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the 144-room Churchill Hotel in Washington, D.C., The Former Sofitel Hotel Renamed The Churchill Hotel |
WASHINGTON - May 3, 2001--MeriStar Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: MMH
- news), the nation�s largest independent management company, today announced
that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Whitewood, LLC, a Charleston,
South Carolina-based hotel development group, to manage a 144-room boutique
hotel in Washington, D.C. Whitewood acquired the former Sofitel Hotel and
will begin a comprehensive $5.0 million renovation this summer. Whitewood
has renamed the boutique property The Churchill Hotel.
�We also manage The Westin Francis Marion in Charleston and The Westin
Poinsett in Greenville, South Carolina for affiliates of Whitewood, and
we look forward to expanding our relationship with them,� said Paul Whetsell,
chairman and chief executive officer. �The Churchill Hotel is a landmark
Washington property that broadens our presence in the growing boutique
segment. Together with our other six hotels in Washington and seven properties
in Maryland and
P. Steven Dopp, managing partner of Whitewood, LLC, stated, �The Churchill is a unique historic property in a great location in one of the country�s best hotel markets. We plan to carefully renovate The Churchill to reposition it for the long term as a classic and comfortable European-style, four-star hotel. We are delighted to be working once again with MeriStar to provide great service to our guests and excellent returns to our partners.� Located at 1914 Connecticut Ave., NW, above Dupont Circle and originally constructed in 1906 as the Highland Apartments, The Churchill is a historic nine-story property with oversized guestrooms and suites, 1,800 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center, and a restaurant and lounge. Whitewood plans to invest approximately $5 million on a comprehensive renovation of the hotel, with a particular focus on updating the guestrooms and baths, public areas, including the lobby and meeting rooms, and developing a new upscale restaurant and bar. �Washington�s hotel business remains fairly robust,� Whetsell added. �Once renovated, The Churchill will be unique in the downtown D.C. market, with its historic architecture, modern oversized guestrooms and suites, elegant public areas and excellent location.� MeriStar Hotels & Resorts operates 269 hospitality properties with more than 55,000 rooms in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, including 54 properties managed by Flagstone Hospitality Management, a subsidiary of MeriStar Hotels & Resorts. Through its Doral Golf division, MeriStar manages 12 golf courses. BridgeStreet Corporate Housing Worldwide, a MeriStar subsidiary, is
one of the world�s largest corporate housing providers, offering
This press release contains forward-looking statements about MeriStar Hotels & Resorts, Inc., including those statements regarding future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others.
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MeriStar Hotels & Resorts Bruce Riggins Director of Finance (202) 295-2276 www.meristar.com |