�I�m excited about this opportunity to open our first restaurant in Arizona and to collaborate with the exceptional team at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess and Strategic Hotels & Resorts,� said Mina.  �I, along with my entire staff, look forward to sharing my culinary passions with the guests of the Fairmont, and locals and tourists alike in the Scottsdale-Phoenix area.  This great southwestern state will be an ideal setting to offer my interpretations of traditional steakhouse favorites.�

Opening in February 2008, the 11,000 square foot restaurant with seating to accommodate up to 281 guests will be crafted by the hot New York-based high-style environment and restaurant designer AvroKO, the only design firm in the history of the James Beard Foundation to win two of their coveted design awards in one year.  Some of their latest restaurant designs include PUBLIC, Park Avenue, Quality Meats and The Stanton Social.

Hotel visionary Laurence Geller, president and CEO of Strategic Hotels, owner of the Fairmont Scottsdale, has a fabulous future mapped out for the resort.  The investment of $6.9 million into the development of Mina�s BOURBON STEAK is the first of several enhancements to this grand dame of Scottsdale resorts.

�We are thrilled to continue our long, award-winning culinary tradition with the addition of Michael Mina�s BOURBON STEAK,� notes Geller.  �We know our guests will enjoy the unique opportunity to experience a new, contemporary and sophisticated dining experience that this renowned chef and restaurateur brings to the resort.�

BOURBON STEAK, open nightly for dinner, will deliver a contemporary American steakhouse and feature modern fare with a focus on the finest cuts of beef, poultry, and fish, slow-poached in butter, grilled and finished over seasoned wood-fueled flames.  As with Mina�s other restaurants, BOURBON STEAK uses only the highest quality ingredients � corn-fed, all-natural meat, line-caught seafood and fresh, seasonal produce. 

�Growing up in Washington State and working at several meat-packing operations, I was exposed to beef at a much younger age than seafood,� Chef Mina added.  �My signature slow-poaching style of cooking enhances the flavor and tenderness by heating the meat for several hours at a low temperature, while the mesquite-stoked grills infuse every cut with a subtle smokiness.

Mina will offer Certified All-natural Angus Beef, American and Japanese Kobe beef in prime cuts including rib-eye, filet mignon, and flat iron steak, served with classic American side dishes, from Blue-Cheese Scalloped Potatoes, Duck Fat Fries and Spinach Soufflé.  Customers will also have a choice of prime ribs, olive-oil poached Colorado Lamb and Barbecue Kurobuta Pork Braised with Bacon.  Updated modern classics will be prominently featured on the menu, featuring Mina�s special Whole-Fried Organic Chicken with Truffled Mac & Cheese, and the American Kobe burger.  While beef will rein king at this steakhouse, some of Mina�s famous seafood dishes will include signature starters such as a trio of Tuna Tartare Poppers and Crab Louie Lettuce Cups, while entrees will range from Lobster Pot Pie, King Salmon and Bacon-Wrapped Chilean Sea Bass.

The restaurant will offer an impressive list of wine offerings under the leadership of Mina�s Wine Director Rajat Parr, and a classic menu of handcrafted cocktails will pay homage to the classics, while highlighting a roster of fresh ingredients, such as the Modern Ward with Pomegranate Molasses and Orange bitters, and more.

The design of BOURBON STEAK will be a physical homage to both the Southwest region, and the spectacular architecture that was inspired by the desert during the arts and crafts movement.  In creating this modern steakhouse, indigenous materials including wood and various stones, hand crafted details, and a holistic approach to building forms will all combine in sweeping architecture moments.   BOURBON STEAK, with its sensual, warm nightlife appeal, will tie together the purity of the desert, the craft and the steakhouse tradition. Some of the key materials used from the region will include pine, cedar, redwood, and juniper woods from the mountains and table lands of northern and eastern Arizona.  Stones used will feature flagstone, specifically Hualapai Chocolate flagstone indigenous to Northern Arizona, Arizona Moss rock, and Chrysocolla, a unique copper-bearing ore stone native to Arizona.

The new BOURBON STEAK restaurant will be the third new dining creation that Mina will open, with other locations in Detroit opening in October and Miami by winter 2007.  For more information, visit the website at www.michaelmina.net.

ABOUT THE MINA GROUP
Mina Group Inc. is a San Francisco-based restaurant management company specializing in operating high-end, innovative restaurant concepts.  The founder and CEO of the Company, internationally acclaimed chef Michael Mina, is a two-time James Beard award winner, was named Bon Appetit Chef of the Year 2005, and Restaurateur of the Year 2005 by the International Food and Beverage Forum.  He created the company in 2002 with partner Andre Agassi.  Mina continues to dazzle the culinary world with his bold dining concepts and has opened five concept restaurants: MICHAEL MINA in San Francisco, ARCADIA in San Jose, Calif., STONEHILL TAVERN in Dana Point, Calif., SEABLUE on the Strip at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and in Atlantic City, STRIPSTEAK at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and SALTWATER at MGM Grand Detroit.  Mina also remains managing chef of MICHAEL MINA Bellagio (formerly Aqua Bellagio) and NOBHILL at MGM Grand, both in Las Vegas.  His newest dining creation, BOURBON STEAK, will open at three locations around the U.S, including Detroit (October 2007), Miami (December 2007), and Scottsdale, Ariz. in February 2008.  Visit the website at www.michaelmina.net

ABOUT THE FAIRMONT SCOTTSDALE:
Set against the backdrop of Arizona�s McDowell Mountains, AAA Five-Diamond Fairmont Scottsdale reflects its Southwestern setting with Spanish colonial-style architecture, expansive plazas and lush, flower-filled gardens. The resort features 651 oversized guest rooms with a private terrace or balcony, five heated swimming pools, the luxurious 44,000 square-foot Willow Stream � The Spa at Fairmont and championship golf at the adjacent Tournament Players Club of Scottsdale Stadium and Champions courses. Dining options include the AAA Four-Diamond gourmet Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda, and The Grill, overlooking the 18th green at the TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course. For information or reservations, please call 1-800-344-4758 or visit www.fairmont.com/scottsdale.

ABOUT STRATEGIC HOTELS & RESORTS:
Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: BEE) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) which owns and provides value-enhancing asset management of high-end hotels and resorts in North America, Mexico and Europe. The company currently has ownership interests in 21 properties with an aggregate of 10,164 rooms. For a list of current properties and for further information, please visit the company�s website at www.strategichotels.com.