Montage Hotels & Resorts

Montage International
Company typePrivate
IndustryHospitality
Founded2002
FounderAlan Fuerstman (CEO)
Headquarters
Irvine, California
,
United States
Area served
North America
ServicesHotel and resort management
Websitewww.montagehotels.com

Montage International (or Montage Hotels) is a luxury hotel and resort management company founded by Alan Fuerstman and based in Irvine, California. As of 2022, it operates 14 properties in the United States and Mexico, with seven of those properties under the Montage Hotels and Resorts brand and seven under its Pendry Hotels and Resorts brand.

History

Montage International was founded in January 2002 by Alan Fuerstman.[1] The first major acquisition by Montage occurred in June 2002 when the company partnered with the Athens Group to purchase a development that was then known as the Laguna Beach Colony. The deal was worth $190 million, which was the highest per-room price for a hotel in the United States that year.[2] Montage Laguna Beach was opened in 2003 and became the first hotel to bear the Montage brand.[3] In March 2005, Montage won a municipal election that allowed them to build a new luxury hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills.[4] Montage Beverly Hills was eventually opened in 2008.[5] That property was later sold to the Maybourne Hotel Group.[6]

Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. Photo taken in 2012.

Two years later, Montage opened its third resort, Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah. [7] Ohana Real Estate Investors — which was created by the founder and chairman of eBay, Pierre Omidyar—provided investment backing for and ownership interest in several Montage Hotels properties, including Laguna Beach, Beverly Hills, and Deer Valley.[3][8] In August 2013, Montage Hotels & Resorts expanded their portfolio to Hawaii and took over management of the Kapalua Bay property and officially became "Montage Kapalua Bay."[9]

In 2014, Montage acquired management rights to the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina. In October 2014, the company launched a new lifestyle brand called Pendry Hotels and Resorts. Pendry is led by Michael Fuerstman (Alan Fuerstman's eldest son) and opened their first Pendry in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter in February 2017.[10] Construction crews officially broke ground on the hotel on October 8, 2014.[11]

In January 2015, Montage Laguna Beach was sold by Ohana Real Estate Investors to Strategic Hotels & Resorts for $360 million, which is currently the state record for the highest per-room price. Montage Hotels & Resorts continues to manage the hotel.[12] In early 2015, Montage Hotels announced plans for their first international resort hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico on the Santa Maria Bay[13] which officially opened in 2018.[14]

In 2020, Montage purchased Matt Lowe Cay, an island in the Bahamas, with plans to build a resort.[15]

Properties

View of the pool at Montage Laguna Beach.

Montage Hotels and Resorts currently manages fourteen hotels in the United States and Mexico under the Montage brand and Pendry brand. The hotels also have a residential portion which can include single-family homes, condos or villas.[16] Each of the hotels also contain a luxury spa called "Spa Montage,"[13][3][7][17] with the spa at Montage Laguna Beach receiving the first ever 5 Star Spa award.[18] As of 2022, it operates 14 properties in the United States and Mexico, with 7 of those properties under its Pendry Hotels and Resorts brand.[16]

Montage Laguna Beach

Montage Laguna Beach is the flagship hotel of the Montage Hotels & Resorts brand. The hotel is built in the Craftsman style and is located directly adjacent to the Pacific Ocean and just south of downtown of Laguna Beach. It contains 250 rooms, 60 of which are suites, 37 beach bungalows, and Montage branded residences. It's built on 30 acres and incorporates artwork from William Wendt and Edgar Alwin Payne. Montage Laguna Beach has been in operation since 2003.[3][19] Montage Laguna Beach was purchased by a Chicago real estate investment trust in 2015 for $360 million.[20] It changed ownership again later in 2015 when the REIT (Strategic Hotels & Resorts) was purchased by The Blackstone Group for $6 billion.[21] It sold again in 2022 to billionaire Tilman Fertitta.[22]

Montage Deer Valley

View from Montage Deer Valley.

Montage Deer Valley was opened in 2010 in Park City, Utah. It contains 154 guest rooms, 66 suites and 81 Montage branded residences. The resort contains indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, a ski shop, Compass Sports, a spa, a bowling alley, and four restaurants.[7]

Montage Kapalua Bay

Montage took over management duties at the Kapalua Bay resort in 2013. Montage expanded the resort's square footage, adding a suite-only hotel with 50 units and 56 Montage branded residencies.[9] The resort's rebrand and remodel cost an estimated $15 million, and Montage Kapalua Bay was officially opened in June 2014. The resort contains beach access near Kapalua Bay, and a Pegge Hopper art collection.[23]

Montage Palmetto Bluff

Palmetto Bluff, 2017

Montage Palmetto Bluff came under the management of Montage Hotels and Resorts in 2014. It renovated the property to include 150 new luxury rooms in addition to the already existent 50 cottages. Montage also introduced a new spa, fitness center, and dining accommodations. Montage Palmetto Bluff is located in Bluffton, South Carolina on the banks of the May River.[24]

Montage Healdsburg

Montage Healdsburg opened in December of 2020. Located in the center of California's wine country, Montage Healdsburg is a "refined wine country retreat." With 130 bungalow-style rooms and 40 residences for sale, Montage Healdsburg is cementing itself as a must-stay destination for those looking for an ultra-luxury experience.

Montage Los Cabos

Montage Los Cabo is located in Cabo San Lucas and opened in 2018.[25] It includes a 122 room resort along with 52 residences and is listed as a AAA Five Diamond award resort.[26]

Montage Big Sky

Montage Big Sky is located 45 minutes from Yellowstone National Park and has 100 rooms with ski access and private golf course. The property also includes The Inn Residences at Montage Big Sky, luxury residences.[27]

Recognition and awards

The properties of Montage Hotels & Resorts have received numerous awards and accolades since the Montage brand debuted in 2003.[28] Montage Laguna Beach has been honored by Andrew Harper Travels and Travel + Leisure.[3] The flagship also received a five-star rating from the Forbes Travel Guide along with its spa and restaurant.[19] The Condé Nast Traveler gave Montage Laguna Beach a "Gold" rank on its list of the World's Best Places to Stay. The magazine's Reader's Choice Awards have named the Laguna Beach property the best place to stay in Southern California, and the resort has also earned a AAA Five Diamond Award.[29] The Montage Deer Valley resort was named the 17th best luxury hotel in the United States and received the AAA Five Diamond Award in 2015.[30][31] All five properties were recognized by Condé Nast Traveler in 2015 with reader choice awards for The Best Hotels & Resorts in the World.

References

  1. ^ Diamond, Barbara (5 July 2002). "New resort owner shares thoughts on Laguna". Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  2. ^ Harris, Bonnie (22 June 2002). "Marriott Sells Stake in Laguna Project". The L.A. Times. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e Martin, Michael (6 October 2011). "Montage International Fast to Earn Its Stars". TheStreet.com. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  4. ^ Newman, Morris (11 May 2005). "Plans for a Hotel Survive in Beverly Hills". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  5. ^ Smith, Dakota (24 November 2008). "Getting to Know You: Beverly Hills Montage Hotel". Curbed. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  6. ^ Elliott, Farley. "Former Montage Beverly Hills Returns as the Maybourne, With All New Restaurants". LA Eater.
  7. ^ a b c Gorrell, Mike (8 December 2010). "Montage Deer Valley: Utah's newest elite hotel". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  8. ^ Shimogawa, Duane (31 May 2013). "Montage Hotels & Resorts to take over management of Maui resort units". Pacific Business News (Biz Journals). Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Montage Hotels & Resorts Announces Montage Kapalua Bay". Business Wire. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  10. ^ Chipkin, Harvey (22 October 2014). "Montage launches lifestyle brand Pendry Hotels". Hotel News Now. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  11. ^ Showley, Roger (7 October 2014). "Gaslamp getting Pendry hotel". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  12. ^ Vincent, Roger (30 January 2015). "Montage Laguna Beach sells for $360 million; deal shatters state records". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  13. ^ a b Covey, Claudette (28 April 2015). "Montage to Open Its First International Property In Los Cabos". TravelPulse.
  14. ^ Neuman, Phobe (December 13, 2018). "Sleek, Quiet, and Private: A New Montage Resort is Bringing Low-Key Luxury to Los Cabos". RobbReport.
  15. ^ Walker, Howard (January 26, 2021). "Home of the Week: This Caribbean Pirate's Island Hideaway Has 7 Sugar-White Sandy Beaches". RobbReport.
  16. ^ a b O'Neil, Sean (October 14, 2022). "Montage and Pendry Hotels Pick Up the Pace in Luxury and Lifestyle". Skift.
  17. ^ Winnerman, Jim (20 April 2014). "Luxury hotelier Montage taps into individual locations". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  18. ^ "Mobil Travel Guide Announces The First Ever Mobil Five-Star Hotel & Resort Spa". Hotel News Source. 21 April 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  19. ^ a b Bosch, Hayley (26 February 2013). "Montage Laguna Beach Celebrates 10 Years With A Five-Star Award". Forbes Travel Guide. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  20. ^ Vincent, Roger (30 January 2015). "Montage Laguna Beach sells for $360 million; deal shatters state records". L.A. Times. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  21. ^ Bray, Chad (September 8, 2015). "Blackstone Agrees to Buy Strategic Hotels and Resorts". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  22. ^ "Tilman Fertitta busy Montage Laguna Beach Resort Hotel". Houston Chronicle. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  23. ^ Shimogawa, Duane (22 May 2014). "Maui's Montage Kapalua Bay to open on June 1". Pacific Business News. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  24. ^ "Montage Hotels To Transform The Inn at Palmetto Bluff". Hotel Chatter. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  25. ^ Peters, Jenny (June 28, 2022). "I've stayed in Cabo San Lucas' most beautiful hotels. Here are my 11 favorite places whether you want an all-inclusive party or a remote beach villa". Insider.
  26. ^ "These Are The Only 6 Los Cabos Resorts To Be Given The AAA Five Diamond Award". Cabo Sun. October 15, 2022.
  27. ^ "Montage Residences Big Sky Debuts The Inn Residences". Luxury Travel Magazine. October 31, 2022.
  28. ^ Garfinkel, Perry (23 August 2008). "A Hotel's Secret: Treat the Guests Like Guests". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  29. ^ Quinnan, Bill (6 January 2014). "Award Streak Continues for Montage Laguna Beach". Orange County Register. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  30. ^ "Two Utah hotels named among nation's best according to TripAdvisor users". KTVX. 21 January 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  31. ^ "AAA releases four and five diamond awards for Utah businesses". KTVX. 16 January 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.