21c Development

ACE Unlimited, the owner of the 21c Museum Hotel and Proof brands, is actively seeking expansion opportunities. Please contact Michael Bonadies at 502-585-3777 ext 802.

Michael Bonadies, Chett Abramson Join 21c to Launch National Luxury Hospitality Brand

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 12, 2007) - - Michael Bonadies and Chett Abramson, both formerly of The Myriad Restaurant Group, will spearhead the development of the new 21c Museum Hotel brand nationally. They will join other 21c Museum Hotel owners Laura Lee Brown, Steve Wilson and Craig Greenberg. Bonadies will also serve as president and CEO of the new venture. Abramson will serve as vice president and COO. Former Myriad project director Sarah Bradbury Robbins will also join the team as vice president.

When Brown and Wilson decided to build 21c Museum Hotel, they hired Bonadies and Myriad to develop and manage the new hotel’s signature restaurant, Proof on Main, and all food and beverage service in the hotel.

“Michael and his team understand what it takes to develop such a unique, one-of-a-kind concept that has been instrumental in revitalizing downtown Louisville and making it an overwhelming success,” said Wilson, chairman of the board of directors. “We are thrilled they will join us full-time in expanding the 21c Museum Hotel and Proof brands nationally.”

Bonadies and Myriad owner Drew Nieporent have built a national reputation for innovative food and dining excellence with such acclaimed restaurants as Tribeca Grill, Centrico, Montrachet, Nobu, Next Door Nobu and Nobu Fifty Seven in New York, Nobu London and Rubicon in San Francisco. In addition to Proof, Myriad also manages several food and beverage operations around the country.

As a Myriad founding partner, Bonadies handled the development and day-to-day operation of the company’s consulting and contract management division, which included new business growth, consulting management, employee recruitment and educational and training endeavors. He has worked with clients all over the world including Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Interstate Hotels, Marriott International, Renaissance Hotels, Neiman Marcus, GE Capital, Joseph Phelps Vineyards and Jordan Vineyard and Winery.

Additionally, Bonadies is author of “Sip by Sip – An Insider's Guide to Learning All About Wine” and a frequent contributor to numerous national culinary and beverage magazines. He is also a recipient of the James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for “Magazine Writing on Spirits, Beer and Wine” and Restaurant Hospitality’s Rising Stars Award. He is also a frequent featured speaker at industry conferences and conventions as well as food and wine festivals including the Food & Wine Magazine Aspen Classic and The Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival.

As vice president and COO, Abramson will have financial and systems responsibilities for the new company. During his 15-year tenure with Myriad, Abramson has served in a variety of positions including project director for Myriad’s consulting division as well as director of operations for the restaurant group. His responsibilities included the financial reporting for Myriad and spearheading numerous consulting projects across the country.

For six years, Abramson served as area director of purchasing and director of food and beverage for Starwood Hotels’ new W Hotel brand. As well as overseeing the food and beverage operations in New York, Abramson assisted in opening the W Hotels in Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco. He is a frequent contributor for the Nations Restaurant News and Food Arts magazine.

Robbins will contribute operational experience to her new position. After graduating from the Cornell School of Hotel Management, the Louisville native began her career at Myriad as a manager of the famed Tribeca Grill in New York. She then moved into the company’s consulting and contract division where she worked with such Myriad clients as the Coach House in Martha’s Vineyard; Nobu Vegas, Las Vegas; Lucca at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Florida; and the W hotels in San Francisco and New York. At Proof, she supervised the on-site team in the areas of management, marketing and training.

21c Museum Hotel, which opened its doors last April, has received national acclaim for its dedication to accessible luxury and dramatic contemporary art exhibits. The 91-room hotel features a 9,000 square foot contemporary art museum managed by the 21c Museum Foundation. This stunning collection of cutting-edge art by living artists inspired the creation of the hotel and museum and influenced the naming of the property.

Bonadies said the company is not tied to a specific type of building for the next hotel. While the first 21c Museum Hotel showcased historical elements like original brickwork, arches and prismatic leaded glass transoms, other locations will be architecturally significant new buildings or historic renovations. Each hotel will also have a collection of 21st century art featuring both emerging and acclaimed regional and international artists. The décor will continue to be comfortable contemporary decor, providing an inviting backdrop for the art which makes this boutique hotel and restaurant brand one-of-a-kind. Negotiations are underway to begin construction of their first hotel outside the Louisville market in early 2008.

“Our mission is to develop 21c Museum Hotels that contribute culturally and economically to each city we enter,” said Bonadies. “Each hotel will have its own distinctive style and expression, and will provide the highest quality hospitality combined with innovative art from the 21st century and a totally accessible feel.”

The same will hold true for the signature restaurant, Proof, which was named to the coveted Esquire magazine’s “Best New Restaurants of 2006” list. Every Proof will have its own signature ambiance with cuisine highlighting the local, sustainable agriculture of each location. Bonadies added that each restaurant would continue to showcase the trademark art and hospitality that has elevated Proof to national attention.

In addition to owning the hotel and restaurant, Brown and Wilson are local philanthropists, art collectors and conservationists. The couple actively pursues community restoration projects like Louisville’s new Museum Plaza, a 1.5 million square foot, 61 story, $465 million mixed-use development on the city’s riverfront which will begin construction this fall. They have also been instrumental in safeguarding 1,000 acres from development in addition to owning a bison farm in Goshen, Ky.

Greenberg, who is counsel with Frost Brown Todd LLC, specializes in development strategies that turn important and challenging urban real estate projects into realities. A Harvard Law School graduate and Louisville native, he is also a developer of the Museum Plaza project.