Boutique hotel opens in Arts District with a ‘New York feel’

In between the roar of the Strip and the buzz of Fremont Street, a soon-to-open boutique hotel hopes to offer its guests a new experience amid Las Vegas’ blooming Arts District.

The English Hotel, a four-story, 74-room nongaming boutique hotel located on the corner of Main Street and Coolidge Avenue in downtown, will open its doors to the public this week.

The hotel was developed by Z Life Co. and is named for celebrity chef Todd English, who is a partner in the project. Unlike the megaresorts that dominate the Las Vegas hotel landscape with their thousands of rooms and labyrinth-like casino floor, The English Hotel will offer a more personalized touch for those looking for something different than the typical Vegas experience, General Manager Steve Dennis said Monday.

“Our guests will come here, and they’ll be a part of the Arts District,” Dennis said. “They’ll still do the Strip and do the other things to do in Vegas, but they’re going to be focused on experiencing what this area has to offer.”

The property, which is affiliated with Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, was designed to have a “New York feel” — bright and open with no shortage of upscale amenities, Dennis said. But the centerpiece of the property will be English’s latest restaurant offering in The Pepper Club, which includes Japanese and Mediterranean themes.

As Dennis likes to say, it’s not a hotel with a restaurant. “We’re a restaurant with a hotel.”

Dennis said he envisions the hotel as a spot for both travelers and locals, especially those in the hospitality industry looking for a place to wind down.

“We want that place for industry people to come to. You work all night and do your thing; you need a place that you can sit and relax,” he said.

And the restaurant is taking some creative measures to incentivize locals to spend the night, too.

After you finish your meal at most restaurants, a server might come by and ask if you want to see a dessert menu. At The Pepper Club, guests will be given an additional menu to peruse.

“Ours is going to include room prices. So if I’m not sold out, we’re going to offer our guests a room,” Dennis said. “It’s an instant staycation.”

The property’s new neighbors are thrilled to have the first hotel opening in the Arts District.

“Having The English Hotel and having such an awesome type of venue is really going to help us out. We’re happy to have them,” said Becky Miller, who runs Main Street Mercantile and also serves as the vice president of 18b The Las Vegas Arts District.

There is no gaming within the Arts District, Miller said, so the hotel really “fits in well with our vibe.”

Many businesses in the Arts District were closed during parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller said. But watching construction move forward on The English Hotel during those times gave them hope for the future.

“That really helped keep our spirits up,” she said.

Hotel officials are excited about being part of the Arts District’s continued evolution, Dennis said, noting the expansion of new restaurants, bars and other nightlife in the area in recent years.

“It’s a neat area, but now it goes to that next level of development,” he said.

The English Hotel officially opens Wednesday.

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.