BETHESDA, Md.–November 17, 2020– Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) and six industry-leading hotel operators today jointly announced the launch of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, a hand-selected collection of small brands and independent lifestyle hotels and resorts worldwide. Curator’s distinct owner-centric platform offers an alternative for independent lifestyle hotels looking to strengthen their performance, providing them with best-in-class agreements, services, and technology, while allowing them to retain their unique identity. Created by owners and operators, Curator gives its members the power to compete together on their own terms, unbound by strict rules or constraints. As of today, Curator’s seven founding members represent an exceptional collection of more than 120 independent lifestyle hotels and resorts throughout the United States, with many more poised to participate over the next six to 12 months. In addition to Pebblebrook, the founding members of Curator include Benchmark Global Hospitality, Davidson Hotels & Resorts, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Provenance Hotels, Springboard Hospitality, and Viceroy Hotels & Resorts.
“Curator is a champion for the independent lifestyle hotel, uniting and empowering individual small brands and properties. Every property in the Curator Collection offers its own distinct, singular guest experience. We’re excited to bring these hotels and resorts together in one collection that is incredibly diverse, yet unmistakably cohesive,” said Jon Bortz, Founder and Chairman of Curator Hotel & Resort Collection and Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. “We are seeing a rapidly-growing segment of sophisticated travelers who value independence and creativity in their hotels. These travelers are searching for more individualized and unique experiences. Curator bridges the gap and connects these guests with independent hotels and resorts across the United States that provide just that.”
There is no one-size-fits-all uniformity for the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection. Instead, each property provides its own authentic and memorable experience with the freedom to operate on its own terms. Quality assurance comes from customer ratings rather than mandated standards, allowing Curator’s members to focus on being themselves and providing standout guest experiences rather than conforming to restrictive checklists, standards, and rules.
Curator also amplifies the performance of independent lifestyle hotels, giving them an alternative to consolidation and saturation while providing them with the benefits and support that come with belonging to a larger collection of like-minded unique properties. Leveraging the power of scale, Curator drives significant operating cost savings for its members through an array of curated benefits and initiatives. With its competitive market knowledge, Curator can utilize its economies of scale advantage to provide its members better and less expensive products and services.
Curator takes care of vendor negotiations so that its members don’t have to, executing and managing advantageous portfolio-level agreements to help owners reduce operating costs and increase profit. Members also benefit from shared business intelligence reporting, insights and proprietary tools and technology solutions, all of which help guide and focus key operational activities and cost-saving efforts. These initiatives allow owners to focus more time and resources on attracting customers and growing revenues.
“Benchmark Global Hospitality is honored to be a visionary owner with Pebblebrook and a part of this prestigious group of respected operators launching this innovative, owner-centric collection. Without question, as the independent and lifestyle segments of our industry grow in response to consumer demand, Curator fills a need for those owners seeking a competitive advantage without sacrificing their independent edge,” said Alex Cabañas, Chief Executive Officer of Benchmark Global Hospitality.
Strengthening independent hotels, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection will lift the industry as a whole by providing increased consumer choice. For consumers, Curator believes the fun is in the find – providing guests the freedom to decide what they want and the excitement of discovering it. The Curator Collection website will serve as an online matchmaker between collection members and guests. The portal will magnify the visibility and reach of small brands and independent hotels by connecting them directly with consumers, who will handpick their hotels based on their preferences. A Curator badge will also appear on participating hotel websites to celebrate genuinely independent lifestyle hotels and make selecting one that much easier and more fun. Guests can feel confident knowing that booking a Curator property will provide the sense of place they seek when traveling, paired with a world-class guest experience, to help them create a travel lifestyle that is uniquely their own.
Curator was founded for independent lifestyle owners, operators and small brands. Its creation was led by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, the largest independent lifestyle hotel and resort owner in the United States. For more information about Curator Hotel & Resort Collection, please visit www.curatorhotelsandresorts.com.
