Painter's tape still adorned patio fixtures on the perimeter of the pool during a recent visit to The Burgundy Hotel in west Little Rock. A month and several guests after the hotel's grand opening, Room 103 still smells of fresh paint and new carpet.
Hotel owner Bhu Makan is banking on all this newness -- more than $2 million worth, spent to gut and renovate rooms and other portions of the property -- to give the hotel a fresh start and eliminate preconceived notions that the public might have regarding the former Best Western Governors Suites.
Officially, the year-long renovation concluded last month, but Makan continues to look for ways to improve the 49-room boutique hotel.
"I don't think we'll ever be done," Makan said. "We're always looking to be on the cutting edge of technology and service. We're in a great position currently but know we can't get satisfied with our position."
What new paint and carpet, bedside USB plug-ins, plush robes and a rotating monthly art exhibit cannot change is the location of the hotel. Unless you live or work nearby (and there's plenty of residences and offices nearby), chances are you'll need a map or your phone's navigation system to get there.
This is a hotel you have to be looking for to find. Or you might be looking for something else and stumble upon it. Maybe.
The degree of difficulty in locating the hotel isn't news to Makan. He is well aware of the challenges and has decided to use The Burgundy's out-of-the-way location as a selling point, rather than a detriment or any sort of justification for poor performance.
"It's tough to find, but you're tucked away from the noise," Makan said, cracking a smile. "That gives it a different feel than anywhere else you could choose."
Makan hired Heather Owens of Georgia James Creative to handle the interior design. He cites her experience with a Ritz Carlton property in Colorado as a nice complement to her upscale residential design expertise.
Table 28, coming up on its one-year anniversary, provides The Burgundy with an in-house restaurant. Previously the hotel was home to Vesuvio Bistro, a "hidden gem" of a restaurant that became so popular that it outgrew the space and had to relocate. Undeterred by a menu that includes a $75 steak and adventurous offerings like squid, my experience at Table 28 matched a November 2013 review in this newspaper that labeled chef Scott Rains' restaurant as "audacious, yummy."
Ultimately, service is what Makan wants as the primary selling point for The Burgundy. With so few rooms, the owner figures his staff has "no choice" but to cater to a guest's every whim.
All of the amenities come at a price, of course.
Rates range from $130 for a 450-square-foot, standard room to $350 for a 650-square-foot, two-room suite. Those prices are steep, but so is Makan's vision for what the hotel will one day become in west Little Rock.
Makan, by the way, has no illusions about where the hotel, even if wildly successful, will rank among Little Rock's luxury hotel offerings. As he sees it, The Burgundy is competing for No. 1 among hotels not named The Capital.
With history, a prime downtown location and plenty of Stephens money behind it, The Capital figures to keep its spot as central Arkansas' top boutique/luxury property.
"Out of respect, I have to say that we're not to the level of The Capital Hotel," Makan said. "We are who we are. There is such a wide gap between The Capital and everybody else.
"We plan to be ahead of everybody else."
If you have a news tip, call Chris Bahn at (479) 365-2972 or email him at cbahn@nwaonline.com
SundayMonday Business on 09/28/2014