SANTA BARBARA, CA—Caruso Affiliated has named Rosewood Hotels & Resorts as the hotel operator of its Miramar beach hotel development. Construction of the property is well underway and is scheduled to open in 2018. This will be the third Rosewood Hotel property in Los Angeles, and will be called the Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito.

“Rosewood, in our opinion, is the premier hotel operating company in the world. They have terrific resorts all over the world, including in the US, and we felt that the level of service that they achieve at their hotels was consistent with where we wanted to take the Miramar,” Matt Middlebrook, EVP of development at Caruso Affiliated, tells GlobeSt.com. “They also have a number of beach resorts, which is obviously what this is, and having experience doing this type of hotel on the shore was something that was attractive to us.” Although Rosewood will be the official hotel operator, the Caruso brand, which is known for its success managing mixed-use properties, will still have significant involvement in the property. “Rick likes to have a say in how to manage his properties, and they were willing to work with us so that together we could ensure that this is one of the premier properties in California, if not the United States,” adds Middlebrook.

Set on 16 acres along the coast, the Rosewood Miramar Beach Montecito will have 122 guestrooms and 48 suites with single-story cottages and bungalows and 12,000 square feet of event space. The hotel amenities will include a bar and restaurant with an outdoor terrace, a signature restaurant, two swimming pools, a Sensespa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, beach club and screening room.

Although the luxury hospitality space took a hit during the recession, Middlebrook assures that it has rebounded and that demand is strong for a luxury accommodations in this market. “After a challenging period for luxury hotels, it has come back extraordinarily strong in California, and this particular market is very constrained in terms of the luxury hotel options,” he says. “We also believe that we have a very unique property in that you can walk from the beach onto the sand. This property has such easy access from Los Angeles, that it is a great opportunity for a weekend getaway.”