For the last year and a half, the property has been preparing for its $20 million restoration which commenced last week and includes returning all public space to its original 1925 grandeur, the complete reconstruction of all 200 guest rooms and the addition of three floors on the hotel�s back wing. 

MeriStar Hotels Resorts will manage the property and Westin will provide sales, marketing and reservations support through a 10-year license agreement with GLC, L.P., a local limited partnership led by P. Steven Dopp and Gregory R. Lenox. 

�We are honored to be affiliated with such a grand hotel,� remarked Diana Oreck, senior vice president, franchise services for Starwood Hotels Resorts (Westin�s parent company). She continued, �The Poinsett Hotel has long been recognized as a symbol of Greenville�s grace and culture and after its restoration will once again take its place as one of the finest hotels in the Carolinas.�

The 12-story hotel, designed by renowned architect W. L. Stoddard, originally opened as the Poinsett Hotel in 1925 and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will become a member of the Historic Hotels of America. When the hotel opens, it will join Westin�s notable collection of nearly 20 historic hotels around the world including the Essex House, A Westin Hotel in New York City (1931), The Westin St.  Francis in San Francisco (1904), The Trianon Palace in Versailles, France (1910), The Westin Fairfax in Washington, D.C. (1924) and The Westin Poinsett�s sister property The Westin Francis Marion in Charleston, S.C. which celebrated its 75th anniversary earlier this year.

Located on Main and Court Streets in downtown Greenville, S.C., the hotel will provide easy access to the Peace Center for the Performing Arts and will be connected to the new Poinsett Plaza Office Tower, which includes office and retail space.

Hotel to Offer Unrivaled Services and Amenities

Each of the 200 guest rooms, including 18 suites, will offer a large work area with two-line telephone with dataport, voice messaging, refreshment center, cable television, in-room movies, mini-safe, coffee maker featuring Starbucks coffee, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. Additionally, Westin�s newest innovation, the Heavenly Bedsm, will be featured in all rooms, providing an oasis for weary travelers. A drastic departure from typical hotel beds, the Heavenly Bed includes a custom designed Simmons Beautyrest® pillow-top mattress set; a cozy down blanket; three crisp sheets ranging in thread count from 180 to 250; a comforter with a white duvet; and five of the best pillows in the business.

Westin�s Guest Office® accommodations designed specifically for the needs of the business traveler will also be available when the hotel opens. These rooms double as offices and provide an in-room multifunction laser printer/fax/copier, Macintosh and IBM-compatible computer printer cables and surge protector, dual line speakerphone with dataport, large work desk and ergonomically correct desk chair for only an additional $20 per night. Also standard in Westin�s Guest Office rooms are free local, 800 number and credit card calls, as well as no surcharges for incoming or outgoing faxes (not including applicable long distance charges).  For group functions, the hotel will include more than 10,000 square feet of restored meeting space including two historic ballrooms. The hotel will also feature an upscale three-meal-a-day restaurant, gourmet coffee outlet serving light meals, day spa and fitness center, full-service business center, valet parking, 24-hour room service and an on-site florist, newsstand and gift shop.