How We Restored And Operate A Landmark Hotel with Love – Tely Nagle, The Drake Oak Brook

In this episode, Tely Nagle, owner of The Drake Oak Brook, shares the inspiring story of purchasing and transforming a neglected historic Chicago area hotel into a Condé Nast award-winning property.

Listeners will learn:

• The history of The Drake Oak Brook and its connection to the famous Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago (01:09)
• The state of disrepair the hotel was in when Tely and her husband Jim purchased it in 2013 (04:01)
• The renovation process and Tely’s creative inspiration for restoring the hotel to its former glory while updating it with modern amenities (07:36)
• The importance of hiring a good management company to handle infrastructure and people while focusing on the guest experience and design (15:35)
• How Tely and Jim live on the property and are hands-on in every area of the business (16:42)
• The hotel’s partnership with Marriott International and becoming part of the Autograph Collection (19:34)
• Tely’s philosophy on delighting guests and creating a culture of love among team members (22:32)
• The opening of their new restaurant, COA, which pays homage to Tely’s Mexican heritage (28:50)

Mentions:

• Gino DiRenzo, who managed The Drake Oak Brook from its opening in 1961 (02:36)
• First Hospitality Group, the management company Tely hired to help run the hotel (14:50)
• Marriott International and the Autograph Collection (19:45)
• Coa, the hotel’s new restaurant focusing on tequilas, mezcals, and Spanish-Mexican fusion cuisine (28:50)

A few more resources:

If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve!

Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands