The company said that the brand is on track to have six hotels operating in major global gateway cities on three continents by 2015, including one of Manhattan’s most beloved buildings, the “Clock Tower.” New EDITION hotels being announced today also include projects under construction in Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, as well as contracts signed for hotels in Los Angeles and Gurgaon, India.

The New York EDITION will be located at the landmark Clock Tower building at 5 Madison Avenue, which was acquired for $165 million from prior owner Africa Israel USA. While design work is already underway, the renovation and conversion of the iconic Clock Tower building will begin in late 2012.

“New York is one of the most important destinations in the world, and we are delighted to have secured the Clock Tower as a singular, iconic structure that will become a flagship for the EDITION brand and one of New York’s most compelling places to stay,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president and chief operating officer. “While the rollout of the EDITION brand was slowed by the global economic downturn, we remain strongly committed to this brand and are dedicated to its continued development and success. We are thrilled to add the Clock Tower building to our Edition portfolio,” said Mr. Sorenson. “We have a number of other exciting projects under way which we expect to announce in the coming months.”

The Bangkok EDITION will be part of a mixed-use development planned for one of the tallest buildings in Bangkok. The Abu Dhabi EDITION will be part of the prestigious Al Bateen Harbor complex within the Abu Dhabi Marina, an upscale mixed-use development including luxury residential and retail.

“It is a privilege and a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with Marriott on the first EDITION in New York City at the iconic Clock Tower building. This exciting project, along with all of the current and future projects in the pipeline, will prove that EDITION hotels are like no others in the world,” said Ian Schrager.

Marriott International is developing EDITION hotels in Miami Beach, London and now New York, reflecting confidence in the brand’s future growth and success. The company expects to recycle its property investments over time through the sale of the hotels while maintaining long-term management contracts.

The London EDITION will open next year in the historic building formerly known as the Berners Hotel, located in the city’s Fitzrovia neighborhood. The Miami Beach EDITION, under construction in the former Seville Hotel, is expected to open in late 2013. The Istanbul EDITION is open and operating under a long-term management agreement.

EDITION combines the personal, individualized and unique experiences which Ian Schrager is known for, with the global reach and operational expertise of Marriott International. In keeping with the identity of EDITION, Mr. Schrager will lead the creative design and positioning of these hotels.

EDITION is an unexpected and refreshing collection of customized, cutting-edge, and one-of-a-kind properties. Each one is thoughtfully designed to reflect the individuality, authenticity, and unique attributes of its location, while appealing to a sophisticated traveler who is accustomed to extraordinary service with a modern touch. Properties are intended to showcase the best in dining and nightlife, services and amenities for travelers and local residents.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Marriott signed a contact earlier this month on the deal, according to people familiar with the matter. It is further speculated that the building will be converted into an Edition hotel.

Marriott would not confirm the deal. “Unfortunately, Marriott does not like to comment on market rumors and speculation,” a company spokeswoman told HOTELS. “We are very excited about the future of the Edition brand – and have two hotels in the pipeline as it stands today – in London and Miami. Work has begun on both of these projects.”

Marriott recently publicized that it will “relaunch” the slow-to-develop Edition brand, conceived with input from Ian Schrager, with its own development money.

Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger was planning on buying the Clock Tower property to convert it into a luxury hotel but pulled out last month after he was unable to secure financing for the US$170 million purchase.

If the Clock Tower deal goes through as reported, it would cause Africa Israel USA a loss on the Manhattan property as it bought the building for US$200 million in 2007.

The Istanbul Edition is situated within the city’s lively Levent neighborhood, known for its Kanyon mall and impressive skyline. Designed in collaboration with New York-based architecture firm Gabellini Sheppard, brand officials say that The Istanbul Edition will be substantially different from The Waikiki Edition—the only other property open under the flag, having debuted in October. The Edition brand promise is to deliver each hotel as a unique product reflecting the best of the cultural and social milieu of both geographical location and zeitgeist. The unifying thread between properties is an attitude toward the modern lifestyle that combines an individualized lodging experience with great personal service.

Dubbed an urban resort, the property design is influenced by both East and West. Guests are welcomed into the hotel by a tall, domed lobby—a modern reimagining of the traditional Ottoman architectural style. Eastern touches are evident, with ceilings and floors lined with mosaic tiles and public spaces bejeweled with bronze and gold leaf reminiscent. Traditional hanging lamps are featured in guestrooms while Gold Bar’s VIP seating area has taken its inspiration from traditional Turkish Tea Rooms. Leather tufted ottomans are surrounded by U-shaped seating influenced by old Bosphorus villas that featured such rooms for socializing, relaxing and smoking. The long-standing ritual of the Hammam is clearly reflected in the unparalleled spa offerings.

The 78-key hotel is a 13-story tower, with a color palette of bronze and white gold, with extensive use of dark and pale woods historically found in Turkish homes. Each guestroom has Rosewood or Soaped Oak walls, ceilings and floors. Bathrooms are built from extravagant glass walls, stone and ancient marble extracted from the island of Marmora.

Guests can enjoy a restaurant by Cipriani, a 20,000-sq.-ft. Espa with indoor swimming pool, the Gold Bar, a private screening room, a Nightclub and a 3,000-sq.-ft. event space.

Rates at The Istanbul Edition start at €305.

The Istanbul EDITION opens today as an exclusive new hotel in the heart one of the world’s most vibrant cities at the nexus of Europe, Asia and the Russian Federation. A 13-story tower including 78 guest rooms and a full-floor penthouse, The Istanbul EDITION serves as a sophisticated hub providing multiple venues for relaxing and entertaining including a three-story spa by ESPA, Cipriani restaurant, lobby bar, drawing room, screening room, meeting rooms and special event space, a business center, and a nightclub.

Located in the lively and historic Levent neighborhood on the European side of the city, amongst its mix of residential avenues, high rises, bars, restaurants and shopping, The Istanbul EDITION is close to the city’s business center, high-end shopping offerings such as Kanyon, Metrocity, Istinye Park and Akmerkez. The hotel is located near the Bosphorous and Faith bridges linking the continents of Europe and Asia.

The Istanbul EDITION’s 78 generously scaled, 420 square-foot guest lofts – some with over-sized terraces offering breathtaking city views – combine stunning design with exceptional comfort and discreet luxury. Designed like a beautifully crafted jewel-box, each loft includes an entrance vestibule, bedroom area, work station, and generous seating area with large windows overlooking the city. The lofts are decorated entirely in wood – including rosewood or soaped oak – creating a sensuous natural element from floor to ceiling that provides the cocooning warmth of a ship’s interior. Deep U-shaped sofas surround a table adjustable in height to transform from relaxation zone to workplace, in addition to the room’s separate work area. Extravagant glass-walled, five-fixture bathrooms in beige stone and marble have sheers and curtains that may be drawn for privacy.

The 2,800 square-foot PENTHOUSE with expansive views offers a superb private retreat that can also be used as an exciting event space for special events and gatherings with the personal ambience of a home away from home.

The lobby bar features a cozy dark-rose wood interior backed by a luminescent, 30-foot aquarium whose tropical fish provide a dreamscape of relaxation in this intimate gathering space. The bar adjoins a comfortable seating area of deep, low, built-in sofas around an oversized central ottoman, which was inspired by the traditional Turkish tea room divan and designed for the time-honored ritual of tea-drinking and unhurried conversation.

Known for simple luxury and an exhilaratingly elegant social experience, the Cipriani name has extended to a handful of carefully chosen venues in the world’s most storied cities. Cipriani at The Istanbul EDITION offers the sophistication of Cipriani heritage along with the relaxed joie de vivre of European café society.

An extraordinary 1,800 square meter, three-floor ESPA spa offers The Istanbul EDITION guests an unparalleled spa experience incorporating beauty, health, and wellness in a setting of exquisite luxury. An atmosphere of opulence pervades the spa, which is decorated in rich metallic woods and embossed bronze floors softened by upholstered walls and comfortable seating.

The Istanbul EDITION also features the Drawing Room – a private haven for lounging and relaxing, This unique space includes three flexible meeting studios, a screening room perfect for movie presentations and private screenings, and a 3,000 square foot event space ideal for weddings, special events and private gatherings. Catering in this space is provided by the inimitable Cipriani restaurant.

Designed in collaboration with Gabellini Shepherd architects to an exceptional standard of modern luxury, every aspect of The Istanbul EDITION is treated as an experience of the highest quality and quiet elegance. Drawing on Ottoman traditions of extraordinary craftsmanship and an emphasis on comfort and wellbeing, the hotel reflects the best of Turkish culture in a thoroughly contemporary context.

The 175-year-old Berners has been closed since 2006 and was placed in administration in August of this year. The purchase price has not been disclosed, but analysts estimate it to be less than US$100 million.

“We are delighted to acquire Berners. It is a perfect property for an Edition hotel in London,” says Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s president and chief operating officer. “With its great location, beautiful façade, the building is a perfect canvass for creating a true work of art.”

The new boutique Edition brand was conceived by Ian Schrager in partnership with Marriott. “I am thrilled to be returning to London for an incredibly special and historical building like Berners Hotel,” Schrager says. “I am excited and passionate about creating an authentic and original experience for this special Edition hotel in this gateway city.”

Marriott expects to open the brand’s second property, The Istanbul Edition, early next year. Earlier this year, Marriott also acquired the Seville Hotel in Miami Beach to redesign and redevelop into an Edition hotel. Marriott plans to manage the hotels under long-term agreements after selling them to third-party owners.

Boutique-hotel pioneer Ian Schrager’s getting back into the hotel business – and I’m not talking about his high-profile Edition venture  with hotel heavyweight Marriott International.

The man credited with inventing the hip hotel some 25 years ago is quietly working on creating a not-yet-named private label company, he told me recently.

“I want to build another company again,” he said, referring to his first one, which became the publicly traded luxury hotel collection, Morgans Hotel Group.

I had the chance to sit down with Schrager for about an hour in his surprisingly unpretentious – and fairly cluttered – office in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood. (Believe me, his diggs don’t reflect the glamorous, minimalist design that Schrager hotels are noted for! See photo below.)

From his ground-floor offices, where tables and even floors are piled high with sketches, photos, books and blueprints, Schrager talked about his first effort in Chicago – the dated Ambassador East Hotel, which is getting a stylish overhaul.

Schrager also revealed that that he’s examining “a whole bunch” of other locations including London, New York, Florida (Miami, I’d guess) and even Las Vegas.

“When I got into the business, I wasn’t interested in creating brands. I said, let’s have fun,” he told me. “I really enjoy creating environments that people come in and respond to. It was never even motivated by money; that came as a consequence.”

Now, Schrager says, he wants to get back in the game in a bigger way, especially since he’s seen his boutique-hotel concept mimicked widely in the last five years.

His goal? Roll out “a couple of new brands” that he has not yet named – “a high-end brand and a low-end brand, and sometimes in the middle.”

Expect to pay roughly $225 a night at his Chicago hotel

Schrager purchased the Ambassador East hotel on April 1. (We’ll have to wait for the opening; at the time, he told the Chicago Tribune that planning would take around nine months and construction another year.)

He has high hopes for what he can do with the iconic hotel, which opened in 1926.

“In Chicago, the Ambassador East will be an incredibly special hotel,” he told me.

“That’s one of those hotels who had seen its best days in the past,” he said. “It was the perfect opportunity for me to bring value by creating a real idea and electricity, and do something unique there.”

Obtaining hotel construction financing doesn’t appear to be a major obstacle – for this hotel, anyway. Schrager says he’s financing the Ambassador East with a mix of his own money and that of Morgan Stanley.

The hotel’s rates will be high, but not sky-high.

When the Ambassador East hotel does open in 2012, Schrager says he expects rates to average about $225 per night.

It’s a nod to the recession, he told me.

“It’s a good value, which I think is what’s necessary today,” he said.

Like Edition hotels, his private-label hotels will include Internet access in the rates. Charging for Internet, he said, would be “short-sighted.”

How would this compare to an Edition hotel, if hypothetically, one were to open in the same city? In the case the Ambassador East hotel, it would be the cheaper of the two, he said.

Still, don’t expect Schrager’s private company to blossom overnight.

Schrager will specifically seek properties like the Ambassador East that are “a little downtrodden and haven’t functioned well for a long time,” he told me. And since the hotel market remains stymied by economic conditions and most owners are unwilling to sell properties that they consider to be undervalued at this time, Schrager – like other investors with money – are seeing few properties being put up for sale.

Any conflict with creating the Marriott Edition hotel chain?

I wondered if Schrager’s private efforts would put him in conflict with his work on the Edition chain, which this month opened its first hotel in Waikiki.

“No,” he told me. “Edition will be in a certain space, and my space either above that or below that…I wouldn’t do anything competitive with Marriott. I want them and myself to be successful.”

Ian Schrager, the celebrity hotelier who invigorated South Beach with his launch of the Delano Hotel 15 years ago, is coming back to the beach.

Through a partnership with Marriott, Schrager is set to turn the shuttered 12-story Seville Beach Hotel into a boutique property under the new Edition brand.

The new venture, confirmed Thursday by Marriott, is just the second announced U.S. location under the new brand. The first is scheduled to open this fall in Honolulu (see stylehotelsweb blog June 9, 2010)

Marriott spokesman John Wolf said the South Florida hotel, which sits on nearly three acres of beachfront property at 2901 Collins Ave., is expected to open in three years after significant renovations.

“Edition has tremendous growth potential and this hotel will be a flagship to showcase the brand,” said Marriott International CFO Carl Berquist in a conference call with investors.

Thursday’s announcement adds a new whiff of hip to the Beach scene, still basking in the glow of basketball star LeBron James’ decision last week to call the area home. And it comes at a time when few comparable projects are on the horizon.

Schrager left Miami Beach a few years ago with the sale of his interest in the Morgans Hotel Group.

In recent years, Schrager has focused on luxury residences and a hotel in New York City and on the creating the Edition brand, aimed at sophisticated travelers.

His return to the beach is being heralded as a renewal after a tough patch for South Beach hotels, with several high-profile properties stressed by the economy.

“The Delano has the vibe or whatever . . . and Schrager was the marketing genius behind it,” said Scott Brush, an independent hotel consultant based in Miami-Dade. “With him involved with this, I don’t think there’s any way that it won’t be successful.”

Some of Miami Beach’s hottest hotels, the W and the Gansevoort, are several blocks south of the Seville; the Fontainebleau Resort lies 15 blocks north. The action between is subdued.

“For locals, this was an area that you avoided,” said Peter Zalewski, a principal at real estate consultancy Condo Vultures. “Or if you drove through it, you went really fast.”

He wondered how easy it would be to translate a massive older resort into “boutique chicness,” but called Marriott a pioneer for moving into the area.

“This is a tremendous economic boost,” he said. “It’s going to fill in the gap between south of Fifth and the Fontainebleau. This is the piece that’s necessary to bridge.”

The 278,547-square-foot Seville, built in 1955, previously attempted a comeback. In 2005, developers announced plans to turn it into a condo and fractional ownership complex with the Ritz-Carlton name, despite three Ritz-Carlton properties already in the area. Marriott owns the Ritz-Carlton brand.

Part of the old property would have been knocked down to make room for two 21-story towers, but the project couldn’t get off the ground as lenders balked in an unfriendly credit market.

Marriott acquired the property recently in a $57.5 million short sale from owner 2901 Beach Ventures, a partnership between Lionstone Group — led by Alfredo Lowenstein — and Fortune International Management, records show. That’s nearly $10 million less than a foreclosure lawsuit that had been filed on the property, which has since been dismissed.

Marriott does not expect to be the property’s long-term owner, Berquist said Thursday in a conference call for investors.

Marriott owns few properties that bear its name, instead franchising or managing hotels for owners under long-term contracts.

Marriott’s portfolio includes the luxury brand Ritz-Carlton, the upscale JW Marriott, “quality” brands including Marriott and Renaissance and moderate hotels Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield Inn by Marriott. In addition to Edition, it also recently created the Autograph Collection, currently featuring 10 hotels with an individualistic ambience.

Edition seeks to set itself apart by creating individualized hotels in busy markets that reflect the cultures of their surroundings with an emphasis on sophistication and service. Other planned Edition locations include Mexico City, Bangkok, Istanbul and Barcelona.

Schrager and Marriott announced the partnership three years ago. Initially, plans called for the South Beach Marriott at 161 Ocean Dr. to become an Edition, but that failed to materialize as the recession hit.

“We continue to explore other opportunities in the market, including the South Beach Marriott, but that project has been delayed due to market and other conditions,” Marriott spokesman John Wolf said.

Brush said he expects success from the hotel once it opens in a few years.

“It’ll be well into an economic recovery and there is very little opportunity for additional supply out on the beach,” he said.

Source: Miami Herald.

NEW YORK — EDITION Hotels marks the next chapter in the lifestyle hotel story. The new Brand was conceived by Ian Schrager in a partnership with Marriott International. It will combine the personal, intimate, individualized and unique lodging experience that Ian Schrager is known for, with the global reach, operational expertise and scale of Marriott. This delicate balancing act will encompass, for the very first time, not only great design and true innovation, but also great personal, friendly, modern service as well as outstanding, one-of-a-kind food, beverage and entertainment offerings…”all under one roof.”

Each highly stylized hotel will function as a “home away from home” for leisure and business travelers. In addition, each hotel will cater to the modern day business traveler by offering functional, technologically sophisticated working environments that provide the comfort and ease of actually conducting business in an “office away from the office.”

The heightened experience, authenticity and originality that Ian Schrager brings to this new Brand coupled with the global reach of Marriott will result in a truly distinct product that sets itself apart from anything else currently in the marketplace. It is nothing less than an attempt to push the boundaries, break new ground and take the hotel industry to a whole new level. EDITION will be completely new, different and original offering an experience never before seen in the industry. It will be the first truly global branded lifestyle hotel on a large scale, setting the standard for decades to come.

EDITION will debut in Waikiki Beach October 2010 and will also open a property in Istanbul later this year. Planned openings are also scheduled in 24-hour international gateway cities such as Mexico City, Barcelona, Bangkok, and several other cities in various stages of development.

EDITION responds to new emerging cultural and social imperatives. The new Brand will reflect these changing lifestyles and cater to a vast underserved market of guests expecting and in turn demanding a unique experience, not merely a place to sleep. It is an evolutionary response to the desire for a sophisticated hotel experience. This reinvented and rethought experience will now, for the first time ever, be widely accessible and available in key lodging destinations across the globe and to everybody around the world who wants it.

EDITION is an unexpected, refreshing collection of individualized, customized, one-of-a-kind hotels that is the antithesis of an institutional “hotel chain” and a true paradigm shift in the industry. Each hotel with its rare individuality, authenticity, originality and unique ethos will reflect the best of the cultural and social milieu of its location and of the time. Although all of the hotels will look completely different from each other, the Brand’s unifying aesthetic will be in its approach and attitude to the modern lifestyle rather than its appearance. As a result, design and architecture is derived from the scale, location and feel of the individual properties rather than from contrived decorative cliches or unnecessary gestures. The Brand will be about an attitude and the way it makes you feel rather than the way it looks. Sophisticated public spaces, finishes, design and details will serve the experience, not drive it.

“Ian Schrager’s concepts have revolutionized both nightlife and hospitality. Time and time again he succeeds in making people feel as if they are part of something new, unique and special, always eliciting an emotional and visceral connection to the experiences he creates. His concepts have been and continue to be widely imitated around the world,” says Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO, Marriott International.

For EDITION, Schrager brings his original vision, passion and commitment to excellence to create something truly special in collaboration with Marriott. “People do not want something derivative. They want the real thing and this is the whole idea behind EDITION,” says Schrager. The role of Mr. Schrager is to act as a creative consultant and lend his vision for concept, design and marketing. His ground-breaking concepts give the Brand a true competitive edge, product distinction and a huge advantage over what is currently offered. However, the ultimate decisions on design, concept and operations are made by the property owners, developers and Marriott.

EDITION will showcase the best dining and entertainment options, services, amenities and offerings for guests and locals in the know. The Waikiki EDITION, designed by Yabu/Pushelberg, will offer a restaurant by world-renowned chef, Morimoto; the exclusive Crazybox nightclub; a unique Sunrise Pool with lushly landscaped gardens by Deborah Nevins; an exclusive Private Sunset Beach with its own lagoon and imported sand from the neighboring Hawaiian islands, providing the same experience as actually lying on a beach; an intimate Lobby Bar hidden behind a secret passage as if tucked away in a castle; a Bar at the Sunrise Pool and Bar at the Private Sunset Beach both under the sun and stars with spectacular views of the Harbor and Pacific Ocean; custom and individually designed Surf and Bikini Boot Camps, the first of their kind, for the ultimate in physical fitness, dramatic weight loss and loss of inches together with custom vegetarian and organic spa menus. This together with a full service spa will offer guests the unique opportunity to actually go on vacation and come home looking better, feeling healthier and pounds lighter!; the largest luxury ballroom on Oahu for weddings and special events; an outdoor movie theatre under the stars, akin to a drive-in theater without the cars, offering first run movies, video and art installations; EDITION retail shop, and much more. Once entering this Urban Resort with its own unique, separate intense reality that offers the best of Waikiki, there will be no need to leave the hotel for anything including dining, relaxing or entertainment.

Opening later this year, The Istanbul EDITION, designed by Gabellini/Sheppard, will offer 77 oversized guest rooms and suites with Rosewood or Soaped Oak walls, ceilings and floors, each like a unique and precious wood jewel box; the finest custom materials, exotic finishes and fabrics in the world; silk area rugs; marble guest bathrooms with floor to ceiling glass enclosed rain showers; world-renowned Cipriani Restaurant; a double height ceiling lobby with gold and silver leaf mosaic detailing and travertine floor and walls; private check-in; a Lobby Bar with private garden terrace; exclusive private event space; Penthouse floor Ballroom; a private club in the sky; a 2,400 square foot one-of-a-kind Penthouse with custom fabrics, furniture and exotic finishes throughout; 20,000 square foot spa by ESPA; high-end, luxury retail boutiques; a private drawing room with honesty bar and screening room for first run movies and private screenings. The Istanbul EDITION will be the picture perfect cultural mix of East meets West.