Skift Take
This was inevitable. As lifestyle hotels dive deeper into specific preferences and tastes, it’s no wonder that one of the biggest craft brewers in the U.S. has decided to capitalize on the incredible rise of craft beer tourism licensing its name for a new hotel, complete with a beer garden, of course.
San Diego-based Stone Brewing, the 10th largest craft brewer in the U.S., is entering the hotel business.
On August 11, the company, known for its famed “Arrogant Bastard IPA,” announced its plans to develop what it called a “brewery hotel.”
Stone Brewing is licensing its name to San Diego-based Untitled Hospitality, which will construct, own, and manage the estimated $26 million, 99-room hotel. It is slated to open in early 2018 in Escondido, California.
The hotel is expected to appeal to craft beer nerds and foodies with its bar-style lobby and in-room growler delivery service, and it will be next door to Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido, a massive restaurant. For groups and events, it will also have an 8,000 square-foot ballroom and a 10,000 square-foot rooftop garden and pool deck. Guests will also have exclusive access to beers specifically produced just for guests.
Stone Brewing co-founder Greg Koch said the idea for a craft-beer-centric hotel had been brewing for some time. In 2011, the company initially announced plans for a hotel but those plans eventually faded due to concerns over funding and development.
“After originally envisioning a hotel on the property more than six years ago, we had put the project on permanent hold due to our need to focus on our core obsession of brewing,” Koch said. “When Robert [Cartwright, co-founder and CEO of Untitled Hospitality] and Untitled Hospitality approached us with the idea of them taking the ball and
