Morgans Hotel Group Reinforces Commitment to
Innovation
through Edgy Design and Nightlife Partnerships
NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2006 - Morgans Hotel Group announces a host of new
nightlife and design partnerships, reinforcing their commitment to innovation
through cutting edge design and cutting edge service. The Company will
re-kindle its longtime romance with the internationally celebrated interior
designer Andree Putman and embark on new projects with highly praised design
talents India Mahdavi, Benjamin Noriega Ortiz and designer Tim Andreas.
Morgans Hotel Group will also partner with nightlife cognoscente Amy Sacco,
and nightlife and entertainment authority Ben Pundole.
These exciting design changes are under the direction of MHG's newly
named Vice President of Design, Mari Balestrazzi. Balestrazzi was Studio
Director for Aero Studios Limited, where she oversaw new construction and
renovation of both private residences and commercial projects, including:
60 Thompson Hotel and Giorgio Armani's private residence in New York. Balestrazzi
was also the Director of Design for the St. Regis brand for three years.
"We are tremendously excited to be working with such an esteemed group
of tastemakers," remarks Morgans Hotel Group's Chief Branding Officer,
Tim Miller. "These new partnerships are truly benchmarks in style and substance
for Morgans Hotel Group, continuing our tradition of era-defining endeavors
that have consistently set the standard for the industry itself. We are
redefining a modern classic, by reinvigorating our brands. Our guests expect
us to be the leader in innovation, design and service. These partnerships
reflect our continued commitment to fulfilling their expectations."
Andree Putman is revered worldwide for her innovative, elegant and
daring interior designs. Commonly referred to as the 'CoCo Chanel' of interior
design, Putman has received countless honors including the European Grand
Prix for Interior Architecture, Gala Spa Award, Modernism Design Award
for Lifetime Achievement, and Stars of Design Award for Lifetime Achievement
in Interior Design. Later this year, Putman will rekindle her highly successful
relationship with Morgans Hotel Group as she prepares to update and reinterpret
the iconic Morgans Hotel in New York City.
Adding Scottsdale to its roster of great locations, Morgans Hotel Group
is preparing to play a major role in the cultural renaissance of the region
with the launch of Mondrian in early 2007. The Company and interior designer
Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz have conceived an unexpected and thoughtful new
interpretation of the desert oasis, which will soon be unveiled under the
group's signature, Mondrian name. House & Garden has named Noriega-Ortiz
one of America's most brilliant interior designers for the past ten years.
Noriega-Ortiz's vision, which evokes glamour and sophistication with an
element of fantasy, has quickly identified him internationally as one of
the most stylish and influential innovators in the field of design.
MHG and designer Tim Andreas will unveil the newly renovated Delano
guestrooms in December of this year. Andreas has a long history of collaboration
with Morgans Hotel Group with his past design work on Morgans Bar and Skybar
at The Shore Club. Andreas will combine luxury materials and classic inspiration
to enhance this modern, yet timeless, iconic resort.
Later this year, Morgans Hotel Group will commence a partnership with
Amy Sacco to launch Bungalow 8 at St Martins Lane in London. This collaboration
will undoubtedly reaffirm both parties' reputations as innovators in the
world of hospitality. Highly respected for her foresight and savvy, Sacco
has continually been the defining force behind New York's unparalleled
nightlife scene for nearly ten years.
Bungalow 8 London will reunite the highly successful team of Sacco
and Ben Pundole, who is now Morgans Hotel Group's Director of Nightlife
and Entertainment. Pundole has effortlessly combined trend-inspiring cocktails,
top DJs, and thoughtful interpretations of nightlife to create the ambiance
at some of the hottest nightspots including New York's renowned Hudson
Bar and Library Bar at Hudson, Redwood Room at Clift in San Francisco,
and the famed Skybar at Miami's Shore Club.
MHG has also enlisted the visionary interior designer, India Mahdavi,
to design the highly anticipated new restaurant at Sanderson and Bungalow
8 at St Martins Lane. Mahdavi's imaginative design concepts have already
received worldwide acclaim including the 2004's Creator of the Year Award
by the prestigious Salon Maison & Object.
About Morgans Hotel Group
Morgans Hotel Group Co. (Nasdaq: MHGC), which is widely credited with
establishing and developing the rapidly expanding boutique hotel sector,
owns and operates Morgans, Royalton and Hudson in New York, Delano and
The Shore Club in Miami, Mondrian in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Clift
in San Francisco, and Sanderson and St. Martins Lane in London. MHG has
other property transactions in various stages of completion including projects
in Miami Beach, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada, and continues to vigorously
pursue its strategy of developing unique properties at various price points
in international gateway cities in the United States, Europe, South America,
Asia and around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.morganshotelgroup.com.
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