Kimpton Announces New Plans for New Philly Hotel Monaco

They brought modern stylings, super-fun colors and wallpaper to die for to Rittenhouse Square when they opened the sleek Hotel Palomar last fall, and now the Kimpton Hotels group is making plans to dazzle again with a Hotel Monaco in the Historic District.

The 1906 Lafayette Building at 5th and Chestnut streets will get a full make-over, turning it into a four-star hotel with more than 250 rooms at the cost of perhaps $70 million. The space is also set to have a gourmet restaurant and bar and 12,000 square feet of meeting rooms. Included in that total is a 3,500 square foot ballroom featuring a prime view of Independence Hall — the only hotel to offer such a vista. It’s sure to be a coveted spot for weddings and galas.

The Hotel Monaco look is that of a world traveler, incorporating  styles and patterns from around the globe. While herringbones and other geometrics are at home in the Hotel Palomar, the Monaco space will include features like rich colors, opulent trims and original art pieces.

Like it’s sister across town, the Hotel Monaco is on a course to be eco-friendly, starting with the fact that it’s emerging from a re-purposed, currently vacant building. Kimpton hotels are known for their sustainability practices; the Hotel Palomar Philadelphia actually just received gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Kimpton says it plans to start renovations in the Spring, with the opening coming in mid-to-late 2012.