Scheduled to break ground in late 2023 and open in 2025, The Gwendolyn will be located in the heart of the state’s Willamette Valley wine region.
Regional first
A first-of-its-kind hotel for the region, the property will feature 92 luxurious guestrooms, destination restaurant and retail spaces, a rooftop pool with accompanying restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and a spa.
IHG will oversee the hotel’s evolution alongside owner Hugh Development – a Portland-based real estate development firm – and operator Practice Hospitality.
Localised experience
Matt Frankiewicz, SVP, development, Americas for IHG, said: “Vignette Collection hotels attract travellers expecting a distinct, luxurious and highly-localised experience.
“We’re thrilled to debut this luxury and lifestyle collection brand in the United States alongside Hugh Development and Practice Hospitality. Their commitment to sustainable design and a positive community impact are true to Vignette Collection’s brand values and IHG’s ‘true hospitality for good’ mission.”
Complementing history
Andrew Clarke, founder and principal, Hugh Development, said: “As a native Oregonian with family connections to McMinnville, I am honoured to bring our team, IHG and our development partners together to bring the first US Vignette Collection hotel to our state.
“The Gwendolyn will complement the historic and charming identity of McMinnville’s Third Street while also conveying the brand’s signature elegance and sense of curiosity. We look forward to contributing to the city’s growth while establishing a destination where travellers and the community can gather and engage.”
Vignette Collection independent-style hotels feature a name reflective of a unique element of their history, character or location, with The Gwendolyn serving as a tribute to Clarke’s aunt.
Vignette velocity
The luxury and lifestyle collection brand’s US debut follows the signing of its first Americas region hotel – El Gran Encomendero in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula – earlier this year, and previously announced properties including Portuguese pair Convento de S. Domingos Hotel – Vignette Collection and Casa da Companhia Porto, following the brand’s August 2021 launch.
The first Vignette Collection hotels to open include Hotel X Brisbane Fortitude Valley in Australia and Sindhorn Midtown Hotel Bangkok in Thailand. IHG anticipates securing more than 100 new Vignette Collection properties in sought after global urban and resort locations and heritage destinations within the next decade.
