Stephen Brandman of Journal Hotels Sets Out to Create a Collection of Diverse Lifestyle Hotels
Journal Hotels, an industry leading manager and operator of lifestyle hospitality assets, sets out to create a collection of diverse lifestyle hotels while continuing to expand its portfolio across the U.S. The company, which already owns property in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Chicago, recently opened Mondrian Park Avenue and The Standard, High Line in New York City, incorporating lifestyle and cultural details from the surrounding areas.
Stephen Brandman, co-owner and CEO of Journal Hotels, chooses to approach hotel management from a different angle after years of experience in the industry.
“With Journal Hotels, what I’m really trying to do is not create a brand like a Marriott or Hilton, but rather a distinct collection of diverse lifestyle hotels. I’m more focused on the lifestyle experience we can curate and what Journal Hotels can bring to the table from a management standpoint to help a hotel best maximize its lifestyle assets and its connection to the local community, while increasing its profitability,” Brandman said.
Brandman first started out in the industry as a midnight mail and information clerk at the New York Hilton. From there, he spent many years working with the InterContinental Hotels Group before co-founding Thompson and Commune Hotels.
Now, he is honing in on his many years of experience to spearhead the growth and expansion of Journal Hotels.
While the company already has properties across the U.S., its latest expansion has been in the New York region, as the City is vibrant and fast-paced allowing Journal Hotels to integrate creative and cultural elements into the design.
“New York City is such an iconic destination for rich culture and history and it is the embodiment of what the Journal Hotels collection of storied hotels represents, so naturally we were excited to grow our portfolio in New York with the opening of Mondrian Park Avenue and the addition of The Standard, High Line,” Brandman said.
“As with our other cities, we are weaving New York’s culture and heritage into the lifestyle programming we cultivate at each hotel, providing unique experiences for our guests.”
Due to the size of the company, Journal Hotels is capable of providing a highly-personalized service and experience for its guests, while also investing time into finding out what’s in the best interest for the owning company. Brandman also noted that in some instances Journal Hotels owns some of the hotels.
But aside from the highly-personalized service and hotel management approach, Journal Hotels also focuses on design elements and amenities, creating a unique and independent brand in the process.
In the most recent hotels, Mondrian Park Avenue and The Standard, High Line, Journal Hotels chose to keep a New York look and feel throughout the interiors.
“Mondrian Park Avenue is a unique situation in that it was initially conceived as an SLS hotel designed by Philippe Starck, giving the hotel its own signature identity. Upon checking in, guests are welcomed with custom New York-inspired artwork by artist Ara Starck. Guest rooms are designed to provide a versatile work and play environment. Cleo is designed with wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the beauty of Park Avenue, while the Fifteen Stories rooftop lounge provides a unique vantage point for guests to capture sweeping city views,” Brandman said.
He also discussed the importance of curating a unique lifestyle experience for guests, saying, “At Mondrian Park Avenue, we introduced New York City to its first Cleo restaurant, connecting guests and locals with its wonderful Mediterranean flavors. Additionally, through a partnership with nightlife authority Richie Akiva of The Butter Group, we have developed exciting nightlife offerings for guests to discover. Similar amenities are featured at each of the hotels in our collection, which we tailor to suit the local communities of each respective destination.”
Drawing on strategic local partnerships in each city, Journal Hotels is able to develop highly visible cultural activations that allow each hotel to maximize its lifestyle experience within the local community.
“A cultural partnership we cultivate for Ambassador Chicago wouldn’t necessarily fit at The Hollywood Roosevelt, for instance, and vice versa,” Brandman stated.
At Journal Hotels, delving into the community’s roots is of utmost importance for its branding, and is one of the most appealing aspects for guests.
“The lifestyle amenities we provide are certainly most appealing [to guests]. Given the care and attention to detail that goes into developing the lifestyle experience at each hotel, guests are able to connect with the local culture in unique and experiential ways.”
Brandman’s experience co-founding Thompson and commune Hotels have aided in helping him to build the Journal Hotels brand. While he was working to build a brand in both instances, he approached it from a completely different standpoint than Journal Hotels, which ultimately allowed him to look at Journal Hotels from a completely different angle.
“The experience I’ve developed from those brands provided me with a foundation for which to envision the model for Journal Hotels. Having multiple perspectives on hotel management is an invaluable tool in today’s industry. At the end of the day, maximizing the owning company’s ROI and driving revenues and healthy profitability is key.”
And Brandman has been able to do just that with Journal Hotels, noting that the vision is to expand Journal Hotels across the country, to other key primary second cities and markets.
As for expansion, guests can definitely look forward to having more culturally driven hotels from Journal Hotels in the future. While the plans are still very much in development, Brandman notes that currently there are signed letters of intent with two new hotels, and we can expect to hear more details soon.
As for now, guests can enjoy the various hotels already in the Journal Hotels portfolio.
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