 Chicago,
IL July 21, 2008---Sage Hospitality, the Denver, Colorado based hospitality
company, has selected Shakir Hussain, a prominent industry veteran whose
distinguished career includes executive team building and leadership posts
at luxury five -star hotels and resorts in the U.S. and abroad, to lead
Chicago�s legendary The Blackstone in its post-opening phase. The Blackstone,
a national landmark that provided regal lodgings for many of the 20th century�s
most famous figures--from a dozen U.S. presidents to Hollywood stars -officially
opened on April 30, 2008 after lying dormant since 1999. Sage spearheaded
the $128 million showcase renovation of the historic Blackstone, sensitively
preserving its architectural legacy while transforming it into a world-class,
332-room luxury hotel.
Walter Isenberg, president and chief executive of Sage, described Mr.
Hussain as uniquely qualified to position The Blackstone as an international
destination and a benchmark of excellence in luxury, style and service.
�Mr. Hussain brings impeccable executive management credentials in the
hospitality industry to The Blackstone and a profound understanding about
the expectations of the world�s most sophisticated travelers,� said Mr.
Isenberg. �Mr. Hussain�s demonstrated success in collaborative team building
will enable us to nurture a culture and brand that graciously delivers
an inspired and iconic �Blackstone� experience to our guests.�
Mr. Hussain launched his hospitality career training with The Oberoi
Group, headquartered in New Delhi, India, that owns and manages world-class
hotels in seven countries. From 1992 until 1997, Mr. Hussain served as
assistant general manager of the Art Deco RIGHA Royal Hotel providing leadership
to establish the property as one of the most financially successful hotels
in New York City.
Other career highlights include introducing �mini bars� at the Waldorf-Astoria,
executive positions at the famed Colonial Williamsburg Hotels and Royal
Caribbean International where one of Mr. Hussain�s responsibilities was
to establish an exclusive level of service and to maximize the revenue
stream for �Explorer of the Seas�, the world�s largest cruise ship. Most
recently, Mr. Hussain was the vice president of operations for Heritage
Hotels in Arizona. Mr. Hussain is a graduate of the Cornell University
School of Hotel Administration.
About The Blackstone
Located in the heart of Chicago�s arts and theater district and adjacent
to the world class Millennium Park, The Blackstone, offers 332 stylish
guest rooms and suites (among them the fabled Presidential Suite and the
Smoke-filled Room), 19,670 square feet of meeting space, (including the
lavishly restored Crystal Ballroom), a health club, and a business center.
The Blackstone�s ambiance is a dynamic mix of historic architecture and
savvy design combined with luxury amenities and thoughtful guest services.
As a Chicago touchstone and celebration of the arts, Sage commissioned
a curator to assemble an innovative collection of over 1600 works of original
art by contemporary Chicago artists that is on display in guestrooms and
in public spaces throughout the hotel. For The Blackstone For more
information and reservations, please call The Blackstone at 312/447-0955
or visit The Blackstone web
site.
Blackstone History
Designed by the architectural firm Marshall & Fox, the Beaux-Arts
Blackstone is considered Chicago�s finest example of a turn-of-the-century
luxury hotel. The Blackstone opened April 16, 1910, with a gala supper
party honoring opera legend, Enrico Caruso, That elegant debut in the Edwardian
age of high silk hats and full evening dresses set an singular tone and
an international mystique for The Blackstone which was to stage scores
of glamorous parties and numerous significant political and cultural events
until its demise. The Blackstone played host to a dozen U.S. Presidents
(including Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman and John Kennedy)
royalty, numerous celebrities including Rudolph Valentino, Joan Crawford,
Lena Horne, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Betty Davis, Truman Capote,
Tennessee Williams, and Carl Sandburg who celebrated his 75th birthday
there. It was also a favored playground for America�s industrial scions
as well�the Rockefellers, Astors, Morgans, Vanderbilts and Whitneys.
About Sage Hospitality
Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality has strategically grown into the
largest privately held hotel management and development company in the
nation and is recognized as a leading innovator in the field. During the
past eight years, the Denver-based firm has completed more than $600 million
in acquisition and development projects, using some of the most unique
financing structures in the industry. Sage Hospitality's comprehensive
management portfolio includes major international brands as well as independent
boutiques and hotels. In 1997, Sage y pioneered the company's urban redevelopment
initiative converting the blighted Joplin�s department store in downtown
Denver into a showplace Courtyard by Marriott. Since then, Sage has preserved
and transformed five additional, underutilized national landmark buildings
into award-winning hotel properties that serve as important catalysts for
downtown revitalization. For more information, please visit www.sagehospitality.com |
