VUE

For Gorodesky, a big part of the formula for developing luxury resorts is to focus on the event and wedding space and build from that. "From experience, our number is 200 people, so we targeted indoor/outdoor space that could hold that number," he said. e ballroom is pure glamour with high ceilings and a wall of glass providing sweeping views of the river. But to keep the space warm and inviting, romance is not forgotten as the custom wallpaper features musical notes and love letters gathered from Chez Odette's past. Outside, Gorodesky wanted to identify a special place for ceremonies and succeeded in locating a lush waterfront parcel that sits where the two canals meet. "It was perfect. Two canals meet like two people's lives join when they get married," Gorodesky commented. It is that thought and detail that helped bring this project together into an elegant and vibrant destination. Gorodesky is no newcomer to fine establishments with a career spanning more than 30 years. He started working in restaurants as a dishwasher at the age of 12. Since that time, he has opened more than 100 restaurants, many iconic and well-known, and conceptualized even more for other people. "It was natural for me to extend hospitality in food and beverage to a guest room experience." Gorodesky is CEO at the Restaurant Advisory Services and opened Refined Hospitality as a subsidiary. e team he has built brings more than 100 years of collective experience in developing and managing hospitality destinations. Gorodesky knew the Odette's property and jumped at the chance to develop it with his view that New Hope is a "cultural cross point" with its proximity to Manhattan and Philadelphia, waterfront location and culturally infused neighborhood. "I got involved in the project when it was just an idea, so a lot of that property came out of my brain. I brought on the design team and culinary team and all the people that will manage the property," Gorodesky said. V U E N J . C O M 137

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