US retail brand ventures into hotels

Imagery courtesy of Tommy Bahama.

Seattle-based lifestyle and retail brand, Tommy Bahama, is heading into the hotel market with the debut of a new resort concept.

The firm will rebrand the existing Miramonte Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California to reopen as Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa in late 2023.

Re-imagined resort

The resort will offer 215 custom appointed rooms including 23 suites, 35,000 sq ft of meeting and event space (20,000 sq ft indoor, 15,000 sq ft outdoor), three resort style pools, and signature treatments at the 12,000-sq-ft spa.

The lifestyle brand had been in talks with Lowe, a US commercial and hospitality real estate investor and hotel operator and developer, for several years regarding the Miramonte property. Following more than a decade of involvement with the resort, Lowe purchased Miramonte in 2020 and invested capital to restore the property, including creating the signature Olive Grove outdoor lounge and dining area.

For the final phase of the renovation, Lowe will infuse the Tommy Bahama lifestyle and design aesthetic into the resort, re-imagining the public spaces, debuting a new concept indoor/outdoor restaurant, transforming the bar experience and opening a retail boutique. The resort will remain open during the transformation.

Crossover expertise

For 30 years Tommy Bahama has brought the resort lifestyle to its clients through a range of products, combined with hospitality in its retail stores, bars and restaurants. The brand believes this expertise has positioned it to cross over into the resort business.

Tommy Bahama is partnering with Lowe to execute and present the new resort. Lowe subsidiary, CoralTree Hospitality, will continue to manage the property, while Tommy Bahama’s parent company, Oxford Industries, Inc will make a minority equity investment in the project. Tommy Bahama believes there is potential for additional resorts in the future.

Brand extension

Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama, said: “This is a natural progression of the Tommy Bahama brand. We have been talking about the idea of a Tommy Bahama resort for decades and believe that our brand’s aesthetic, successful $100 million food and beverage business and guest feedback support our brand’s evolution into new areas of the hospitality industry. The Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa is a great way for us to extend our brand and give our guests the resort experience they are looking for.”

The firm’s EVP of resorts, restaurants and bars, Rob Goldberg, added: “We’ve always known that our style of food and beverage is transportive. Our unique approach to elevated yet relaxed service is ideal for resorts and delivering our brand of hospitality. To have the opportunity to deliver those experiences in a resort setting gives us a much broader canvas to paint on as we create new experiences for our guests.”

The Lowe-down

Lowe chairman Bob Lowe commented: “Lowe has been in business in the Coachella Valley for nearly 50 years. As long-time members of the desert community we are thrilled to bring the Tommy Bahama brand and experience to our guests at Miramonte.”

Lowe’s CoralTree Hospitality subsidiary is also due to manage the upcoming Four Diamond Hotel in Colorado Springs, due to bring 375 keys online in Q1 2024, as well as the 402-room The Woodlands Resort Curio Collection by Hilton in Texas, which is currently undergoing refurbishment to reopen as part of the Hilton Worldwide brand in Q2 2023.

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