Hoxton brand to expand abroad
The Hoxton, which will open its second hotel in London's Holborn on Thursday, is set to expand beyond the UK.
Sharan Pasricha of private equity group Ennismore Capital told The Caterer that the company is currently on site in Amsterdam, Williamsburg (New York) and Paris to create the first international outposts of the design-led budget brand.
Each of the overseas' properties will incorporate the same values of the original Hoxton hotel in Shoreditch, such as the bare brick walls, the shabby leather sofas and the Soho House-operated food and beverage concepts.
But Pasricha, who bought the Hoxton in 2012 for around £65m, insists that he is not interested in creating a chain of hotel. "Our focus is on building a collection of around 10 individual hotels which respect the building and neighbourhood within which they are set," he said.
The 111-bedroom Amsterdam hotel will open within five 17th century houses overlooking the Herengracht and Singel canels in May 2015. Located 10 minutes from downtown New York across the Brooklyn Bridge, the 175-bedroom Williamsburg property will occupy the site of the Rosenwach factory and is set to open in summer 2016. And a few months later, the 170-bedroom Paris hotel will launch within a 16th century building in the 2nd arrondissement,
Pasricha explained that all the locations embody what he describes as "eclectic and vibrant neighbourhoods", with a sense of creativity nearby. He is now exploring further sites overseas in Barcelona, Copenhagen and Stockholm, as well as in Kings Cross and Southwick in London.
The development of all the new hotels will be financed by Ennismore Capital, in conjunction with a group of co-investors.
Meanwhile, the final preparations are being put together for the 174-bedroom Hoxton Holborn, located within a Grade-II listed building, once used by BT as offices. The property was acquired two years ago by Ennismore Capital for a sum believed to be around £30m.
The hotel will include two Soho House-operated restaurants: Hubbard & Bell, a new all-day, neighbourhood style American grill serving lump crabmeat cocktail, BBQ baby back ribs and Texas t-bone steaks, alongside the Chicken Shop rotisserie brand. In addition, there will be the Holborn Grind coffee shop, outsourced to Grind & Co, the group founded by Kaz James and David Abrahamovitch.
Soho House will also run the Cheeky Parlour nail salon, a more affordable sister beauty brand to it's Cowshead spa product, and the Apartment's event space, with a series of meeting rooms set around an open plan kitchen stocked with soft drinks, hot drinks and sweet treats.
Room rates will be priced from £69 to £269.
Grind & Co to open new site in Hoxton Holborn hotel >>
