Tampa, Fla. (April 29, 2015) – McKibbon Hotel Group, an award-winning, third–generation leader in the hotel development and management industry, announced today that it will partner with Starwood Hotels & Resorts on their newly launched Tribute Portfolio, a collection of four-star, upscale hotels with an independent spirit.
The Vandre Nouveau Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina will be the first independent hotel developed by McKibbon. The well–known BB&T Bank building, owned by McKibbon Hotel Group and Tower Associates, will be repurposed into the hotel and condominiums. McKibbon will develop and manage the new hotel when it’s completed in 2017.
“We have created a perfect partnership with Starwood and Tower Associates. Together, we are passionate about developing and managing great hotels in great destinations,” said John McKibbon, chairman of McKibbon Hotel Group. “We all have a deep affinity for Asheville and its history and look forward to the Vandre Nouveau Hotel being the epicenter of the downtown area, leading the future of Asheville’s growth and defining where it heads next.”
The property will include 150 guest rooms and suites, a destination restaurant and lobby bar and more than 4,000 square feet of modern meeting and event space. With 100 hotels expected by 2020, Tribute Portfolio properties will be independent hotels located in high–demand destinations offering top-notch experiences to guests.
“Tribute Portfolio is focused on delighting our Starwood Preferred Guest members with access to great independent hotels in exciting places all over the world, and we look forward to the Vandre Nouveau Hotel helping us deliver that promise,” said Dave Marr, Senior Vice President of Brand Management and Global Brand Leader for Tribute Portfolio. “As part of Tribute Portfolio, the owners of the Vandre Nouveau Hotel, McKibbon Hotel Group and Tower Associates, will have access to Starwood’s powerful distribution, loyalty and sales platforms, while still maintaining their independent vision and spirit for this incredible hotel.”
The hotel’s unique name stemmed from Vander, meaning “to stroll”, “to wander” and is a play on the name of Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a master of modern architecture. Mies Van der Rohe’s contemporary skyscrapers can be found in Chicago, New York and Toronto. His influence is apparent in the BB&T Bank building, downtown Asheville’s tallest building, which will become known as the Nouveau Tower. Nouveau, meaning “new”, describes the transformed icon that will impact the landscape and community known for its art and architecture. The Vandre Nouveau Hotel will be a place where you can stroll through eclectic streets and alleys downtown or wander through mountains that surround Asheville.
“Having lived and worked in Asheville for over 50 years, I can speak for my team in saying we are so excited about the development of the Vandre Nouveau Hotel and the impact it will have on our community”, said Glenn Wilcox, chairman and president of Tower Associates. “The upscale, boutique hotel is sure to be a catalyst to the continued revitalization of downtown Asheville.”
Once the Vandre Nouveau Hotel development is complete, there will be three McKibbon Hotel Group properties, including the AC and Aloft, within just a few blocks of each other in downtown Asheville. In addition, McKibbon Hotel Group will break ground in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a dual?branded hotel tower, AC by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott, in uptown Charlotte’s EpiCentre in June 2015 as well as a 144–room Aloft slated for downtown Greenville, South Carolina, which opens in November 2015.
