Ground breaks for new Grand Bohemian hotel

Richard Kessler was first struck by Mountain Brook’s rich color and architecture when he visited in 2004. 

He looked around the area at the request of Charles McCrary, CEO of Southern Company. Kessler was interested in a hotel site in Mountain Brook, but he could not find a suitable one at the time. So when Daniel Corporation approached in 2012 about being a part of the Lane Parke development, the decision was easy.

“I love the village feel,” Kessler said. “I think the sense of community is great and that we really bring something new that will be appreciated.”

Inspired by the Bohemian Club in San Francisco, Kessler has created a hotel collection that celebrates arts and culture. His company has locations in Orlando, Savannah, Asheville, Taos and Beaver Creek, Colo.

“People say they have never spent the night in a museum, but that they feel like they just did that [when they have stayed in our hotels],” he said.

Now, he’s crafting his luxury boutique concept especially for Mountain Brook.

A groundbreaking for the new Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook was held Jan. 16. The $35 million hotel, which will be located between Lane Park Road and the Lane Parke apartments currently under construction, is scheduled to open by early 2015.

A 2,800-square-foot art gallery, located in a stand-alone building connected to the hotel, will showcase local, regional, national and international artists. Art shows and receptions held at least quarterly will be coordinated by a full-time on-site art director and three full-time art coordinators in the Kessler headquarters. Kessler estimates overall the hotel will display an art collection valued between $500,000 and $1 million, and he hopes to have original art in each of the 100 rooms.

Kessler has already commissioned a Birmingham native artist to paint six large paintings at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to be displayed in the hotel. Likewise, the hotel’s interior décor will be inspired by botanicals from the gardens across the street, possibly with some influence of the zoo, too. 

Luxury facilities will be available to not just guests but the surrounding community as well. 

A rooftop bar will overlook the surrounding area and feature a special wine tasting bar. The adjoining restaurant will feature farm-to-table menu items made with regional ingredients.

A large outdoor sculpture garden will host events in addition to the 5,800-square-foot indoor space that can be used for weddings and social occasions.

One of the two dining rooms will feature Porsche memorabilia, with a poolroom adjacent to it.

A cooking school, much like one in a similar hotel that was ranked as a top activity in Savannah by TripAdvisor, will offer a new way for companies, or families, to engage in team building.

In addition to wine tasting, anyone can partake in “wine blending,” allowing you to create a wine blend to your own taste. From there, the hotel will create a custom label for your bottle, and you can order it from Napa Valley by the case if desired.

Area residents will be able to valet park and walk directly into the Poseidon Spa, which will feature treatments such as a hot stone massage, herbal poultice massage, lavender peppermint scalp treatment and aqua gel facial masque.

In all its features, the Grand Bohemian will be anything but cookie cutter in design.

“It’s a very handcrafted, detailed process, like a Porsche,” Kessler said.

In fact, Kessler’s attention to customizing each hotel to its community was the reason Daniel sought him out.

“[Kessler] and his team take every property personally, from the artwork to how they set up the bar,” said Pat Henry, chief development officer for Daniel. “This area has nothing like it. It will be where our guests stay and where we meet a friend for a glass of wine on Friday night.”

To learn more, visit kesslercollection.com.