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Built Circa 1910, an Unprecedented $56 million dollar Renovation Captures the
Historic Ambiance of the San Diego Landmark The US GRANT Hotel
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SAN DIEGO, March 25, 2008 - THE US GRANT, a Luxury Collection Hotel, today announced that it has been awarded "Best Luxury Guestroom Design" at The HotelWorld Global Hospitality & Design Awards competition inLas Vegas. Located in the heart of downtown San Diego, the historically-chic US GRANT hotel reopened in October 2006 after a meticulous $56 million renovation. More than 3,000 hotels worldwide were considered for the prestigious design award at HotelWorld's international design competition that is sponsored by Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel Design, and Luxury Hotelier.

Owned by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay nation, THE US GRANT was one of three other illustrious nominees in the Best Guestroom Design category for the luxury segment, including: the Ritz Carlton Sharq Village & Spa,DohaQatar in the Persian Gulf; The Alexis Hotel in downtownSeattle and The Cove at Atlantis in theBahamas.

"We define The Luxury Collection by our guests and the experiences and services they demand and expect. Nothing less than an exceptional level of service, perfect location and indigenous personal offerings will do," said Ross Klein, President of Starwood's Luxury Brands Group. "We are honored to win this prestigious design award on the heels of a remarkable renovation of this majestic property. This honor is a tribute to our owners and the incredibly talented team of international designers who worked to re-imagine the property. THE US GRANT is a jewel in The Luxury Collection crown."

Unprecedented $56 Million Renovation

Commanding the heart of vibrant and dynamic downtown San Diego, THE US GRANT retains the region's legendary reign of superior luxury and warm hospitality. Built circa 1910, an unprecedented $56 million dollar renovation completed in 2006 has captured the historic ambiance of this landmark property to create a world-class urban sanctuary. The hotel's history and ownership's legacy will weave together with its acclaimed architecture and artistic design to create a timeless masterpiece.

Design Challenges: Retaining the historical ambiance and designations that placed the hotel on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 while creating a more timeless and contemporary hospitality environment that would move THE US GRANT to international recognition and acclaim as a luxury destination.

Design Resources: Volumes of historical information served as a foundation for weaving in 21st-century textiles, technology and design with turn-of-the-century character and nine decades of history. In addition, this project benefited from a massive renovation and retrofitting in the early 1980's that gave THE US GRANT a contemporary floor plan of uniform king- and double-bedded rooms along with a large volume of unique suite designs.

Design Intention: The ultimate goal was to make each guest's US GRANT stay truly one-of-a-kind by creating a significant guest room design with original art that could not be replicated in the industry and would incorporate the historic architecture of the 11-story Beaux Arts hotel.

Design Team: An international team of architects, artisans, designers, craftsmen and master builders was assembled to recreate the iconic hotel over a 21 month period.
 


Signature Suite

Headboard - King Bed

THE US GRANT guestrooms were envisioned around a theme of "Sleeping with Art" originally presented by French interior designer, Frederic Marq. Local resident Deniece Duscheone was instrumental as the lead renovation project architect and designer ensuring a timely and successful re-opening in October 2006.

The hotel's owners commissioned nine noted artists -- of European, American and Native American descent -- to create a vibrant collection of new paintings, sculptures, murals and ironwork for the hotel's public and private spaces that together create a subtle, yet moving, cultural experience for each visitor.

The headboards of nearly every guestroom are authentic drip paintings by noted French artist Yves Clement, each painted on property during the project. The commissioned black oil-on-canvas, avant-garde paintings are mounted on period piece architectural moldings to create framed headboards measuring 6 feet x 6 feet for king rooms and mounted as complimenting pairs for double double rooms. Clement's paintings, under the signature of Clement LeGrand, lend an unexpected touch of modern elan to THE US GRANT's historic guestrooms, making them at once a lovely melange of classic and modern tranquility.

Original works by Native American artist Gene Locklear decorate guestroom foyers and bathrooms. Locklear's previously commissioned art clients include The White House, The Pentagon, the National Football League, the PGA and the History Channel. Locklear was asked to create 300 different representations of Kumeyaay life from the 1700s to the 1900s in a modern abstract style for the hotel's guestrooms. These finished works are now some of the few known depictions of the history of California's Native Americans.

Accomplished mixed media artist andSan Diego native, Marie Najera, was commissioned to create 20 different pieces on wood and canvas for the hotel's Presidential Suites, Penthouse & Signature Suites. The goal was to create each guest accommodation as its own destination; in fact each suite was assigned its own shade of blue for wall coverings, carpets, etc. So Najera was asked to be sure that her individual pieces used the special blue of the suite where each would hang.

Luxurious features common to every room and suite include nine-foot ceilings, extensive crown molding, and hand-loomed wool carpets with artist-designed patterns intended to reflect a Persian area rug that compliment custom-designed Empire style furnishings including impressive marble credenzas with leather inlay doors. Luxury Collection pillow top beds with rich Italian linens and opulent duvet covers compliment plush black robes tucked into customized wardrobes. Marble bathrooms with basin sinks feature imported bath amenities and spacious showers, while modern technologies include 32" flat screen televisions and wireless internet.

The 11-story, 270-room hotel offers 47 stunning suites that range from 400 to 1,300 square feet among 5 different configurations. Having played host to 13 different U.S. Presidents since opening in 1910, THE US GRANT offers three Presidential-caliber suites that were designed to meet the Secret Service's current standards for hosting U.S. Presidents and international dignitary.

With the highest ratio of suites to guestrooms in San Diego, THE GRANT features two magnificent bi-level Presidential Suites that are mirror images with 20-foot ceilings, suede walls and grand staircases, a Penthouse Suite's pony-hair headboard and sweeping city views and the Signature suite series featuring expansive living rooms and 8-foot by 8-foot, six-head rain showers.

In December 2003, the legendary property was purchased by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, the Native American tribe who originally settled on the land that now includes downtownSan Diego where THE US GRANT resides. Sycuan's purchase of the hotel represents an ancestral tribute to its local legacy. It was President Ulysses S. Grant who passed an Executive Order in 1875 that set aside 640 acres of East County land for the Kumeyaay Tribes and granted them sovereignty. More than 100 years later, the gaming wealth garnered from that land has allowed the tribe to restore the historic hotel to its original splendor -- and beyond. Sycuan announced that in 2008 it will further enhance the property by adding a three-story spa with an indoor pool, as well as a signature art gallery.

Other accolades garnered by THE US GRANT over the past year include:

  • Robb Report's Winter 2007 issue named THE GRANT one of the "Top 100 Luxury Hotels in the World."
  • With its January 2008 selection as one of just 125 hotels in North America to receive the Mobil Travel Guide's prestigious Four Star Award, THE GRANT became downtown San Diego's only Four-Star, Four-Diamond hotel.
  • Conde Nast Traveler's Hotel Hot List in the May 2007 issue.
  • The hotel's signature Grant Grill Restaurant also received the AAA Four Diamond Award in 2008.
  • CNN Headline News "Top Hotel" in its "America's Best Beach Cities" spotlight on May 25, 2007.
  • SELF Magazine's "Best Spa for Lovers of Luxe" in the April 2007 issue.
  • The Los Angeles Times in March 2007 -- Four Star, "Excellent" Rating.
  • Lodging Hospitality's "Design of the Times" Award for US GRANT interior designer Deniece Duscheone.


The Luxury Collection
The Luxury Collection(R) is a selection of hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world's most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination's indigenous charms and treasures. Magnificent decor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest modern conveniences combine to provide a uniquely enriching experience. Today, The Luxury Collection is a glittering ensemble of more than 69 of the world's finest hotels and resorts in more than 26 countries in bustling cities and spectacular destinations around the world. The Luxury Collection includes award-winning hotels that continuously exceed guest expectations by offering unparalleled service, style and class in some of the most desired destinations in the world. Most recently, Mystique, a Luxury Collection Resort, was honored with the 2008 Travel + Leisure Design Award for Best Small Resort in the world. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as being among the world's finest. For more information, please visit http://www.luxurycollection.com.

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Contact:

THE US GRANT
http://www.luxurycollection.com

 

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Also See: THE US GRANT, a Luxury Collection Hotel in San Diego, Reopens Following 20-month, $52 million Renovation and Restoration / October 2006
After Years of Struggling in Downtown San Diego, the U.S. Grant Hotel Will Undertake a $10 million Renovation, Join Starwood's Luxury Collection / April 2004
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