New Socially-Conscious Hotel Brand Creates Sustainable Pathways for Higher Education: Announcing The Cornerstone Collection
|
Posted By: Alecia Jones on February 21, 2025 CORPORATE RELEASE IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Alecia Jones, Director of Communications The Brittano Group | The Rook Hotels | Block Builders Academy Email: aleciaj@validitymediagroup.com Disruptors Develop Socially-Responsible Hotel Brand for Higher Education Sustainability: The Brittano Group and The Rook Hotels Announce The Cornerstone Collection [L to R, Karie Brittano and Julian Brittano. Photo Credit Don Harris, Hard Press] DANVILLE, VA, [NATIONWIDE], February 20, 2025 / – With corporate offices in Danville, Virginia, The Brittano Group® and its subsidiary, The Rook Hotels® is proud to announce the launch of its newest initiative, The Cornerstone Collection®. This new socially-responsible upscale hotel brand is a strategic expansion of The Rook Hotels, designed to foster partnerships and create opportunities within communities across the United States. This new collection further represents The Rook Hotels’ commitment to economic development, innovation, and education at colleges and universities through a unique blend of hospitality and community engagement. The Rook Hotels is revolutionizing upscale hospitality, while The Brittano Group is spearheading an unprecedented expansion of African-American hotel ownership at an unheard-of pace. With this historic announcement, The Cornerstone Collection is advancing long-term, sustainable growth—creating resilient revenue generation, workforce and entrepreneurial pathways for college students, not only in hotel operations but also in construction and hotel ownership, shaping the future of the industry. The Brittano Group and The Rook Hotels have long been focused on building unprecedented opportunities for marginalized communities while simultaneously-driven to develop educational pathways across high-impact industries, such as high-speed rail and technology, so this announcement comes as no surprise to those who have been on this path with The Brittano Group. The Cornerstone Collection, led by Subject Matter Experts – a trailblazing husband and wife duo, these co-ceo's – hotel owners and hotel developers, Julian and Karie Brittano, are making history, securing multimillion-dollar acquisition deals, and forging forward in an industry where Black hotel owners and developers have been historically underrepresented. Julian Brittano, an Actor, Film Producer, Activist and Entrepreneur at his core, is most remembered as “David The Bartender” who co-starred to Oprah Winfrey in OWN's hit series “Greenleaf.” Karie Brittano is a licensed Class A CIC General Contractor and former adjunct professor. In January 2023, CHOICE Hotels International announced The Brittano Group-The Rook Hotels, as its first celebrity soft brand partner of ASCEND, CHOICE's luxury collection. Since, the Brittano's have taken stage at some of the top hospitality industry conferences as panelists and keynote speakers. “We’re not just building hotels—we’re building a legacy of ownership, unseen opportunity, and impact” said Julian Brittano. Karie Brittano added “The Brittano Group and The Rook Hotels are redefining what’s possible in hospitality, creating a blueprint for sustainable success that empowers the next generation of industry leaders at every level, from construction and operations to ownership.” With 5 active hotel deals under various phases of development since the acquisition of its first hotel, The Rook at South Boston in 2022, these first-time first-generation African American hotel owners-developers have scaled their brand at an unheard-of rate. Looking Ahead The Rook Hotels: Cornerstone Collection will launch its first properties in partnership with select universities and community organizations in 2025. With plans to expand to 50 locations over the next decade, this initiative will set a new standard for hospitality-driven community engagement. For the first announcement publicly naming the first slate of colleges already under agreement with The Cornerstone Collection, college presidents, and also corporations committed to corporate social responsibility enterprises for this marginalized population are invited to attend CIAA's Money Moves Financial Summit "Creating Generational Wealth” panel on March 1, 2025 at The Rita Rossi Colwell Center at 701 Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The panel, moderated by John Lancaster at CHOICE Hotels International, runs from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm ET where Julian Brittano is a confirmed panelist. Register to attend the Summit here [https://whova.com/portal/registration/TaTgAZPqrzZUaDzw6KLB/]. For more information about the Cornerstone Collection, partnership opportunities, and upcoming developments, visit www.therookhotels.com or contact aleciaj@validitymediagroup.com. For social updates, follow The Cornerstone Collection at /thecornerstonehotels on Instagram. About The Cornerstone Collection® As a subsidiary of The Brittano Group and The Rook Hotels, The Cornerstone Collection is a specialized portfolio of upscale hotels developed in collaboration with universities, corporate partners, and community leaders. This initiative aims to – •Deliver sustainable revenue streams for partner organizations, including colleges and universities. •Provide state-of-the-art media and creative production facilities, and •Integrate community-focused programming, including workforce training and economic development initiatives. Each property in the Cornerstone Collection is designed to reflect the values of collaboration and progress, offering guests a premium hospitality experience while fostering meaningful community impact. ABOUT The Rook Hotels® Established in 2021, and headquartered at 124 S. Market St., Danville, VA 24541, The Rook Hotels is a Black-owned and upscale hotel brand redefining luxury, innovation, and social impact in the hospitality industry. This subsidiary of The Brittano Group, The Rook Hotels, is led by co-CEOs, and hospitality strategists: Julian Brittano—an acclaimed actor, film producer, activist, and Karie Brittano, a licensed Class A CIC General Contractor, and former adjunct professor, both, subject matter experts, hotel owners, and developers. In 2022, The Brittano Group acquired its first property in an unheard-of $14.5 million dollar deal, the John Randolph Hotel – a historic property in South Boston, Virginia, then identified Choice Hotels International as a soft brand global partner for its first property renamed The Rook at South Boston. CHOICE announced the partnership in 2023 as its first celebrity-led hotel brand within their luxury collection, ASCEND. The Rook Hotels is setting new standards for independent, urban upscale innovation and accommodations. With a strong focus on historic preservation, sustainable development, and community-driven experiences, the brand is rapidly expanding, with multiple hotel acquisitions and developments nationwide. www.therookhotels.com ABOUT The Brittano Group, Inc.® Established in 2018, Brittano Group possesses the expertise and infrastructure to greatly impact the trajectory of economic revitalization, nationwide. Now committed to increasing African-American hotel ownership, as well, the corporation is well on its way as one of the region's emerging development and management firms in the United States. Co-CEO's are Julian and Karie Brittano. ### If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Alecia Jones
Celebrity Publicist, CEO, VALIDITY MEDIA GROUP Member Since July 2019 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest News
Popular News
 |
North Carolina HBCU Unity DayShaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 104,300 Views • August 8th, 2016 |
