The Mondrian SoHo in New York will become the Nomo SoHo
after a New York State Supreme Court judge ordered Morgans Hotel Group to
relinquish management control over the 263-room hotel.
Alex Sapir and Gerard Guez, who acquired the hotel last
month out of foreclosure, will take over management of the property over the
next few weeks. The ownership group has tapped Graham Leslie to head hotel
operations. Leslie is a former Kempinski and Rocco Forte Hotels executive who
also helped launch the Conrad luxury brand when he was with Hilton Worldwide.
Last week, the
ownership group first announced that the property would be rebranded as Nomo —
short for “nostalgic” and “modern.” Morgans had sought the enforcement of its
management contract.
“We are very pleased
that the court recognized our right to control the destiny of our own
business,” said Sapir in a statement Monday. “We are already in the process of
searching for additional properties to grow the brand and will soon be
announcing iconic properties in vibrant cities such as Miami and London.”
Morgans, in a statement released Monday, said it was
“disappointed in the court’s decision.” The company said it would pursue
damages for what Morgans alleged was a “willful breach of our management
contract.”
The NoMo SoHo is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
Sapir is the chairman of ASRR Capital, an Israel-based real
estate developer and manager. Guez co-founded the Buddha Bar hospitality and
lifestyle brand.