Today West Elm announced the expansion of its signature new modern
aesthetic into the travel and hospitality industry with the launch of
West Elm HOTELS (www.westelmhotels.com),
a partnership with hospitality management and development company DDK.
The first properties are expected to be located in Detroit, Michigan;
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Savannah, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina;
Indianapolis, Indiana, and are planned to begin opening in late 2018.
Additional locations will be announced in the future.
“After twenty-six consecutive quarters of double-digit comparative
growth, including our successful entry into the commercial furnishings
market with West Elm Workspace, we’ve created an active bond with our
customers that can extend beyond home and work,” said Jim Brett,
president of West Elm. “By adapting the framework design of each hotel
to reflect the mood and identity of its host city, we will continue to
engage the adventurous spirit of our customers as they follow us to our
next level of hospitality.”
As part of West Elm's ongoing commitment and relationship with makers
around the world, each West Elm hotel will feature local design elements
that celebrate community and reflect traditional décor, handicraft,
cuisine and culture from the region. Artwork will be commissioned and
curated locally for each guest room as well as for the communal, common
areas in each hotel.
“There is a growing desire among modern travelers to immerse themselves
in the place they are visiting. They want a boutique experience, and
expect great, reliable service that caters to their needs,” said David
Bowd, co-founder of DDK. “Our general managers will serve as innkeepers,
and West Elm HOTELS will focus on making real community connections for
visitors and residents alike.”
A network of locally managed properties, West Elm HOTELS revolves around
three key tenets:
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Wholehearted hospitality: Great service, personalized attention,
regional knowledge and community connections will help guests feel
like a local and at home.
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Distinctive, thoughtful design: Each property will have its own design
point of view, from the exterior architecture to custom installations,
such as locally crafted art and bespoke furnishings.
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Community connection: Communal spaces and one-of-a-kind experiences
will bring guests and neighbors together in a relaxed, collective
setting.
True to the West Elm brand, these tenets will be reflected in the
design, programming and overall guest visit to offer an inviting and
accessible hospitality experience. Guests will also be able to purchase
the furnishings and artwork found in any room on-line at www.westelm.com.
About West Elm
Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY since 2002, West Elm opened its first
store in DUMBO, the neighborhood it still proudly calls home. With the
mission of helping customers express their personal style at home, work
and away, everything West Elm does is designed to make an impact in
everyday life, from creating unique, affordable designs for modern
living to its commitment to Fair Trade Certified, from LOCAL and
handcrafted products to community-driven in-store events and
collaborations. The brand operates 93 retail stores in the United
States, Australia, Canada and the UK, ships internationally to customers
around the world and operates stores in Mexico, the Middle East and
Philippines through unaffiliated franchisees. In addition to home
furnishings retail, West Elm operates West
Elm Workspace in the commercial furnishings industry. West
Elm publishes the blog Front+Main and
is part of an active community on Facebook,
Instagram,
Pinterest,
Twitter and
YouTube.
West Elm is a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands.
About DDK
Founded in 2014, DDK is a full service management company providing
operations expertise and technical services for boutique hotel
management and development. Co-founders and company principals Kim
Phoebus, David Bowd & David Wasserman have helped to create, launch and
operate more than 70 properties globally, creating a unique hospitality
experience with each project. DDK excels in producing hotel environments
that truly reflect the local neighborhood and surrounding areas through
locally-inspired design, cuisine and services, along with hiring of
local staff to help create an engaging experience from the moment guests
walk inside. In addition to hotel planning and programming, DDK provides
leadership in all aspects of operations, including: pre-opening
coordination, sales and marketing, revenue management, online presence
and distribution, financial and asset management and human resources.
For additional information, visit www.ddkhotels.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they do not
fully materialize or prove incorrect, could cause Williams-Sonoma,
Inc.’s results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by
such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include
statements relating to the anticipated opening of West Elm HOTELS
locations and the success of such hotels. The risks and uncertainties
that could cause the company’s results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include the
risks that the hotels do not open on schedule or are not successful.
Other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended January 31, 2016, all subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q
and current reports on Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements in this
press release are based on information available to the company as of
the date hereof, and Williams-Sonoma, Inc. assumes no obligation to
update these forward-looking statements.
