FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2007

HOTEL UPDATE

New construction, renovations and high-profile ownership changes are currently underway at hotels throughout the nation's capital. Here's a round up of some of the most talked-about deals and openings in town.

• Hilton Washington: Basketball legend-turned-urban entrepreneur Earvin "Magic" Johnson is behind one of the biggest DC hotel renovation efforts to take place in years. The Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund (CJUF) and Lowe Enterprises Investors have purchased the iconic Hilton Washington hotel from Hilton Hotels Corporation for $290 million. The new ownership team will invest in excess of $100 million in a top-to-bottom renovation of the legendary hotel, including updated guest rooms, 110,000 square feet of reconfigured meeting and event space, the addition of a new coffee bar and extensive modifications to the gym and pool areas, including the addition of a spa.
  
• St. Regis Washington, D.C.: Built in 1926, this grand hotel is preparing to show off the results of a renovation that's more than a year in the making. Staying true to its Italian-influenced design, designers have preserved the original, hand-painted ceilings in the lobby and ballroom, but they are also incorporating new technology to meet the needs of business travelers. New features of the property will include wireless Internet, Pratesi linens, 32" Plasma televisions, DVD players and personal fax machines. Blending old-fashioned butler service with new technology, the hotel will equip all St. Regis butlers with wireless handheld devices so that they can be easily accessible personal assistants for guests at any time. The hotel is expected to reopen this winter.
  
• Hotel Ralph Pucci: In spring 2008, DC's fashionable Georgetown neighborhood will become home to a glamorous new hotel concept. LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels is joining forces with a high-end furniture guru to open the Hotel Ralph Pucci in the former home of The Georgetown Inn on Wisconsin Avenue. Each of the 96-room hotel's five floors will bear the signature minimalist looks of one of Ralph Pucci's colleagues and contemporaries: Robert Bristow, Patrick Naggar, Jens Risom, Christophe Delcourt and Paul Mathieu. The hotel's lobby will host changing art exhibitions that complement its unique space. Artwork adorning the floors and walls will also come from top national and international talents.
  
• The Jefferson Hotel: Another historic gem, The Jefferson is also in the midst of a full-scale restoration. The hotel is expected to reopen in late 2008 with completely refurbished guestrooms, a new restaurant and new event and public spaces.
  
• Hotel Washington: Locals and visitors flock to the rooftop terrace of the Hotel Washington for al fresco dining and one of the best views of the iconic landmarks. Now under new ownership, the hotel is expected to close in January 2008 for a major 12-18 month renovation.
  
• The Watergate Hotel: Few hotels conjure up as many historical associations as The Watergate. The DC landmark closed this summer to launch a major renovation and expects to reopen in 2009.
  
• Marriott Marquis: Much to the delight of meeting planners and convention industry officials, the DC government, the Washington Convention Center Authority and Marriott International reached a new agreement to build a new 1,150-room convention center headquarters hotel at 9th and L Streets, NW, just west of the center. The hotel is projected to open in late 2011.

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About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com.