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for The Heldrich, a New $110 million Mixed Use Property in New Brunswick, New Jersey |
 The
Woodlands (Houston), Texas, March 20, 2006 - Benchmark Hospitality International
has announced the appointment of Michael J. Taylor, CHA, CMP, as general
manager for The Heldrich, a new $110 million mixed use property being constructed
in downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey. Ellen Sinclair, vice president,
made the announcement. Benchmark will manage the property, which
will include a 248-guestroom hotel, Christophers Restaurant & Bar,
a state-of-the-art conference center, ballroom and spa. The Heldrich
is scheduled to open in March of 2007.
"It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of Mike Taylor to the position of general manager for Benchmark at The Heldrich," stated Ms. Sinclair. "Mike is an exemplary professional who in his current position led the comprehensive repositioning of North Maple Inn in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, transforming it into a showcase for all aspects of hospitality and financial excellence." A 20-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Mike Taylor has been general manager of North Maple Inn since 2000. In this role he oversaw the property-wide operations and the financial performance of the award-winning, 171-guestroom property, and was instrumental in evolving its positioning from a corporate conference center into a Four Diamond hotel. During Taylor's tenure, the property won numerous service and industry awards year after year and for two consecutive years, North Maple Inn was named "One of the 50 Best Places to Work in New Jersey" by NJ BIZ, the statewide newspaper. Taylor also served as director of conference services for North Maple Inn, responsible for conference planning, floor operations, concierge services, audiovisual and information systems. Additionally, he served as corporate conference services staff support for Benchmark Hospitality International. In this capacity, he oversaw the conference service operations of 14 North American Benchmark properties. Prior to joining the Benchmark organization in 1996, Michael Taylor was director of convention services at the New York landmark hotel, The Waldorf=Astoria. During his six-year tenure at this property, a portion of his responsibilities included the coordination of visiting US and foreign dignitaries such as Presidents Clinton and Bush, Pope John Paul II, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and the Emperor of Japan. Previous to this, Mr. Taylor was employed by Marriott Hotels where he participated in the pre-opening and transition teams for properties in Anaheim, San Diego, and Palm Desert, California. Michael Taylor has lectured at the New York University (NYU) Center for Hospitality Tourism and Travel. He also served as NYU course instructor of Financial Management for Hospitality and Travel. Taylor graduated from Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri, with a Bachelor of Science degree. He earned a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Industry Studies from NYU. He resides with his family in Metuchen, New Jersey. About The Heldrich
The $110 million, mixed-use facility includes a hotel and conference center to be anchored by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, at Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. The Heldrich represents a unique partnership among the New Brunswick Development Corporation (Devco), Keating Partners, Rutgers, New Jersey Department of Labor, New Jersey Redevelopment Authority, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, New Jersey Casino Redevelopment Authority, the Middlesex County Improvement Authority and the City of New Brunswick. It is a major anchor to New Brunswick's downtown revitalization program. Upon completion, The Heldrich will feature 248 deluxe guestrooms, including 14 suites, a restaurant, bar, 25,000 square feet of special event and meeting facilities, including a ballroom, an amphitheater, boardroom, and 20 conference rooms accommodating from 10 - 600 guests. The mixed-use property will also feature 48 luxury condominiums, along with academic and retail space. The Heldrich's Pre-opening Offices are situated on the 4th Floor of the Crossroads Theater at 7 Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, directly across the street from the new hotel. For more information on The Heldrich, call 732-729-4670 or visit www.theheldrich.com. Benchmark Hospitality International, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, operates resorts, conference centers and hotels both domestically and internationally. For locations of Benchmark Hospitality properties and for additional information, visit Benchmark's Website at www.benchmarkhospitality.com. |
| Contact:
Benchmark Hospitality International
Ken Ellens
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The
Heldrich is located in the heart of New Jersey in New Brunswick.
The property is situated at 10 Livingston Avenue, just west of the important
US Route 1 business corridor stretching from Princeton to New Brunswick
and near the Northeast Corridor train service (Boston-New York-Washington,
DC) and Exit 9 of the NJ Turnpike. It is 30 minutes outside New York
City and has rail service to Newark Liberty International Airport.