Sbe expands to luxury wellness care

With many details still under wraps, hotelier/restaurateur/nightlife empresario Sam Nazarian is launching a yet-to-be-named wellness brand, leasing 13,000 square feet at the Reuben Brothers’ Century Plaza development in Century City and next door to the 726-room Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel. The opening is set for the end of 2024.

Being developed in partnership with Fountain Life will be the first of what are supposed to be multiple projects for the new brand. It remains to be seen whether or not there will be a hotel component in any of the projects, but Nazarian is attempting to transform the often-daunting clinical process into an inviting and endearing experience, leveraging sbe’s hospitality expertise.

The new brand is supposed to be announced in September and will offer preventative, precision diagnostic, and wellness experiences with sbe at the helm. Powered by Fountain Life and other global companies in the healthcare and wellness space, fully curated by sbe, the company will focus on finding, preventing, and eliminating conditions that shorten life, sap quality, and vitality.

Fountain Life, founded in 2020, will operate the facility, which is promoted to deliver diagnostics and vetted therapeutics in a warm, welcoming, hospitable environment focused on personalized care.

In December, the Reuben Brothers signed three high-end restaurants for Century Plaza to help revitalizing the shopping center, including Miami hotspot Kyu, New York sushi hotspot Sushi Noz and Greek taverna Estiatorio Milos.

Late last year, sbe announced its foray back into hotels with Project HQ Hotels & Residences, a smart lifestyle concept launched via a strategic alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Early this month, sbe announced it had signed the first Project HQs with planned conversions of The Royal Plaza & Villa Toscane in Montreux, Switzerland, and The Park Avenue House in Detroit, Michigan.

Sbe representatives told Hotel Investment Today that equity for the Montreux property is being led by sbe and a new ownership group, while new developer Alter Mile Group and partners are developing the previously distressed Detroit property. Reports indicate a lender on the Detroit property was seeking receivership and foreclosure in late 2023 after the previous owner defaulted.

Construction will begin for both properties later this year with reopenings anticipated for late 2025.