Nightlife entrepreneurs Rande Gerber and Scott Gerber, founders of the Gerber Group and developers of internationally acclaimed restaurants, lounges and bars, are launching their first Arizona venues at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Stone Rose is a contemporary bar and lounge due to open in January 2008 and MEXX Kitchen is a restaurant developed in collaboration with renowned Chef Richard Sandoval, scheduled to open in Fall 2008. The two new Gerber hotspots will reflect the brand’s trademarks – cutting-edge interiors, fashionable clientele and signature cocktails – in a dynamic setting of unparalleled style and sophistication.
Rande Gerber collaborated with AvroKO, the design firm behind many of New York's hottest restaurants, to create an ambiance for Stone Rose that evokes a classic 1950s beach club, infused with modern design elements. Stone Rose is comprised of two bars – an outdoor bar located in the courtyard just off the hotel lobby and an indoor bar that is directly adjacent. As the stunning focal point of Stone Rose, the white onyx outdoor bar is set above the courtyard on a raised platform that is surrounded on all sides by water and covered by an open sided modernist pavilion. Surrounding the bar are comfortable lounge seating areas that are set among an oasis of lush trees and fire pits flanked by cream colored couches.
Separating the outdoor and indoor bars is a glass wall that can be opened to create one expansive space. The indoor bar resembles a sunken living room with clusters of large comfortable seating areas accented by deep burgundy and brown leathers. The floors and ceilings are composed of reclaimed teak that frame the indoor bar's large expanses of glass, which provide sweeping views of the mountains and desert in the distance.
“As an exciting and sophisticated city with great people, a lot of energy and a growing nightlife, Scottsdale is a natural fit for us,” said Rande Gerber. “Inspired by the designs of a classic beach club with a few modern influences, Stone Rose, together with our newest restaurant lounge, will bring a unique ambiance to Scottsdale and we are excited to have such a beautiful setting as the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.”
Stone Rose and MEXX Kitchen are part of a larger renovation project being undertaken at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess by Strategic Hotels & Resorts, which owns The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and 21 other high-end properties in North America, Mexico and Europe, and is widely respected in the hospitality industry for providing value-enhancing asset management. Hotel visionary Laurence Geller, Chairman & CEO of Strategic, looked ahead at the growing needs and interests of travelers and determined it was time to infuse more energy into the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.
“We’re repositioning the resort with enhancements that combine Manhattan sophistication and Vegas-style glamour. A significant element includes the transformation of the resort’s restaurants and lounges,” notes Geller. “With the panache and success of the Gerber organization’s endeavors, they were clearly the right organization for us to partner with. The resulting Stone Rose Lounge will not only be a coup for the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, but for residents and visitors to the greater Scottsdale area for years to come.”
About Gerber Group
Rande Gerber and Scott Gerber are the founders and principals of the Gerber Group. The company, an evolution of their trademark brand, The Whiskey, was created to develop innovative nightlife, hotel, restaurant and lifestyle concepts. Rande Gerber founded The Whiskey over 15 years ago and has since become the most influential nightlife proprietor in the country. The extraordinary success of The Whiskey Bars has established the Gerber Group as pre-eminent tastemakers, with an uncanny ability to create chic, seductive bars with modern glamour that reflect the times and national moods. Their nightlife brand and vision continues to expand developing hotel bars with W Hotels, Hard Rock Hotels, Casinos & Resorts, Sofitel, ME by Melia Hotels and Maxim magazine.
The Gerber Group’s latest ventures include: Sweetwater Saloon and Moonstone Lounge at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego; Rise Lounge at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi; Midnight Rose, a restaurant and lounge and The Penthouse, a roof top bar, in the historic Hotel Reina Victoria, now ME Madrid; The Beach House, a modern Mexican restaurant with Chef Richard Sandoval and Rose Bar at ME Cancun, a luxury resort in Cancun, Mexico; and a partnership with Maxim Magazine to develop Maxim Lounges, the first of which debuted at ME Cancun. For additional information, visit www.gerberbars.com.
About Strategic Hotels & Resorts
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:BEE) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns and provides value-enhancing asset management of high-end hotels and resorts in North America, Mexico and Europe. The company currently has ownership interests in 20 properties with an aggregate of 9,034 rooms. For a list of current properties and for further information, please visit the company’s website at www.strategichotels.com.
About the Fairmont Scottsdale
Set against the backdrop of Arizona’s McDowell Mountains, AAA Five-Diamond Fairmont Scottsdale reflects its Southwestern setting with Spanish colonial-style architecture, expansive plazas and lush, flower-filled gardens. The resort features 651 oversized guest rooms with a private terrace or balcony, five heated swimming pools, the luxurious 44,000 square-foot Willow Stream – The Spa at Fairmont and championship golf at the adjacent Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale Stadium and Champions courses. Dining options include the AAA Four-Diamond gourmet Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda, and The Grill, overlooking the 18th green at the TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course.