After making its mark in Stamford, Hotel Zero Degrees opened another location in Norwalk earlier this month.
The brand-new, boutique hotel, developed by RMS Cos. of Stamford, includes 96 rooms, a rooftop lounge, fitness center, restaurant and a 2,000-square-foot conference center. Near the intersection of Route 7 and the Merritt Parkway, the hotel is prominently situated in a hub of commercial activity.
“There”™s a whole corporate corridor here and only three hotels,” said Mia Schipani, vice president of business development for the hotel. “There”™s definitely a demand.”
Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia and state Sen. Bob Duff attended the ribbon cutting ceremony April 8. Both celebrated the 50 additional jobs the hotel brings to the town.
The imminent closure of Norwalk”™s Four Points by Sheraton hotel could create more demand for hotels like Hotel Zero Degrees. Stacy Trevino, a spokewoman for Sheraton parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., confirmed that the Norwalk hotel would close but didn”™t offer any further detail.
Hotel Zero Degrees”™ brand primarily appeals to young professionals during the business week, but the group also hopes to catch leisure travelers looking for a comfortable and affordable experience, Schipani said. After being open for one week the hotel had already received a dozen phone calls about event bookings, as well.
“Norwalk is such a fabulous destination,” Schipani said. “It has so many things to embrace, like the museum and harbor. We”™re definitely hoping to promote this area as a destination, with all of the arts and culture in the area.”
Schipani said it remains to be seen if the hotel will continue expanding.
Since Hotel Zero Degrees opened in Stamford in 2009, it”™s been voted number one of 14 hotels ranked online in Stamford by TripAdvisor L.L.C. Many users have commented that it is above-average for the price, clean and staffed by helpful workers.
The brand has a commitment to art communities and strives for sustainable energy consumption. The hotel uses as little energy as it can, recycles, sources local, recycled and organic products and hires employees locally to provide new opportunities for people in the community.
By the end of April, a 120-seat restaurant, Mediterraneo of Norwalk, is also scheduled to open at the hotel, offering guests coastal Mediterranean cuisine including fresh seafood. The restaurant will be open to the public.
The owner of the restaurant, Ramze Zakka, also has similar restaurants in Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport and Rye, N.Y.
“We spent a great deal of time searching the region for the ideal restaurateur who shares our same vision and focus,” Randy Salvatore, a co-owner of Hotel Zero Degrees, said in a statement. “Ramze”™s five existing restaurants have become the social and entertainment centers in each of their respective communities and it is our expectation that this newest offering will bring the same vitality to our Norwalk hotel.”
