Hotel owner Gorman & Company has executed its first transition to third-party hotel management with Aimbridge Hospitality assuming operations of three midwestern boutique hotels.
The three properties are the Brewhouse Inn & Suites in Milwaukee; The Stella Hotel & Ballroom in Kenosha, Wis.; and Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront in Rockford, Ill. Hotel employees at the three properties have transitioned to Aimbridge as part of the management change. The Plano, Texas-based company will oversee operations, including the properties’ existing food and beverage programs.
“We chose Aimbridge because we saw in them the same commitment to people and purpose that has guided Gorman for over 40 years,” Laura Narduzzi, VP of hotel operations for Oregon, Wis.-based Gorman & Company, said in a statement. “We're confident our team members will thrive, our guests will continue to experience something genuinely special and our historic buildings will be well-maintained.”
“Gorman has invested deeply in these communities and it shows in every detail throughout the historic properties. We are honored to be selected as their operating partner,” added Eric Jacobs, chief global growth officer of Aimbridge Hospitality.
The 90-suite Brewhouse Inn & Suites is housed in the former Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery, a German Renaissance Revival building dating to 1877 that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gorman converted the brewery into a hotel in 2013, retaining six copper brewing kettles and a stained-glass window depicting King Gambrinus. The property includes the On Tap restaurant, which occupies the former Mill House building.
The 80-room Stella Hotel & Ballroom occupies the former Kenosha Elks Club, a 1917 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The property includes the Stella Ballroom, with nearly 4,000 sq.-feet of event space, as well as the 1844 Table & Mash supper club, Café at The Stella and seasonal Crow's Nest Rooftop Bar.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Rockford Riverfront opened in 2020 following the redevelopment of the 13-story Ziock Building. The 160-room hotel was part of an $87.5 million public-private partnership aimed at revitalizing downtown Rockford. The property includes two restaurants, a rooftop lounge and more than 21,000 square feet of meeting and event space.