Inn Checking In to Foreign Markets

Westlake Village Inn is hoping to find room for its winery and restaurant across the globe through a new marketing arrangement with a Hong Kong-based hotel network. The inn, which has established a presence in the Conejo Valley for nearly a half-decade, last month announced that it had entered into a marketing partnership with Cachet Hotel Group to take its Stonehaus brand overseas. “This is a strategic branding partnership to grow our presence in the Asian market and also to take the Stonehaus winery and the Stonehaus brand to an even greater international market and audience,” said Chris Cuilty, hotel chief of operations. As a result of the partnership, Westlake Village Inn is changing its name to Westlake Village Inn – a Cachet Hotel. Cachet, which also develops and manages hotels, launched in 2013. The company, which has a portfolio of hotels and restaurants it operates throughout Asia, had been looking to expand into the U.S. market since its inception. Westlake Village Inn is located just off the 101 freeway. The boutique’s 141 rooms sit on a 17-acre property that includes private lakes; a vineyard; a nightclub named Bogie’s; and two restaurants, Italian eatery Mediterraneo and Stonehaus, the latter of which figures heavily into the Cachet deal. Founded three years ago, Stonehaus offers patrons a light lunch and dinner menu to accompany its assortment of wines, in addition to selections of coffee and expresso. “If Westlake Village Inn is going to flag the hotel as a Cachet hotel then they obviously feel that the flag itself and the restaurant concept will be a draw for their property,” said Jerry Morrison of San Diego hotel consultancy Morrison & Co. “I’m guessing the partnership is basically to deliver heads in the beds. … They’re going to bring more affluent Chinese visitors from Hong Kong and they want them to feel at home.” Asian expansion According to the agreement, Cachet will bring the Stonehaus concept to Asian markets in three ways – adding the restaurant to hotels in its portfolio, offering the Stonehaus wine at established restaurants within its portfolio and opening stand-alone locations in the region. “We want to make their wine into a big everyday drinking wine for Asian families and for it to be a recognized brand for social occasions – not just in our restaurants,” said Yvonne Choi, chief marketing officer of Cachet. By the end of the year, Stonehaus restaurants are slated to be functioning in Mexico and Hong Kong – starting with Mexican resort Cachet Corazon in Cabo San Lucas. Stonehaus’ signature wines – which include blends of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet – will also be launched at Cachet’s Hong Kong steakhouse restaurant, Porterhouse by Laris, by the end of this year. The partnership was the result of three years of planning and negotiations between Westlake Village Inn owner John L. Notter and Cachet Chief Executive Alexander Mirza. The two worked together at Hilton Hotels Corp. formerly and have remained friends. “I was never interested in franchising; we made a different arrangement with Cachet,” said Notter. “I chose to invest in Cachet. It wasn’t a condition precedent, but I think it was a good investment for me personally. If it weren’t for the long-term personal relationship, this probably would have never come about.” Westlake Village Inn’s partnership with Cachet comes at a time when the hotel management company is adding properties to its portfolio, 16 this year alone. Using either a franchise or a management model, Cachet charges companies a fee to join its network and to oversee operations at hotels. “We are a hospitality branding company. We develop, we manage and we brand hotels, restaurants and nightlife,” said Choi. “We own a few hotels but our business model is branding and management. We want to be a global hospitality company with a wide footprint across Asia and America to create connectivity.” Luxury upgrades In addition to a quick restaurant expansion on the horizon, Westlake Village Inn stands to gain more guest traffic from the Cachet deal. In particular, the network will direct both business and leisure travelers from Asia to the Conejo destination. Westlake Village Inn was built in 1968 by the late Daniel K. Ludwig, a billionaire and businessman who passed away in 1992; Notter purchased the hotel in 1975. In an effort to stay fresh and current, Westlake Village Inn undergoes renovations every three years. Last year, the inn underwent a multimillion-dollar facelift. The restrooms were completely updated with new marble flooring and furnishings; rooms were upgraded with 55-inch flat screen TVs, and new vanities and mirrors were brought in. Rooms average about 300 to 1,200 square feet, and regular rates are about $250 a night, with suites going as high as $1,500. “We’re always adding something new,” said Notter. “People know when they come here it’s going to be different the next time they come.” Currently, the owner is working to liven up the bar Bogie’s. Notter has invested $1 million alone in an interior redesign, updating the color scheme and upgrading the equipment. He said renovations should be complete and the night club will reopen to the public by the end of the month. At present, hotel visitors consist of nearby people looking to enjoy a leisurely staycation and business travelers for corporations such as Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks. But now that Westlake Village Inn falls under Cachet’s banner, the inn stands to gain an influx of travelers from Asian markets familiar with the Cachet brand. “It doesn’t sound like the foreign flag is well known in the U.S. so that’s not the draw,” said hotel consultant Morrison. “The point is if (Cachet) is bringing in tour groups and individuals from that country into the United States, they’re going to have them come to this property with a known flag and a known restaurant to these people. It’s like an American going overseas to a foreign country and seeing a McDonald’s or a Starbucks. You start to feel at home.”