Shelter Island is about to get a chic new boutique hotel that is sure to draw some of the stylish set that flocks to Andre Balazs’ popular Sunset Beach resort.
Cape Advisors, which has partnered with Balazs in the city and has developed five hotels in Cape May, NJ, is in contract to buy the Chequit Inn, a 37-room mom-and-pop hotel.
The $10 million project includes renovating, adding a pool and creating an upscale restaurant, developer Curtis Bashaw told Side Dish.
“We will give it some TLC and upgrade the amenities. It’s a wonderful American classic resort,” Bashaw said. “Shelter Island is still a secret little destination between the panache of the Hamptons and the bucolic beauty of the North Fork.”
The deal is slated to close this fall.
Bashaw says that he and Balazs remain good friends and that the “healthy competition” will be good for the island.
Balazs, who was in London, could not respond by press time.
Robin Schneiderman, a Halstead broker and summer Shelter Island resident, said the deal will continue to raise the island’s profile.
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Koreatown is about to get sweeter.
Spot Dessert Bar, the Asian-inspired dessert bar on St. Marks Place, will open a second location at 11 W. 32nd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues.
Chase Restaurant Group’s celebrity Thai chef Ian Chalermkittichai, who oversees the menu at the Ember Room, will open the new Spot in July.
The 4,000-square-foot space will seat 136 people. A third location is planned later this year, sources told Side Dish.