Dranoff Properties To Partner With sbe To Transform Philadelphia's Skyline With Construction Of The SLS International Hotel & Residences

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- sbe, an industry-leading hospitality, lifestyle and real estate development company, and Dranoff Properties, a premier developer and owner of luxury apartments and condominiums, today announced its plan to construct the SLS International Hotel and Residences at the high profile intersection of Broad and Spruce Streets in Center City Philadelphia. Directly across from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on Broad Street, the planned 47 story tower is being designed by the internationally renowned architecture firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associated (KPF), and upon completion will be the tallest residentially-focused building in Pennsylvania.  KPF's Chairman is Philadelphia native, A. Eugene Kohn.

Uniting Carl Dranoff, one of the nation's leading developers, with prominent Hotelier and sbe Founder, Chairman and CEO Sam Nazarian, this new partnership – and project – will bring unprecedented vitality and glamour to Philadelphia's "Avenue of the Arts."  The SLS International Hotel & Residences will add 150 boutique hotel rooms to the city and will offer 125 luxury condominiums for sale.  Reflective of the SLS and Dranoff Properties brands, the property will offer hotel guests and residents alike incomparable amenities including a full spa, fitness center, pool and ballroom/meeting facilities. sbe's acclaimed food and beverage brands, such as The Bazaar by Jose Andres, Katsuya by Starck and Hyde Lounge, are being considered for Philadelphia as well.

"Philadelphia has captured the attention of a global audience of business and leisure travelers, and working with an icon in Carl Dranoff and his team gives us an opportunity to partner with one of the industry's foremost developers," said Nazarian.  "The SLS Hotels brand has resonated powerfully in Los Angeles, Miami, Las Vegas, New York and China and we're looking forward to sharing our approach to hospitality with a community as culturally vibrant and dynamic as Philadelphia's."

"This is a game-changer for Philadelphia and the Avenue of the Arts – a corridor of culture and commerce to which I have been professionally and personally committed," added Carl Dranoff, Founder and CEO of Dranoff Properties.  "To bring such a landmark project to South Broad Street with the award-winning Sam Nazarian and sbe is something that we would have never dreamed of just two decades ago.  Today, we are confident that the pairing of our highly respected sales and development capabilities with sbe's unrivaled portfolio of brands and operational expertise will deliver a transformative project for the City of Philadelphia."

The condominiums at the SLS International will set a new benchmark in the region if not the country.  These exquisitely designed and detailed condominiums will begin more than 200 feet high at Floor 20 and extend through Floor 47.   With a maximum of 6 residences per floor and built with best-in-class design materials and finishes, every condominium will have open, airy floor plans with walls of windows, 10 foot ceilings, a full size balcony and offer panoramic views of the city.  Residents will share all of the best amenities with the SLS International Hotel, including a landscaped sundeck, an 85' indoor pool, state-of-the-art fitness and a sumptuous, full-service spa.  Residents will also enjoy all of the benefits and services of a luxury hotel – concierge, housekeeping, laundry, valet parking, 24 hour food service as well as meeting rooms and banquet facilities.  They will also enjoy the renowned SLS food and beverage facilities, which will be within an elevator ride of their residence.

In designing the SLS International, KPF has created a skyline changing tower that will capture the imagination of visitors but also maintain the street-level "Philadelphia" aesthetic that attracts local residents to this destination.  

"Great cities continue to build and grow," said A. Eugene Kohn, Chairman of KPF.  "In the core of these cities, the tall building is key as it effectively deals with density and the minimal use of land.  Our firm has been intimately involved in these types of projects worldwide but this project is unique in that it changes the way the world views the city – and the way we view ourselves.  The SLS International will mark the gateway to the Avenue of the Arts on the Philadelphia skyline.  It is a slender tower that maximizes the light and view surrounding it.  For me what is exciting is that it stands opposite the Kimmel Center and gives it a proper partner in the city while also enhancing the city skyline.  It also enriches the quality of life and activity on Broad Street.  As someone who grew up in Philadelphia and went to Central High and Penn, I am very proud that our firm can make such a significant contribution to the cultural center of the City."

In SLS Hotels, Philadelphia welcomes one of the industry's most talked about brands, with market-leading locations in Beverly Hills and South Beach, and highly anticipated openings in New York, Las Vegas, Seattle and Shanghai by 2016.  By partnering with Dranoff Properties, a company which has played an integral role in Philadelphia's re-emergence as a global destination with a flourishing urban core, sbe is reaffirming its commitment to offering a fully integrated lifestyle experience that features hotel, residences and award-winning food and beverage.

Recently, sbe announced its global expansion into residential with SLS Hotel & Residences Brickell and Hyde Hotels, Resorts & Residences currently under development in South Florida.  By working with developers like Dranoff, sbe is able to provide residential owners with a seamless connection to a community of award-winning hotel, restaurant and nightlife experiences worldwide. 

"We've built a business around working with the best partners in the best markets in the world and Dranoff epitomizes that commitment," added Nazarian.  "As we enter the next decade of growth for sbe, we're now laser focused on redefining the residential experience for a global community whose lifestyle exists without borders.  By blending hotel and residential, SLS can offer our luxury amenities and services to the 'forever guest,' while providing residents exclusive access and concierge service to our sbe portfolio worldwide."

Information regarding the SLS International Hotel and Residences in Philadelphia can be viewed at http://sbe.com/slshotels/philadelphia.  To learn more about sbe, please visit sbe.com or download the sbe App here.  To view the complete portfolio of Dranoff Properties, please visit www.dranoffproperties.com. 

ABOUT SBE:
sbe is a creative hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hotels, residential, casinos, restaurants and nightlife. Through exclusive partnerships with cultural visionaries, sbe is dedicated to delivering the best in design, culinary and entertainment. Already a proven leader in the hospitality and real estate industries, sbe has over 80 properties currently operating or in development, and has expanded several of its flagship brands including SLS Hotels, Katsuya by Starck, The Bazaar by Jose Andres and Hyde Lounge nationally and internationally. Founded in 2002 by Chairman and CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe is a privately held company.  More information about sbe can be obtained at www.sbe.com, or by downloading the sbe App here.

ABOUT DRANOFF PROPERTIES:
Led by nationally recognized visionary and urban advocate Carl E. Dranoff, Dranoff Properties specializes in developing character-defining projects that rejuvenate neighborhoods, cities, and regions. Over the course of ten years, the company has developed a portfolio of award-winning, nationally recognized projects.  These projects are livable, walkable, sustainable communities that breathe new life and vitality into the community. The Dranoff portfolio of properties includes the preservation of historic buildings, the adaptive reuse of structures from the industrial past, as well as the ground up development of entire mixed-use communities.

CONTACTS
Robbie McKay
For sbe
Vice President of Communications
[email protected]
323.655.8000

Meg Kane
For Dranoff Properties
[email protected]
484.385.2938 (office)
215.704.4745 (cell)

SOURCE Dranoff Properties