Jeff McIntrye, Gemstone Resorts� principal said the Hotel ZaZa has taken Dallas and business and leisure travelers by storm.  �We�ve exceeded our aggressive demand expectations, and our restaurant has had lines of patrons virtually every night since we opened the hotel less than a month ago.  The response has been overwhelming,� McIntyre said.
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Bohemian Suite Hotel ZaZa

�We knew opening a hotel would be challenging in a very tough Dallas market, where city-wide occupancy has not rebounded to pre-2001 levels,� said Mark van Hartesvelt, Gemstone Resorts� principal.  �However, our owner, Charles Givens, has a unique vision to create a new standard in the hotel experience, and the public has embraced it enthusiastically.�

Working with Givens, Gemstone, which specializes in managing and asset managing complex and unique assets, selected celebrity chef Stephan Pyles to create a memorable culinary experience.  The result is Dragonfly, a 144-seat restaurant situated off the hotel lobby and pool, and underneath a tent-like canopy.  The restaurant features a wine room, bar and terraced seating. 

�The ZaZa is the next generation of uniquely designed hotels,� said van Hartesvelt, Gemstone principal.  �It is much more than a trendy boutique or �hip� hotel.  We prefer the phrase �lifestyle hotel� that signifies something more than just a flash-in-the-pan.  We are supporting the design with a higher level of personalized service not generally associated with this type of property.  Our goal is for our guests to never want to leave the hotel.  We are breaking the mold for management just as the owner has done in the design.� 

Headquartered in Park City, Utah, Gemstone is a full-service operating and asset 
management company that specializes in luxury and upscale hotels and complex resorts that include a variety of components, such as hotels, restaurants, retail, and resort amenities, including beach, golf or skiing, time-share and other hospitality-related activities. The company is engaged in resort and unique hotel marketing and management, asset management and consulting for such well-regarded hotel real estate investors as the Arden Group, Olympus Real Estate Partners, Citigroup and others.  Gemstone currently manages or asset manages 15 projects in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Washington.