Founded by Andrew Zobler, Sydell Group is the creator and operator of unique hotels rooted in their location and architecture. Sydell's core expertise is in bringing together emerging and established talent from the worlds of design, food & beverage, art and hospitality to build hotels and restaurants that offer inspiration, comfort, graciousness of spirit and a deep sense of place.
Sydell Group creates and operates award-winning hotels, restaurants and bars that are beloved by travelers and locals alike. Sydell’s core expertise is an ability to identify architecturally meaningful buildings that are deeply rooted in their location, and to collaborate with original talent within the world of design, food & beverage and hospitality in creating compelling new hotels that engage the communities around them. Sydell Group’s diverse portfolio of award-winning projects include NoMad New York, Los Angeles, London and Las Vegas; the LINE LA, DC and Austin; Freehand Miami, New York and Los Angeles; The Ned, London; Park MGM, Las Vegas; and Saguaro Palm Springs and Scottsdale. Each of the properties has been widely celebrated for their site-specific uniqueness, compelling food & beverage offerings, vibrant public spaces and overall focus on design and culture.
In 2006, The Sydell Group collaborated with Atelier Ace to transform the former Breslin Hotel into what is now the Ace Hotel New York. The project was at the time dubbed "a neighborhood starter kit" by New York Magazine for the hotel's innovative retail and food & beverage partnerships, which energized the long forgotten New York City neighborhood. The Hotel's singular interiors have been praised by The New York Times as well as winning a coveted award for best boutique design hotel from Interior Design magazine.
Spread atop a five-acre resort, the 180-room Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs, California was another early Sydell Group collaboration with Atelier Ace. Several artists and designers working in the region were commissioned to create furniture and site-specific art which is featured throughout the hotel. The hotel is perhaps most well known for its installation of Stan Bitter's work, which helped to transform the tired former Howard Johnson into a building with striking, original handcrafted detail.
In 2011, Sydell launched the Saguaro brand in Old Town Scottsdale in a mid-century courtyard hotel. The bold color palette is the work of architects Peter Stamberg and Paul Aferiat, who infused the property with hues that reflect the indigenous flowers that bring color to the desert landscape. The following year, the brand expanded to Palm Springs.
In 2012, Sydell Group opened Freehand in Miami Beach and a new approach to urban travel was born. With a mix of private and shared accommodations centered around great food and drink and a vibrant community atmosphere, the brand blended the affordability and culture of hostel travel with elevated design and experience. Freehand was a collaboration between Sydell Group and Roman + Williams on interior design, Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi of Bar Lab on the award-winning Broken Shaker, and other talented culinary and creative partners. Sydell Group went on to open Freehand hotels in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, winning awards for Best American Hotel Bar and earning places on the Travel + Leisure It List, Condé Nast Traveler Hot List and others.