Loews Hotels & Resorts is currently in the midst of a major growth and property redesign initiative, reflecting a strong national trend in hospitality renovation. The project touches 15 of the company's 19 properties, including 10 property renovations, three hotel acquisitions, and two new builds, ranging from updates to the building facades and the hotel lobbies, to new color palettes and renovated bathrooms.
With the redesign, Loews Hotels & Resorts puts an emphasis on repositioning the lobby and public spaces as areas for gathering and connectivity. Loews approached this goal by installing media walls with LCD flat screen TVs, increasing WiFi access and making electrical outlets more abundant and accessible. The design upgrades will also allow for more live entertainment and activity, which will encourage hotel guests and locals alike to utilize the public spaces for social interaction.
Beyond this common vision for more connectivity, each property takes a completely unique design approach. All the venues in the Loews portfolio have their own story, history and local character so there are no repeated design ideas from one property to the next.
Renovation highlights include top to bottom upgrades at the newly acquired Loews Hollywood Hotel, the extensive overhaul of Portofino Bay’s 750 rooms and suites, and the first ever, full renovation of the flagship location, Loews Regency Hotel, which is set to reopen early 2014. Below is a complete timeline and overview of the various renovations.
Renovation Timeline
Loews Annapolis Hotel – completed an extensive renovation of its lobby and restaurant in August of 2012.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort – completed a nine-month long transformation that included a complete redesign of its lobby, Bay Terrace, Cays Lounge, Market Café and Market-to-Go in January of 2013.
Loews Philadelphia Hotel – completed a three-month long guestroom renovation in April of 2013. The hotel will undergo a total transformation of its lobby, entrance and restaurant/bar area in the coming year.
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel – completed an immense renovation project that refreshed all 750 rooms and suites with a new Mediterranean-inspired design that enhances the overall guest experience in April of 2013.
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel – completed a façade renovation in April of 2013 and will finish renovation of a series of rooms adjacent to the pool to create premium poolside cabana rooms, as well as a series of beach-level rooms that will feature residential-style patios, complete with fire pits later this year.
Loews Vanderbilt Hotel – completed an extensive renovation including a complete redesign of the lobby, remodeled corridors, new guest and public bathrooms, and the new Mason’s restaurant and Mason Bar in May of 2013.
Loews Hôtel Vogue – completed a property renovation including redesigned guest rooms, an updated lobby, exterior façade and the addition of the renowned La Société Bistro from Toronto, in June of 2013.
Loews Hollywood Hotel – acquired the historic Hollywood Hotel, home to the former Kodak Theater, now the Dolby Theater, a major partner of the annual Academy Awards ceremony completed in the summer of 2012. Hotel is currently undergoing a renovation of all guestrooms, the lobby, lobby bar, restaurant and meeting spaces, scheduled for completion in November of 2013.
Loews Regency Hotel – undergoing its first-ever full renovation in its 50-year history. The redesign will maintain the traditional elements that helped shape the hotel as a New York Institution, but will be complemented by new modern touches that will still uphold the overall Loews Regency legacy. The hotel is set to re-open in January of 2014.
Loews Boston Back Bay Hotel – acquired the 225-room Back Bay Hotel in Boston in February of 2013 and renovations are scheduled to begin in the fall of this year finished in April of 2014
Related Stories
| May 2, 2013
A snapshot of the world's amazing construction feats (in one flashy infographic)
From the Great Pyramids of Giza to the U.S. Interstate Highway System, this infographic outlines interesting facts about some of the world's most notable construction projects.
| May 2, 2013
Holl-designed Campbell Sports Center completed at Columbia
Steven Holl Architects celebrates the completion of the Campbell Sports Center, Columbia University’s new training and teaching facility.
| May 2, 2013
BIM group proposes uniform standards for how complete plans need to be
A nationwide group of Building Information Modeling users, known as the BIMForum, is seeking industry input on a proposed set of standards establishing how complete Building Information Models (BIMs) need to be for different stages of the design and construction process.
| May 2, 2013
New web community aims to revitalize abandoned buildings
Italian innovators Andrea Sesta and Daniela Galvani hope to create a worldwide database of abandoned facilities, ripe for redevelopment, with their [im]possible living internet community.
| May 1, 2013
A LEGO lover's dream: Guide to building the world's iconic structures with LEGO
A new book from LEGO master builder Warren Elsmore offers instructions for creating scale models of buildings and landmarks with LEGO.
| May 1, 2013
New AISC competition aims to shape the future of steel
Do you have the next great idea for a groundbreaking technology, model shop or building that could potentially revolutionize the future of the steel design and construction industry? Enter AISC's first-ever Future of Steel competition.
| May 1, 2013
Data center construction remains healthy, but oversupply a concern
Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are among the major tech companies investing heavily to build state-of-the-art data centers.
| May 1, 2013
Groups urge Congress: Keep energy conservation requirements for government buildings
More than 350 companies urge rejection of special interest efforts to gut key parts of Energy Independence and Security Act