Hospitality Design - April 2023 - 74

business sense new brands
A rendering of the forthcoming outdoordriven
brand Field & Stream Lodge Co.
After a day spent reveling in nature, guests can hang out
by the fire at the Bluebird Tälta Lodge in Stowe, Vermont
stones and art while respecting the heritage of
our buildings, " Haselbacher explains.
Almanac's slow growth was intentional,
says Haselbacher, who admits WSF Group
was " naïve in thinking that if we just hire the
right people, the property will take care of itself.
You can imagine that wasn't the case, and we
had a lot to learn before growing our portfolio.
Now, we understand much bett er what it takes;
we are delighted with all the att ention and
success Almanac Barcelona enjoys and are ready
to replicate and improve on that, " with future
hotels planned for Zagreb and Budapest.
Spark by Hilton
Hilton will begin rolling out its premium
economy brand of comfortable, reliable
accommodations, all of them conversions of
existing properties. (Although more than 200
deals are in the works, inaugural locations
have yet to be announced.) " Consistent quality
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April 2023 hospitalitydesign.com
One of the luxe guestroom tents
at the ULUM Moab in Utah
is guaranteed as each hotel will be required to
complete a full renovation encompassing all
guest-facing areas of the hotel, " explains brand
leader Alissa Klees.
Marked by artwork, thoughtful amenities like
a bagel bar, and pared-back guestrooms featuring
fl exible furniture and jolts of animated color,
Spark by Hilton will resonate with consumers
who " maximize value, " points out Klees. " These
guests appreciate the litt le things in life and are
constantly striving to bett er themselves. They are
down-to-earth individuals who seek simplicity. "
Bluebird by Lark
During the pandemic, Rob Blood, founder of Lark
Hotels, yearned to travel again with his family. " I
found myself daydreaming about the trips that
my parents took us on when I was a kid in the
'80s. They oſt en involved stops along the way at
motels with great pools and vending machines
fi lled with things that kids love, " he recalls.
That nostalgia was the springboard to
Bluebird, Blood's midscale brand currently
centered on nature-driven locales across the
Northeast (plans for the Southeast and West
Coast are underway), including New Hampshire's
Lake Sunapee and Cape Cod, Massachusett s,
as well as the Catskills, Saratoga Springs, and
Lake Placid in New York. This summer, Bluebird
Cady Hill Lodge will arrive in northern Vermont,
a short distance to Bluebird Tälta Lodge in
Stowe, as will the Bluebird Ocean Point Inn in
Boothbay Harbor, Maine. " As we took a closer
look at the hospitality landscape, we started to see
opportunities to bring back the love to an asset
class that used to be part of the memory-making
fabric of America: the roadside motel, " he adds.
Blood deems Lark and Bluebird cousins more
than siblings. Each of the Lark properties, oſt en
set in historic buildings, " have a strong individual
identity tale, " he explains, which contrasts with
Bluebird's " purpose-built hotels, motels, and
Photos and renderings by BAILEY MADE, READ MCKENDREE, and courtesy FIELD & STREAM
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design - April 2023

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