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Home > BizTimes Daily > Archives > October 16, 2008
Palomar plans include high-end spa
Published October 16, 2008 - BizTimes Daily
Although construction of the Milwaukee Palomar Hotel and Residences project is on hold for the moment, the developer of the site announced that it has selected Rockville, Md.-based WTS International Inc. to manage a 6,800-square-foot spa and fitness facility to be built on the property.
Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. plans to develop the project in the Park East corridor in downtown Milwaukee.
Marty Collins, chief executive officer of Gatehouse Capital, recently announced that the Palomar project will not begin construction for at least a year, because of the credit crunch that has made it extremely difficult for developers to obtain financing for their projects.
However, plans for the development are moving forward, company spokeswoman Lisa Todd said.
"When the capital markets come back we want to have everything ready to go so we can move full-steam ahead," she said.
The addition of WTS to run the spa and fitness center is an important part of the project, Todd said.
"They do some pretty fabulous spas around the country," she said. "The closest one (to Milwaukee) is at the Trump (International Hotel and Tower) in Chicago."
Other facilities that WTS has provided leisure consulting and management services for include: The Spa at Trump International Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas; The Aqua Star Spa at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.; The I Spa at the Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington, D.C.; and Fern Tree, The Spa at Half Moon, in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
An array of massages, body treatments, nail services and skin care options would be available at the spa to Palomar hotel guests and residents of the project's condominiums.
"WTS has an impeccable reputation for providing world-class spas and lavish services," Collins said. "With the addition of WTS, we have increased the roster of high-end amenities offered at the Milwaukee Palomar Hotel and Residences. Residents and guests will have access to the ultimate pampering services within steps of their hotel room or personal residence."
The Milwaukee Palomar Hotel and Residences would be built at the northwest corner of West Juneau Avenue and Old World Third Street. The $150 million development would include 63 condominiums, a 175-room boutique hotel, a restaurant, nightclub, the spa and fitness center, retail space, and a parking structure.
