Internationally acclaimed hoteliers YOO Hotels & Resorts and Opus Hotel Corporation announce 10-year North American partnership
London, U.K. and Vancouver, Canada (October 24th 2017) — U.K.-based YOO Hotels and Resorts and Canada’s Opus Hotel Corporation are delighted to announce an exciting brand partnership and 10-year expansion plan to develop and operate a series of OPUS by YOO Collection and OPUS by yoo2 hotels across Canada and Mexico, as well as in select U.S. markets.
This exclusive international partnership will allow both globally recognized boutique hoteliers to explore ground-up development, repositioning, and management opportunities in North America’s key urban and resort destinations. The deal also includes an exclusivity arrangement for Opus Hotel Corporation within the Canadian and Mexican markets.
The YOO Group was co-founded by world-famous designer Philippe Starck and property entrepreneur John Hitchcox over 15 years ago and has made its mark in international property design and development. YOO Hotels and Resorts is the hotel venture of the YOO Group, which operates and develops hotels around the world from its headquarters in London, U.K. The group’s luxury hotel brand, the YOO Collection, combines world-renowned Creative Directors and the YOO Design Studio with some of the world’s most sublime destinations. The yoo2 brand offers an eclectic collection of boutique lifestyle hotels, each one a striking expression of local soul.
OPUS Hotels is the inspiration of founder John deC. Evans, one of Canada’s foremost urban and resort real estate developers. Canada’s first truly boutique brand, OPUS, was established in 2002 in recognition and response to the global travellers’ already apparent demand for more intimate, lifestyle oriented hotels. Opus Hotels has received national as well as international attention for its fashion-forward properties and guest-centric service culture. OPUS Hotel Vancouver will not be included within the OPUS Hotels and YOO Hotels & Resorts partnership.
The first OPUS by YOO Collection hotel, the 110-suite Versante, is scheduled to launch in early 2019 at the Vancouver International Airport. Other OPUS by YOO destination properties slated for development include both Canada’s as well as Mexico’s Pacific West Coast.
John Hitchcox, C.E.O and co-founder of the YOO Group said of the new partnership: “Opus Hotels Corporation is a perfect match for us. They complement our design-led philosophy with their market knowledge and hotel development experience. The partnership between YOO Hotels and Resorts and OPUS Hotels has created the perfect platform for growth and operational excellence of the OPUS by YOO brand across Canada, Mexico and selected markets in the US. This expansion in key markets will ensure even more travellers can experience our unique designs and guest experiences. We look forward to developing this strategic partnership with OPUS Hotels and continue our growth journey.”
Commenting on the partnership, John deC. Evans, CEO of Opus Hotels said: “The exclusive development, co-branding and operating partnership with the internationally positioned YOO Hotels and Resorts in Canada and Mexico is an acknowledgement of the excellence of the OPUS brand. I am thrilled to be partnering with an internationally recognized hotel company. It’s a good fit for both YOO and OPUS, in my view.”
The partners are continuing to seek out new development, conversion, repositioning, and management opportunities in order to strategically expand the YOO Hotels and Resorts and OPUS Hotels collection of properties.