Building a Business Hotel in Brooklyn for the Creative Class


Skift Take

Small hotels can thrive, even in big cities, given the right level of service and a strong core of returning customers.

Over the past three years, the Wythe Hotel has grown its reputation through word of mouth and by providing a safe haven for international creatives in Brooklyn. The 70-room hotel opened in early 2012, when it launched as a partnership between Australian hotelier Peter Lawrence, experienced New York restauranteur Andrew Tarlow and property developer Jed Walentas. Since then, the hotel has become a touchstone among business travelers and European tourists looking to explore the high-profile Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg. "When we built it, we knew there was demand for a Brooklyn-flavored hotel," said Lawrence, general manager of the Wythe Hotel. "We compl