Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook welcomes first guests
The Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook, located in the heart of Lane Parke, is officially open.
The $35 million boutique hotel welcomed its first guests Wednesday, Oct. 21 as workers added the final touches to the space. The hotel is part of the Kessler Collection and features, among its 100 uniquely-designed rooms, a host of other amenities including a wine-blending room, cooking school and spa. The hotel’s interior design is largely inspired by its neighbors — the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Birmingham Zoo.
The Kessler Collection's chairman and CEO, Richard C. Kessler, along with his adult children, is said to play an intricate role in the hotel’s design — from the selection of the Grand Bohemian Gallery artists, to the specially-designed, hand-woven carpets, hand-blown chandeliers inside the guest rooms, to the hand-selected music and bold color palettes. Purple and red — Kessler’s favorite colors, according to National Group Sales Director Shawn Bendig — are found throughout the building, from the brightly eggplant-colored hotel room doors to the oversized whimsical patio furniture. Bendig helped lead a media tour of the space ahead of the hotel’s grand opening.
The Mountain Brook hotel — part of the $120 million Lane Parke development — marks the Kessler Collection’s 11th — joining others in Florida, Georgia, Colorado and North Carolina.
With its high-end hospitality services, Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook looks to be as appealing to out-of-town guests as it is to area residents. Kessler Collection hotels, explained Bending, are rich in their use of art, music, culinary and wine influence.
“Those influences are all important to us,” she said, “and can be found throughout our hotels.”
The hotel features 12,630 square feet of meeting space, including a 6,000-square-foot ballroom to accommodate up to 350 people. Weddings and large gatherings have already been booked, said Bendig, set to take place under the Kessler-designed Austrian crystal chandeliers.
An elevator ride just outside the ballroom takes guests to an area called “The Habitat,” featuring a rooftop restaurant and bar with indoor/outdoor components, such as fire pits and a rooftop terrace. The cooking school, led by Little Savannah owner Chef Clifton Holt, is beside the main living room. Holt said he hopes to attract kitchen experts and novices alike, all in the name of food. Smaller classes will have more hands-on experience, said Holt, while larger ones will be mostly demonstration-based.
“The classes will be simple,” said Holt, “approachable for all skill levels.”
The wine tasting and wine blending room is also located in The Habitat, open to groups and individuals looking to learn about the wine-making process before personalizing and labeling a blend of their own.
Peter Keil artwork lines the walls throughout most of the guest areas, many of which are on sale.
Keil’s art, along with a host of other Kessler Collection artists can also be found for sale in a gallery located right by the hotel’s underpass To date, it is the largest built along with any Kessler Collection hotel and features paintings, sculpture and jewelry.
A Poseidon Spa, a feature of Kessler hotels, includes four treatment rooms and easy first-floor access for hotel guests and spa-only visitors alike.
The hotel, cooking school, spa, wine-blending experience and spa are all currently taking reservations.
For more information about the Grand Bohemian Mountain Brook, visit grandbohemianmountainbrook.com.