Case Study
Astra Hotel Case Study
South Lake Union, Seattle
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Stanford Hotels, located in San Francisco, owner and operator of 14 hotels across the Unties States contacted the Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group to assist them in the development of their F&B program at newly opened Astra Hotel, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, by Marriott in the South Lake Union area of downtown Seattle.
The Stanford Hotels Group ranks in the top 25 percent for each of their brands and top 20 percent across the industry for all standard benchmarks. Their team’s experience spans every area – from all hospitality categories to real estate development to management and operations. Their process is iterative in that this depth of experience tells them what works most of the time but lets them nimbly adjust in real time. This lends itself to responding to the evolving needs of each property. As a result, each property operates from a solid foundation with considerations based on that brand culture, design, and environment.
THE CHALLENGE
As a large 250 room luxury hotel, The Stanford Hotels team realized they needed some assistance opening Astra Hotel. With many moving parts and supply chain delays and staffing challenges they knew they wanted a partner to help carry the burden of opening the F&B program.
So The Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group were engaged to provide a variety of services to open the F&B program. The project began with our team developing the brand marks and identity for their full-service restaurant, then development of their food and beverage menus, development of the food and beverage recipes, talent acquisition of the F&B management team, development of all operating systems, and, finally, training during the opening sequence.
OUR STRATEGY
Similar to all our projects, we thrive when we can collaborate with the client and respond to their specific needs, which is exactly how this project ran. We met with the Stanford Hotels Executive Vice President, Regional Vice President, the Hotel General Manager, and the Director of Human resources to outline the project. Inclusive in our kickoff meeting was building a list of deliverables needed and establishing a timeline for these deliverables’ completion.
There are three F&B venues we worked on with the team. The first is Otium Grill and Greens. Otium’s ethos is to create a place where, “Locals and out of town diners will relish their fresh food, locally inspired cuisine, and curated craft cocktails. Otium sources the highest quality produce, healthy grains, and power-packed proteins to create dishes to energize and inspire. Otium knows guests desire to clean their palate and be happy doing so. Their bar has an intriguing menu and craft cocktails, beer, and wine grabbing inspiration from the great Pacific Northwest.
Otium is a restaurant anyone would want to hang out in. They have brought the best of your own living room with residential finishes and furnishings to the Pacific Northwest and created a place of leisure in South Lake Union. Otium’s cuisine features a fresh Mediterranean-influence offering craveable dishes and delectable craft cocktails sure to get your spirits soaring.”
Next was Altitude Sky Lounge. Perched atop Astra Hotel Seattle, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott, 16 Floors above South Lake Union, ALTITUDE has amazing views of the world-famous Space Needle, the Seattle Skyline, Lake Union, and Climate Pledge Arena where the Seattle Kraken play. Guests can take in the scenery from the large wide-open balcony.
Live DJs spin sets while you sip delicious specialty cocktails and snack on charcuteries or small plates at this solarium-inspired rooftop bar. Enjoy awe-inspiring views of Seattle's soaring towers and urban architecture, chill with friends or colleagues at your own fire pit table and enjoy the happening vibes that attract both visitors and locals.
The third venue was the banqueting and catering program, still under construction.
SERVICES PROVIDED
Our services included brand development, menu development, recipe development, operations consulting, management recruitment, development and implementation of all culinary operating systems, management training, coordination of pre-opening training, and launch.