Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel, opening this month, is a $75-million reinvention of the iconic 1916 Blackstone Hotel located within Omaha, Nebraska’s historic Blackstone District.
Developed by principals of Clarity Development and GreenSlate Development, the eight-story building is a prime example of Second Renaissance Revival architecture. It was declared an Omaha Landmark in 1983 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Significant historical and design elements of the original hotel will be restored. Leo A Daly and DLR Group lead the architecture and interior design process in partnership with Kimpton’s design team, global senior vice president of design Ave Bradley and design director Jennifer Porterfield.
The hotel will be comprised of 205 guestrooms including 31 suites, a resort-style swimming pool and expansive pool club, a classic steakhouse and cocktail lounge, a café serving French-inspired fare, high tea served daily, a spacious solarium, and a rooftop terrace ideal for both social events and leisurely taking in the view.
The property’s 50-plus piece art collection, entirely produced by Nebraskan artists, will be the first-ever hotel curation by community activist and artist Watie White. Watie describes the collection as “a certain autobiography of Omaha” and deeply connected to the city. One of the hotel’s five commissioned pieces by Omaha-born BIPOC fiber and textile artist Celeste Butler is a dynamic quilt display incorporating materials from the original Blackstone Hotel, such as a rusted shower drain and Cottonwood leaves from property grounds.
Photo: Courtesy of Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel