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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hospitality,Hotels |
| Founded | 1980 New York City,New York United States |
| Founder | Richard Chiu |
| Headquarters | Europe:Paris, France North America:Denver, Colorado Middle East:Beirut, Lebanon Asia/South Pacific:Fiji |
Number of employees | [10000+ Emp] |
| Website | warwickhotels.com |
Warwick Hotels and Resorts (WHR) (formerlyWarwick International Hotels) is a global hospitality company. As of January 2023, WHR encompasses over 40 hotels.
The group of hotels, known asThe Collection, consists of owned and managed, managed and affiliate member hotels.WHR was founded in 1980 with the purchase of the historic Warwick Hotel in New York City (Warwick New York Hotel) after which the company is named. WHR operates out of 4 regional offices:Europe, located inParis, France,North America, located inDenver, Colorado,Middle East located inBeirut, Lebanon andAsia/South Pacific located inFiji.
In June 2016, Warwick International Hotels completed a company-wide rebranding initiative, led by the Columbus, Ohio-based branding agency Blackletter, that included launching a new corporate identity and logo.[1] The brand is now known as Warwick Hotels and Resorts.
Richard Chiu, president and founder of WHR, established Warwick Hotels and Resorts in 1980 upon the purchase of the Warwick Hotel located on the corner ofAvenue of the Americas and 54th Street inManhattan,New York City.[2] The Warwick Hotel was originally commissioned by newspaper mogulWilliam Randolph Hearst in 1926 as a homage to the love of his life,Marion Davies, whom he later married, and for the comfortable accommodation of his Hollywood friends while frequenting New York City.[3] It was designed by the world-renowned architectEmery Roth.[4]
Soon after, a foothold was also established in Europe with the acquisition of the Hôtel Warwick Champs-Elysées in Paris, located just off the famous Parisian avenue,Avenue des Champs-Elysées. Other European acquisitions during the early years include: the Warwick Brussels (formerly Royal Windsor Hotel Grand Place) inBrussels, Belgium, the Hôtel Westminster in Paris, located onRue de la Paix betweenPlace Vendôme and thePalais Garnier opera house, and the Hôtel Warwick Geneva (Warwick Geneva) inGeneva, Switzerland. In North America, the Warwick Denver hotel in Denver, Colorado, and the Warwick Seattle hotel in Seattle, Washington, also joined The Collection.
From its base inAmerica andWestern Europe, WHR expanded into resort destinations. The acquisition of a resort on theCoral Coast ofFiji became the Warwick Fiji, a resort & spa. The success of this project spurred further expansion in Fiji and the nearby Naviti Resort was acquired.[5]
Entering the 1990s, the Warwick San Francisco hotel was opened inSan Francisco, California, marking the beginning of a decade of robust growth.[citation needed] Growth in the company was driven by a significant new direction for WHR internationally also, with the introduction of an Affiliate Hotel Program. Like WHR, many of these hotels are also family run.[citation needed]
Momentum continued during the 2000s for WHR, which marked WHR's entry into theMiddle East and African market and its first foray into management contract agreements. As of October 2014, WHR manages nine hotels in the Middle East andAsia, includingDubai andBaghdad,Jordan andLebanon, andBali.[6][7] This period also saw its Affiliate Hotel Program mature as it adds key gateway cities into its Collection, includingBangkok,Barcelona,Madrid,Zurich and also two hotels inSouth Africa.[8]
In North America, the Warwick San Francisco recently underwent an extensive renovation program and re-opened in June 2014.[9] In April 2014, the Allerton Hotel located in the middle ofThe Magnificent Mile inChicago, IL was acquired by WHR and has since been renamed the Warwick Allerton Chicago home to the Tip Top Tap ballroom on the top floor, once used byFrank Sinatra.[10]
This period also marks WHR's entry into the resort market in the Americas, with the announcement of the Warwick Paradise Island inNassau, The Bahamas, joining The Collection.
In February 2017, Warwick Hotels and Resorts acquired The Capital Group consisting of the 49-guestroom Capital Hotel and 12-guestroom Levin Hotel, both located in Knightsbridge, London.[11]
In February 2023, Warwick Hotels and Resorts acquires the Hotel Le Crystal located in downtown Montreal, has been named the Warwick Le Crystal-Montreal, WHR’s first hotel in Canada.[12][13]