New SLS Hotel Could Bring Jose Andres to Philly

Yesterday, the Inquirer ran a piece containing tons of new details on the new Dranoff Properties project at Broad and Spruce, a "mixed-use luxury boutique hotel" to be called the SLS International. Our sister site, Curbed Philly, has a good rundown, but if nothing else, know that the tower is expected to incorporate condos, shops, and "an array of sbe's [parent company of SLS] food and beverage concepts."

That last bit is of the most interest to Eater, of course, especially given the fact that Jose Andres is a partner in the SLS chain of hotels. Andres, frequently said to be the man who brought tapas (and all the variations on small-plate dining that followed) to the States, is the chef behind Bazaar, which has locations at SLS hotels in both Miami and Beverly Hills. He also has Bar Centro, a cocktail bar contained within Bazaar.

To be clear, Andres coming along with the SLS package is in no way a sure thing, but there have been enough rumors about Andres expanding to Philly over the years to get our hopes up. Either way, expect something splashy: SBE and the SLS brand are not exactly known for their restraint or stinginess. Their other restaurant concepts include Katsuya, a supersleek sushi bar designed by Phillipe Starck, and the opulent Restaurant Michael Schwartz.

UPDATE: A rep from Andres' Think Food Group responded to our requests for more info with confirmation that Andres will be "involved" in the SLS International as the group's Culinary Director, but added that they "have no story to share yet." The building wont be complete until 2016, so it'll probably be a bit of a wait for anything certain.

· 47-Story Hotel/Condo Building Set for South Broad [Inquirer]
· It's Official: Dranoff Talks About His 562-ft. Hotel/Condo Tower [Curbed Philly]
· All Jose Andres Coverage [-EPHI-]