LXR Luxury Resorts Plans Refurbishment and Repositioning of the Rihga Royal Hotel in New York City a
Renaming the Hotels The London NYC and The London LA Respectively
NEW YORK, NY, November 10, 2005. LXR Luxury Resorts announced today its plans for the complete redesign, refurbishment and repositioning of two of its prized properties, the Rihga Royal Hotel in New York City and the Bel Age in West Hollywood, California, into The London NYC and The London LA respectively.
Situated in the very best locations of their respective cities, both all-suite hotels will undergo complete transformations, including a change of name, new interior architecture and design, and the addition of high-end restaurants. To assist in the spectacular metamorphosis of these two properties, LXR Luxury Resorts has engaged a veritable "dream team" of talent. Renowned British designer David Collins will completely transform the interiors of all guest rooms and public spaces, acclaimed chef Gordon Ramsay will open his first U.S. restaurants in both locations, and luxury bath purveyor Waterworks has created, in collaboration with Collins, complete Waterworks bathroom environments in each suite.
Rihga Royal Hotel The refurbishment of both hotels will be conducted in stages so as to minimize disturbance to guests and both properties will remain open throughout the transformation. The London NYC will officially debut in Fall 2006 and the London LA will open in Spring 2007. Substantial service upgrades to both properties will include a partnership with Quintessentially, an elite global concierge service to handle all guest requests, and the opening of a Golden Door Spa in the London LA.
Accentuating the new look of the properties, the London NYC and the London LA will also undergo a complete repositioning, redefining the very concept of the luxury hotel experience. Speaking directly to those who demand the very highest standards of excellence yet who shun pomp and pretense, both hotels will offer an "unencumbered" sense of luxury with casual ease and intuitive yet unobtrusive service designed to engage both the discriminating business and leisure traveler.
"The London NYC and the London LA will create a new standard for modern luxury," said Jean-Jacques Pergant, Co-President, LXR Luxury Resorts, "Today's premier hotel experience must provide the very finest location, amenities and experience in a way that is luxurious yet not overwhelming, and service that is warm and intuitive yet not overbearing. The team we are so privileged to work with to reinvent these hotels truly has embraced these ideals and is creating for our guests what we know will be a most unforgettable experience."
David Collins, internationally recognized for designs that blend a unique amalgamation of the decorative and the architectural, has sought to rethink the entire look of the existing hotels to transform them into the London NYC and London LA, creating an environment that reflects the premier service and the unique DNA of what will become the London brand. "For the new designs of these properties, we have reinvented the existing architecture of the rooms to create a certain Anglo-European attitude," said Mr. Collins. "Everything from the furniture to the lighting will create an entirely new spin on the hotels, and we feel that we have created a design for each that speaks to the ultimate wish list of the very discerning traveller."
With this ultimate wish list in mind, LXR Luxury Resorts has secured an exclusive collaboration with Waterworks to furnish the guestroom baths for both properties. Known world-over for impeccable style and artisanal quality craftsmanship, Waterworks' designs and products are synonymous with the concept of luxury for the complete bath experience. For the London NYC and London LA properties, every aspect of the guestroom baths will be created by Waterworks, in collaboration with Collins who hand-picked each element. From exquisite glass tiles and marble surfaces to porcelain fixtures with modern stainless steel fittings to the lush linens and amenities, guests will enjoy a bath environment that is truly luxurious, and truly Waterworks.
An incredibly exciting culinary component to both The London NYC and the London LA will be the addition of three Gordon Ramsay restaurants. One of the U.K.'s only chefs to receive three stars from the prestigious Michelin Guide, Mr. Ramsay will open his first U.S. restaurants at these properties, with one restaurant and bar in the London NYC, and two within the London LA.
The New York restaurant will offer a fine dining experience, akin in concept to his celebrated three-Michelin-star restaurant in London's Chelsea, with a more relaxed menu in the adjacent bar area along the lines of Ramsay's recently opened "Maze" in London, where patrons construct their own tasting menus, choosing several small dishes according to appetite. In Los Angeles, Ramsay will open two restaurants, the concept for which has not yet been finalized. Commented Ramsay, "I am incredibly excited to debut my first restaurants in the U.S. within the London NYC and London NY properties. They will provide the perfect setting for what I plan to create there."
On a moment's notice, Quintessentially, the elite global personal concierge service, will provide hotel guests access to the seemingly inaccessible. Whether tickets to the city's most sought-after shows and concerts, reservations at the hottest restaurants, or VIP treatment at the newest nightclubs, Quintessentially will satisfy the whims of the London NYC and the London LA guests, allowing them to experience the best each city has to offer.
Further enhancing the guest experience will be the addition of the Golden Door Spa in the London LA. The archetype against which all other spa experiences are judged, The Golden Door will revitalize even the most weary traveller with a selection of massages, therapeutic baths, and treatments. The spa will open upon the hotel's debut as the London LA in Spring 2007. The Golden Door Spa brand, including the flagship spa in Escondido, CA and three spas located in LXR resorts, is also owned by LXR Luxury Resorts.