Q: How did you get into hotel development?
A: I’ve been in the real estate development business my whole career. It’s evolved through the Hotel Teatro with Michael Brenneman to the Four Seasons.
A project like this is really what you work for. We are so pleased to be able to offer this to Denver.
I’ve been in Colorado for 27 or 28 years. I did some real estate development in Vail and came to Denver in the ’80s and have been in real estate development and historic renovation.
Q: Why do you think Denver is ready for a Four Seasons now?
A: It’s very cosmopolitan now. It’s definitely a downtown that’s alive and vibrant with people who live here, enjoy the theater and sporting events.
It’s a very progressive town, even though it’s a Western town. There’s a high level of education. It’s the capital of the mountain states region.
All of those factors make Denver an important urban center.
Q: Why did you choose 14th Street?
A: When we did the Hotel Teatro, we knew it was a great location, but it was unproven. When we talked to our guests, they said they loved being able to get in and out of downtown and to Cherry Creek.
The Four Seasons will have unobstructed views of the mountains and the city.
We like the 14th Street location because of its proximity to the Denver Center for Performing Arts and the eating and entertainment that starts here and goes through LoDo, Larimer and all of downtown.
As the residential happens, this will be the most desirable street in downtown Denver.
Q: Do you think the market can support all the new hotels coming out of the ground?
A: Since we’ve announced, the Hyatt Convention Center Hotel has opened and lifted everyone’s occupancy and rates. We’ve also gotten the Ritz-Carlton, which confirms the high-end market is here.
The W is not a five-star hotel, and it’s a few years off.
We don’t feel there’s an oversupply of high-end rooms when there are only 202 at the Ritz and 230 at the Four Seasons.
We need the upper-end hospitality, and Four Seasons is the No. 1 luxury hotel in the world. It’s about their service. They’re the size of hotel that knows all of their guests. The experience for the guest is special, memorable, even romantic.
The Four Seasons doesn’t have multiple brands. They have one thing, and they know what they’re good at. They don’t try to be all things to all people.
Q: There were a lot of people who questioned whether the Four Seasons deal would ever happen. Why did it take so long?
A: All projects this big take this long. People who don’t understand that this is the normal length of time might be skeptical.
Q: When will groundbreaking be?
A: This fall.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: When you’re working on a project this size, you really are smart to stay focused on what you’re doing. Once the Four Seasons is under construction, we’ll be able to look for other opportunities.
We look for unique and special real estate projects, so the next project will be just as special as the Four Seasons.
Edited for space and clarity from an interview by staff writer Margaret Jackson.
