Welcoming You to The Richland

NRecently unveiled in Old Towne Orange, The Richland Hotel is Orange County’s newest luxury boutique hotel and event space, bringing new life to the centuryold family residence and business adjacent to Chapman University at 137 East Maple Ave.

The Richland is truly a family affair with the focus on serving the local community. Indeed, the community has always been at the heart of this historic property, which for more than 85 years belonged to the Shannon family, owners of Shannon Family Mortuary, which has since relocated to East Chapman in Old Towne.

Seeing the potential for the site, while recognizing the inherent challenges, Tustin-based developer/investor Hicham Semaan, along with partners Patty Semaan and Dr. Steve Yu, purchased the property in 2019.

An integral member of the Old Towne community, Semaan has previously developed several historic properties, including new restaurants Snooze, Wazabi Sushi, The Taco Stand and Bluestone Lane Café.

Before acquiring the Shannon property, Semaan originally envisioned converting the property into an enclave of restaurants and housing. Feedback from community leaders, neighbors and city staff, however, led him to embrace the idea of opening a boutique hotel instead.

“Initially, we planned for the hotel to be a family business run by myself, my wife, Patty, and our children,” says Semaan, managing partner of H.S. Real Estate, LLC.

“After we acquired all the permits and approvals, we went through the design-review process and completed the construction

Written by Karen Anderson Photos by Kristin Smetona : www.smetonaphoto.com

plan. We then looked to partner on the kitchen and event space, and that’s when we found 24 Carrots and decided to turn the entire project over to 24 Carrots Catering & Events, including the day-to-day operations of the hotel.

“We were so impressed with 24 Carrots from the start and felt they would be the perfect fit for the community and a great fit for the finishing touches,” continues Semaan. “They pulled in a lot of resources from the local area, including suppliers, designers,