Meet Gene Kornota Co-Founder and Principal of Rebel Hospitality and dana hotel and spa
Nestled in Chicago’s chic River North neighborhood dana hotel and spa is an oasis in the city. Rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies and fetching details like hardwood floors make this luxury boutique hotel a true standout. The high in the sky rooftop Apogee lounge, creative cocktails and eatery like Portsmith restaurant adds to the allure. Gene Kornota, one of the masterminds behind it all, shares the back story.
What makes your job unique?
Since we wear many hats, as developers, creators of brands, sales and marketing, and hotel management, every day is uniquely filled with decision-making and problem solving from every direction. You never know what challenges you’ll face in the morning! I learn something every day. But one of the most awesome parts of owning lifestyle brands is the fun that goes into promoting them.
dana hotel and spa gets to plan the best parties. When we first opened, we had a great buzz, and our grand opening tour of the hotel was full of surprises, including a ménage a trois pillow fight and a running shower full of models. The dana has showers so big, it can fit a party, and we did.
Another incredible experience was the opportunity to hire and work with Tony Duran, a well-known LA based photographer, whom we met on set at dana while he was shooting Christian Slater for People Magazine. The result was an incredible photographic depiction of dana in a book that we unveiled in an “unmasking” event. Another great party where we got to hire out-of-the box characters such as the “Red Carpet Lady,” who greeted guests at the entry with a long flowing dress draped out into the “red carpet” walkway, champagne servers on stilts, and other whimsical mask-wearing characters.
How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?
My wife and I enjoyed staying in small inns, pensiones and boutiques similar to those found in San Francisco. In the late 1980’s, Chicago had just big box brands where nobody really knew your name. I came upon this run down hotel called The Surf, with amazing aquatic terracotta detail in the Lincoln Park community of Chicago. I thought it would make a great little boutique. Without knowing anything about hospitality, we leveraged everything we had to buy it. Shortly thereafter, we followed up with two more hotels to form a trio that became known as the Neighborhood Inns of Chicago — intimate hotels in a neighborhood setting. We knew nothing about hotels, which may be why they resonated with originality and authenticity that made them popular beyond our expectations. Who would have thought there was a demand adjacent to the elevated train on the gritty streets of Belmont Avenue with our City Suites Hotel paying homage to gangsters and gun molls, its former guests of the 1930's? It was original, and the neighborhood appreciated it.
What inspired you to open dana hotel and spa?
dana hotel was an existing Queen Anne style building, one of the oldest operating hotels in the city at the time. Up to this point, our company repurposed properties — we weren’t doing new construction. We were interested in converting the building into an intercity bed and breakfast. After a walk through the space, it became instantly clear — this building was not salvageable. We decided to construct a new hotel and pay homage to the old name. We wanted a hotel that would cater to the women traveling alone on business while filling a gap between the limited service properties and super-luxe options.
Where have you traveled for work?
I love travel and I’ve been lucky enough to have experienced a fair amount of it. Travel is all about stories, right? For leisure I have traveled the jungles of the Amazon, got married on safari in Africa, and hiked the mountains of Tibet and Nepal, all before the Internet. Standing on the shores of the Amazon River waiting to be picked up by a ferry that never arrives and with no phone and no internet — how one improvised back then!
A memorable business travel experience was hotel speculating in Cuba. Five wonderful trips to the island culminated into a proposal. At customs, I was asked to unwrap a roll of drawings that unveil aerial photographs of the beachhead, with all kinds of measurements, cross hairs, and distances denoted on the plans. They wouldn’t let me pass. I’m thinking, this isn’t the Bay of Pigs. I told them, “Anyone can get this from Google!” It took the agent and two supervisors to get through customs. The whole time, all I was worried about was knowing they wouldn’t have the packing material to put this roll all back together again and they didn’t! They said, “Sorry” to no paper, rubber bands, or even tape.
Cuba was an unusual experience. I’m not usually scoping out hotels internationally for acquisition, but I am always hopping from hotel to hotel for inspiration. It drives my wife crazy because I just want to move each night to another property. I’ve been fortunate to do a fair amount of travel, and I don’t mean to be overly exotic here, but one of the most memorable, inspirational hotels was in Pokhara Lakeside, Nepal. Not necessarily because of design, but for the service culture and tremendous respect for their guests. When our designer, who spent years living and practicing in Asia, suggested certain Asian influences, I was all in.
So, the designer specified this custom-made temple bell seemingly out of reach, when we found an unlikely source, a remote foundry in the jungles of Vietnam, for a fraction of the price. This place had no phone, internet or fax, and we used an interpreter/inspector to photograph the progress. After sending our deposit we were contacted by Homeland Security that no further payments are to be made to this recipient. I thought “Well, there goes our bell.” Fortunately, a month later, we are authorized to proceed. I heard they transported the bell by horse and carriage to the ship for transport to the dana! It ended up costing us more for the contractor to stress test it for hanging over our entry stairwell than it was to make it. It’s beautiful and made especially for dana to ring once and silenced thereafter for good luck and to keep the evil spirits away.
What does a day in your life entail?
Now that all three kids have escaped to college, I’m getting used to a new routine. I’ll always start with a cup of coffee and spend 30 minutes reading The New York Times and local papers. I feed three cats, walk the dog and I’m off to work.
I’ll almost always eat at my desk and optimistically think I should be able to get my to-do list done. When I get the chance, I love to walk our properties, engage with the staff and experience the interactions with our guests. I really love it when we explore new, fun ideas for getting our message out. I absolutely love seeing our guests interacting on social media and posting their photos while on the property. I feel we’ve done our job right.
When I get home I’ll routinely make dinner, and eat in front of the TV, catching an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” or some other comedy to lighten things up. Inevitably, I fall asleep and wake around 10pm to resume working. I read travel magazines, fantasizing about our next destination! Bed by 2 am. I know, not healthy.
What is the most rewarding part about your job?
The employees and guests. Without a doubt. Employees who love where they work and who they work for inspires you to be a better boss. And of course, nothing beats overhearing guests really digging your place and your staff.
What is your philosophy as a business owner?
dana in Sanskrit means the “pleasure of giving.” It is known as one of the virtues to Nirvana. When giving or receiving dana, you become a better person. This is the core principal by which we exist. When making decisions, at the end of day, it’s about the guest and what is best for them. People take travel very seriously. Some guests plan it for months in advance, maybe more. We have a responsibility to that guest to fulfill or surpass their expectations and help make the most memorable experience we can.
What are your goals for Rebel Hospitality over the next five years?
We don’t feel the need to reach any specific asset goals. We are not institutional investors, so we grow conservatively by design as opportunities present themselves. With that said, we are working on a fun, funky mid-century modern motel conversion in downtown Phoenix, repurposing the parking lot into a music venue complete with cocktail bar, pool, fire pits and more. A small 30-room boutique hotel in an old packing plant in Chicago’s Fulton Market that is going to ooze with character. A hip vintage boutique hotel in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central district, and perhaps a new dana hotel and spa on the gulf shores near Houston. We also hope to build a new eclectic micro hotel just to the west of the dana hotel and spa, so there is enough to keep us busy for awhile.
