SAN FRANCISCO (January 11, 2009) � Parc 55 Managing Director Rob Gauthier has announced that Matthew Martinucci will be the new director of sales and marketing at the recently-renovated luxury hotel located in the heart of San Francisco�s Union Square District.  Martinucci has spent the last ten years of his nearly 15-year career in the hotel industry, successfully directing the sales and marketing efforts for some of the top collections and hotel brands in the world including Destination Hotels and Resorts and The Ritz-Carlton.  He most recently served as the regional director of sales and marketing at The Vail Cascade Resort and Spa, a Destination property in Colorado.
 
�We are pleased to have Mr. Martinucci join the Parc 55 team,� said Gauthier.  �He has an impeccable track record, marked by exceeding goals and growing revenue at the many properties he�s worked.  Parc 55 is fresh from a $30 million renovation and I am confident Mr. Martinucci will help us continue creating an exceptional experience for each and every guest.�
 
Martinucci�s Parc 55 appointment marks his return to San Francisco after four years with the Destination Hotels and Resorts collection.  Prior to accepting the post at The Vail Cascade Resort and Spa in 2006, Martinucci worked with The Argent Hotel (now the Westin San Francisco, Market Street)  in the days before it was put up for sale, successfully handling the transition period.  He spent the previous two and a half years as The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco�s director of sales and marketing (2003 � 2005).  He also worked for The Ritz-Carlton properties in Arlington, VA and McLean, VA from 1999 to 2002, as well as for Hilton Hotels and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts during the early part of his hospitality career.
 
Martinucci will be responsible for managing all local, regional and national sales and marketing for Parc 55, which is fresh from a $30-million, top-to-bottom renovation.  Martinucci holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.  He speaks and writes Italian fluently.  
 
Parc 55 Hotel is located in the heart of San Francisco�s Union Square District, just steps away from the city�s finest shopping, dining, attractions and entertainment.  The newly-renovated, 32-story hotel has just over 1000 guest rooms and 15 suites, 30,000 square feet of premium meeting space, a Club Lounge and a Fitness Center.  cityhouse is the hotel�s stylish new eatery overlooking bustling Market Street.  Ideally suited for both business and leisure travelers, Parc 55 Hotel is located in the heart of San Francisco�s shopping, dining and theater nexus, a short stroll from Union Square, and with easy access to the Financial District and Moscone Center, the city�s primary convention venue.  More information about Parc 55 is available at www.parc55hotel.com or (800) 595-0507.
 
Parc 55 Hotel San Francisco is owned and operated by Highgate Holdings in partnership with affiliates of Rockpoint Group, L.L.C.
 
About Highgate Holdings
Highgate Holdings is a privately held investment firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with offices in New York City and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
 
About Rockpoint Group, L.L.C.
Rockpoint Group, L.L.C. is a global real estate investment management firm with offices located in the United States, Europe and Japan.  Rockpoint targets a broad range of real estate-related investments across all asset classes and geographic regions with particular focus on value creation and distressed/restructuring opportunities.  The firm invests particularly on behalf of public and private pension funds, endowments and financial institutions.  Since 2003, Rockpoint has sponsored four opportunistic funds and one lower-risk, lower-return structured finance fund that represents approximately $17 billion of assets under management.