.

The scoop centers around a former AB Hotels consultant, a man named Michael "Mic" Neumann a former Seattle native now living in NYC who, through his company Pop Detail, introduced Andre to the Rudy's Barbershop franchise (which was founded in Seattle) and who also hooked up Andre with various companies that have become tried-and-true Standard Hotel partners.

Neumann's last act of consultant work for Balazs...was to align Balazs with Seattle real estate and clothing manufacturing magnate, Raj Shah, who besides owning one of the largest private label clothing manufacturing companies in the USA known as "Shah Safari", also owns a large number mixed used in buildings in Seattle that are earmarked for Balazs to pick through and take over and transform into the Seattle outpost of the "The Standard" Hotel.

The word is that they are only awaiting some further re-zoning laws in Seattle to officially take effect this year before choosing the best building to convert for the "The Standard" project in Seattle, and then it should take about one year to complete the transformation. So they are anticipating a Spring/Summer 2008 opening date if all goes as planned.

Here is Shah Safari Seattle, see any buildings that look Standard worthy in the area? Anyone have more info?

Related Stories:
· Standard Hotel NYC Rises Somewhat Awkwardly [HotelChatter]

Tags: Andre Balazs / Hotel Hype / Seattle Standard / → All Tags

André Balazs To Seattle Rumors Part II

A tipster, who we are not naming, but one whom has proven trustworthy in the past, had this to say on the André Balazs to Seattle rumors:

I know that AB wants to open a Standard hotel in every major US city a la W Hotels - there is a huge need for affordable, but stylish, hotels for the 20 and 30 somethings who are traveling now, and want something more exciting than the Holiday Inn.

I don't know of any specifics about one opening in Seattle, but Michael Rawson - the former VP of Operations for Hotel AB, Cornell Hotel School '81, and the real hotel brains behind ABs hotels - left the organization to become the GM of Seattle's Sorrento over the summer.

Maybe Andre was inspired by Mr. Rawson's departure...

Hmm. We just aren't seeing Andre to Seattle this early in the game. A couple weeks back, at the Beaver presentation we heard whispers that London was next on the AB hotel radar.  That sounds more plausible to us.

Then again, with all the William Beaver House hoopla, which now includes posing for the Gawker cameras, and the coming Standard NY, AB may be spread a bit too thin to concern himself with a new Standard hotel location just yet.

Got tips?  Hit us up.

[Photo: Gawker]

Related Stories:
· André Balazs Coverage [HotelChatter]

Tags: Seattle Standard / → All Tags

PM Linkage: Balazs Seattle? What Do You Know?

Links:
· Hawaii Earthquake Hotel Update [Hawaiirama]
· Christine Delsol on Hotel Del Sol, We Kid You Not [SFGate]
· Birtish Hotels Want To Bring SexyBack in 07 [TimesOnline]
· Check In, Check Out: Goes To Sunny Isles. [NY Times]
· TripAdvisor Blog Doesn't Name Hotels? [tripadvisor.typepad.com]
· Do You Know Something We Don't Know? [HotelChatter/Google]