Take a Grand Bohemian hotel tour

The interior of the new Grand Bohemian hotel in Mountain Brook Village received its first group tours on Dec. 12 as a part of a Tree Topping event. The hotel broke ground in January 2014 and plans to open for business in June 2015.

Inspired by the Bohemian Club in San Francisco, the Bohemian is part of the Kessler hotel collection, which was created to celebrate arts and culture.

In addition to its 100 hotel rooms, the $35 million building will feature amenities for the community to use.

A freestanding 2,200-square-foot art gallery, the largest of out any of the Kessler hotels, will be located adjacent to an outdoor sculpture garden. Nearby, a swimming pool will double as a fountain, and area residents will be able to valet park their cars and walk directly into the spa on the first floor.

Up on the third floor, a restaurant that will feature a farm-to-table menu items made with regional ingredients opens up to a rooftop terrace that overlooks Mountain Brook Village. Next to the restaurant, a cooking school will accommodate 12-20 people at a time.

“You get wonderful views up there,” Kessler CEO Richard Kessler said. “We’ll have fire pits out there for [colder] days like this.”

A 6,000-square-foot ballroom will be able to accommodate 300-350 people. Private parties can book a dining room that seats up to 42 people. After dinner, parties can use the adjoining billiard room and outdoor terrace.

During the Dec. 12 event, a tree topping ceremony was held to mark the point of construction where interior work begins. The ceremony is based on a Scandinavian tradition that pays homage to the spirits of the trees that were used to create a building.

During a time of opening remarks, Kessler Collection CEO Richard Kessler said that the city has been a great partner and supporter of the project.

“We want to be a great partner with you in the long term,” he said.

The hotel is part of Daniel Corporation and Evson Inc.'s Lane Parke development. Robins Morton is the contractor.