Minor Hotels has revealed plans to launch its new Wolseley Hotels brand with a first opening in New York.
The Wolseley name will be placed over the doors of the former Chatwal hotel, which has most recently traded as part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. Following a refurbishment, the relaunch will see the property open with 76 rooms and suites, plus a Wolseley branded restaurant and bar that will have a strongly British branding. The launch is set for early 2027.
Converting a New York Institution
The hotel has a strong history, having been completed in 1905, spending its first years as the clubhouse for The Lambs Club. For its new elevation, it will return to the market with a combination of British tradition and sophistication, combined with the energy that New York is famous for.
The new hotel is the latest step in the development of the Wolseley brand, which started for Minor when the company acquired a majority stake in the Wolseley business in 2017. At that time, the group was a restaurant only business, with the iconic Wolseley site in London’s Piccadilly, plus other London sites including The Delaunay and Colbert names. The Wolesley had made its name as an all day restaurant from 2003, opening in an Art Deco building that started life as a showroom for Wolesley cars, back in 1921.
Minor completed acquisition of the business in 2022. At the time, Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International, said: “Given the global appeal of Corbin & King Limited’s iconic portfolio of brands, it is no surprise that competition for the business was so strong. We are delighted that our offer was accepted, and we can now look forward to building on the existing strong foundations to drive growth in the UK and internationally.”
Minor is now looking to exploit the British brands, planning new hotels under both the Wolseley and Colbert Collection brands. Based out of Thailand, Minor has broad experience across both the food and beverage sector, and in hotels, positioning it well to understand the crossover between the two markets.
Minor is promising a global rollout for the Wolseley Hotels brand. The group has aspirations to bring the brand to “some of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities”.
Building Out the Brand Portfolio
At the same time, Minor is also growing a number of other hotel brands, having recently launched the Minor Reserve Collection with its first property signed in Brazil. The growth of the brand portfolio is a key part of Minor’s growth plans, with the group having set itself a target of reaching 850 hotels by the end of 2027, off a platform of around 560 in early 2025.
Also new to the market is iStay, a select service, mid market offering. Two Spanish hotels, in Valencia and Zaragoza, have acted as launch properties for the brand.
