It
could be the start of a new Hilton hotel dynasty.
In what may be one of
the biggest hotel branding coups of the year, Chicago-based Falor
Co., which specializes in developing hotel-condo projects, has
teamed with Nicky Hilton, the 22-year-old great-granddaughter of
Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton, to create what is expected to
be a global chain of as many as 60 boutique hotel-condos over the
next three years. Most will be overseas.
The hotel brand will
be called Nicky O, a Nicky Hilton Hotel. (Hiltons full name is
Nicholai Olivia Hilton.)
The first two Nicky O
hotels are slated for Chicago and Miami Beach.
Falor Co. President
Robert Falor told TravelWeekly.com that teaming up with the Hilton
heiress makes perfect branding sense.
We are capitalizing
on Nickys name recognition, Falor said. But there is more to it
than that.
Aside from the fact
that shes a Hilton sister, Nicky Hilton has developed a business
empire of her own.
While the exploits of
Paris, her socialite sister who dabbles in modeling, acting and
singing, have provided plenty of fodder for gossip magazines and
celebrity tabloids, the comparatively publicity-shy Nicky has been
working as a part-time model.
Hilton, who attended
the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, has been a fashion
designer for several years. She has her own clothing line called
Chick.
She earns an
estimated $1 million from her various fashion
enterprises.
Her handbag line,
clothing line and jewelry line have all done very, very well, Falor
said.
Hilton also pals
around with the fashionista crowd and is pals with many top
designers, Falor said.
In fact, fashion
designer Roberto Cavalli has already signed on to create signature
suites at the hotels.
Other well-known
designers are expected to soon follow, Falor said.
So what is a Nicky O
hotel?
First, all Nicky O
hotels will be located in major cities and fashion centers like New
York, Los Angeles and, well, Paris. We are not looking to do St.
Louis or Milwaukee, Falor said.
Most will be
conversions, existing buildings refashioned into Nicky O hotels.
But not all will be conversions. Falors company is busy designing a
prototype for new-build Nicky O hotels, as well.
The objective is to
design properties that are appealing to people who are into fashion
and lifestyle, that want someplace unique to stay when they travel,
Falor said, not a franchised, cookie-cutter Marriott, Hilton,
Sheraton experience. We think Nicky will attract those
people.
The hotels, which
will also offer residential units and restaurants, will be small
and intimate.
We are not looking to
put this brand on a 500-room hotel that survives on convention
business, Falor said. This will be a boutique, lifestyle
experience.
Falor believes Nicky
O hotels will be able to carve out a unique place in the boutique
hotel market, already occupied by such hotel groups as Kimpton and
Joie de Vivre, as well as Starwood with its W brand.
Theyve been very
successful, but they dont have celebrity designers coming in to
design rooms and suites, and they dont have someone with the star
power of Nicky, Falor said. This is more custom-tailored to each
market.
Falor said the hotels
would feature signature items such as an international newsstand, a
special linen line, bath and spa products. A frequent-guest
recognition program is also in the works.
It is going to be a
complete, well-rounded, lifestyle experience, Falor
said.
Falor, whose company
owns several hotels, including a Solis, an upscale brand launched
last year by Horst Schulzes West Paces Hotel Group, said he
believes now is perfect time to launch Nicky O.
The hotel business
has never been better, he said.
But more than that,
Falor added, consumers seem eager to embrace anything
new.
Every line of product
-- whether it is hotels, clothing, spa, you name it -- people are
looking for things that are unique, things that are different, he
said.
They are buying more lifestyle [items] everyday.
There is a whole, underserved [hotel] segment within that consumer
trend.
Look at the retail
sector, Falor added. People cant buy enough $500 jeans or $600
pairs of shoes. The more unique, the more they cost, the more they
want them. That is the target audience we are going
after.
To
contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].
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