PHOENIX – Sept. 19, 2023 – Renowned hospitality group Classic Hotels & Resorts is rebranding to Marc & Rose Hospitality. It currently operates fourteen iconic hotels and restaurants throughout the American West including the Arizona Grand Resort & Spa, High Country Motor Lodge, Hotel Carmel, Laguna Beach House, La Playa Hotel, The Inn at Laguna Beach and The Scott Resort & Spa.
Over the next 12 months, Marc & Rose will reintroduce two of its longest-held and most-beloved properties with multi-million dollar renovations undertaken in collaboration with world class designers: La Playa Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, with award-winning Post Company, and The Inn at Laguna Beach with cutting edge, Venice Beach based design firm Electric Bowery. These renewals will be freshly emblematic of Marc & Rose’s ethos of high touch and genuine hospitality within intentionally crafted, sophisticated, and meaningful spaces. Furthermore, the group is expanding its High Country Motor Lodge brand across the West Coast, with a celestially-inspired motor lodge in Flagstaff, AZ as its flagship HCML experience.
“The Marc & Rose brand is a new reflection of what we have always been: a devoted hospitality practice pioneered and inspired by the company’s founders, Peggy Rosalie Jacobsen and Samuel Marcus Grossman. They were unconventional and inspiring leaders who paved the way for us to continue creating unforgettable experiences for adventurers, explorers, and tranquility seekers. We are always excited to bring our guests into Marc & Rose’s world, to show them our unique version of hospitality, and to introduce them to the American West’s most breathtaking landscapes… the ones that made us who we are,” said John Grossman, CEO of both Marc & Rose Hospitality and of Grossman Company Properties. “Our reimagined heritage properties and new concepts alike are unforgettable experiences for anyone who visits, and especially for those who return again and again. Marc & Rose properties are immersive, sensual, and meaningfully rooted in place.”
Marc & Rose Story
Classic Hotels & Resorts was founded by Samuel Marcus Grossman and Peggy Rosalie Jacobsen, whose unexpected love story began on a beach in 1959. After winning the 1956 Miss California title, Peggy moved to New York to model, which naturally landed her in front of a camera, in a bikini, and on a beach in Hawaii. When the photographer sent her off to comb the beach for a more suitable male model than the one her agency had sent along, she found Samuel, who was more than able and happy to tandem surf with her on cue. An epic romance was born. They married shortly after and spent a year traveling around the world, returning without a dollar to their names but energized and passionate about travel and hospitality. Some years later they got to work on their first independent hotel project – the Arizona Biltmore – which to this day is one of Arizona’s most iconic and beloved hotels.
John now carries forward this legacy of genuine hospitality. He undertook the current rebrand in celebration of Sam and Peggy’s inspirational story together with his own life partner, Virginia. Since taking the helm, John has led the acquisition, renovation, and repositioning of The Scott Resort & Spa, La Playa Hotel, Hotel Carmel, Laguna Beach House, High Country Motor Lodge, El Chorro Lodge and Brophy’s Tavern. Under John’s innovative stewardship the firm builds places for friends old and new to gather and immerse themselves in the natural beauty and camaraderie of the American West.
Ethos & Sustainability
Marc & Rose properties encourage a special dialogue with nature. Whether by the ocean, in the high desert, along rivers, or below mountaintops, the collection of hotels and restaurants embodies the sounds, smells and colors of inviting landscapes. Marc & Rose keeps a strong focus on personal connections with guests, creating warm and inviting atmospheres. As owner-operators, the firm employs a philosophy founded in the belief that hospitality is an art, where a combination of wit, empathy, aesthetics, and sincerity transforms ordinary visits into extraordinary memories.
Marc & Rose has a deep commitment to sustainability, both on the corporate and property levels. The firm was 1% for the Planet’s first hospitality management partner, and has donated a percentage of its gross revenue from all its properties to nonprofits participating in the initiative since 2019. The firm is ardent in connecting dollars and doers to accelerate smart environmental giving in the hospitality space and beyond.
For more information on Marc & Rose visit marcandrosehospitality.com.
