The Next Chapter

December 13, 2024

After 10 remarkable years together, and with a heavy heart, Jon and I have made the difficult decision for my departure from BLVD Hospitality. I remember our start vividly. Jon had just brought back to life the incredible United Artist Building and Theatre as the world renowned Ace Hotel DTLA. I was a young, aspiring entrepreneur in my early 20s balancing classes at Loyola Marymount University with professional exploration. I was in love with downtown LA - its architecture, history, culture, and perhaps most importantly, its momentum and potential. Jon was the embodiment of that. He had an extraordinary ability to envision the future of a neighborhood, and fortunately he saw a similar instinct in me. I learned about land-use, city planning, design and architecture, capital raising, finance, hospitality, and perhaps most importantly, that dash of magic that sits on top of what they teach you in school - the magic that transforms a building or hotel into something truly extraordinary.

Over the subsequent decade, we developed some of the most transformative hospitality properties in Los Angeles — Soho Warehouse, The Hoxton, NeueHouse Venice, LA’s first modular construction high-rise for CitizenM, and most recently The Georgian in Santa Monica. We built a team of some of the most talented and equally inspired people I’ve ever met  who stood by our side as we pushed to make the impossible possible day in and day out. Success requires hard work, drive, and passion, but I agree with those that say it also requires a great deal of luck. I have been one of the luckiest people to be apart of BLVD these past 10 years and to learn so much from Jon Blanchard and everyone else whom I’ve had the honor of working with.

I am especially proud of what we’ve created at The Georgian. The ups and downs associated with acquiring, designing, restoring, and running a hotel like that pushed me to the deepest parts of my personal and professional potential, and I could not be more proud of the hotel that it is today. I have such a deep appreciation and respect for every person that’s been apart of that journey. I will be maintaining my ownership and creative involvement in The Georgian, and I remain extremely excited about the future of a hotel that holds such a special place in my heart.

Recently, I realized that my next chapter calls for a deeper exploration of my independence to fully realize my own potential as an entrepreneur, a leader, and creator. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned at BLVD and forge new paths, exploring my own creative vision and the impact I want to have in this industry and in this world. While I look forward to more time with my amazing wife and our beautiful new baby boy, I will also be working out of a new office in downtown Los Angeles—working on my next chapter of meaningful growth and creation.

I am deeply grateful to Jon and the BLVD family for this past decade. While this chapter closes, my commitment to creating remarkable spaces and businesses that inspire and uplift is stronger than ever. There is much more to come—I still intend on changing the world.

With my deepest sincerity,

Nico Rusconi

For any new business opportunities or general correspondence, I can now be reached at nico@casarusca.com