Study Hotel Breaks Ground on Drexel’s Campus

Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell joined Principal of Hospitality 3 LLC Paul McGowan, Drexel President John A. Fry and representatives from the University and Hospitality 3 to break ground on The Study Hotel.

Hospitality 3, a hotel development company with an impressive resume of hotel projects worldwide, held its official groundbreaking ceremony today on The Study at University City, a 212-key hotel rising on the campus of Drexel University in Philadelphia’s dynamic University City district. Slated to open in fall, 2016, the new hotel expands the innovative Study Hotels concept developed by Paul McGowan of Hospitality 3 to deliver high-quality, full-service lodging to university markets and cultural centers.

City and business leaders, including Philadelphia Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, joined McGowan and Drexel President John A. Fry to break ground on the hotel, which will be built on Drexel’s campus at the corner of 33rd and Chestnut streets in West Philadelphia. The hotel will be developed and owned by Hospitality 3 and operated by its subsidiary, Study Hotels.

“We are thrilled to be taking the next step in delivering the Study Hotels concept to Philadelphia,” said McGowan. “This hotel will embrace the unique culture and positive spirit of University City’s thriving academic, research and medical institutions by offering welcoming spaces and warm hospitality. Our goal is to create a sophisticated yet casual environment complemented by outstanding service for guests seeking to engage in the University City surroundings.”

The Study at University City follows the success of The Study at Yale, the brand’s first hotel located in New Haven, Connecticut, which has successfully connected guests to its Ivy League locale while becoming ingrained in the fabric of the community it serves.

 “University City is home to one of the world’s great intellectual ecosystems in one of the most transit-accessible locations,” said Fry. “What has been missing is an outstanding hotel for students and families, faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs and all visitors drawn to this unique place. We are very excited to partner with Hospitality 3 to bring the Study Hotels concept to our campus in West Philadelphia and to connect hotel operations to the community, through collaboration and civic engagement.”

The 145,000-square-foot hotel will feature 212 rooms, approximately 7,000 square feet of banquet/meeting space, a 105-seat corner restaurant and bar and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Hospitality 3 collaborated with Philadelphia-based architects DIGSAU to design The Study at University City with a focus on creating a modern architectural statement with strong precedence from the materiality of Philadelphia. 

“The building’s massing and scale are attuned to the energy of this vibrant corner, and the selection and use of materials throughout draw connections to Philadelphia’s diverse and defining architectural heritage,” said principal of DIGSAU Jeff Goldstein. 

P. Agnes, a local third-generation construction management firm, is overseeing construction of the hotel.

Hospitality 3 is currently pursuing other ground-up development and conversion opportunities in vibrant, landmark locations.

Hospitality 3 is a Manhattan and Connecticut-based hotel development company founded in 2001 with active investments and an impressive resume of hotel projects worldwide. Hospitality 3’s skilled management team has more than 75 years of combined experience in the design, planning and execution of hospitality development projects. Visit www.hospitality3.com for more information.

Study Hotels is a hotel concept conceived to accommodate the needs of university markets and cultural centers by offering high quality, full-service lodging. Stylish, comfortable and sophisticated, its hotels are designed to encourage social and cultural interaction in a relaxed yet stimulating environment. Study Hotels’ mantra “read, rest, reflect”®, and its reading glasses icon capture the essence of the experience and emotional connection each hotel strives to create for its guests. For more information visit www.studyhotels.com.

Media looking to interview a Study Hotels representative should contact George Cahn of Chan Communications at 201.876.3100 gcahn@cahncomm.com.