NEW YORK, May 21, 2012 -- Come September 2012, the United Nations will have a new fashionable neighbor that will be a fitting complement to its illustrious namesake. The two iconic glass skyscrapers of Millennium UN Plaza Hotel will be transformed following an ambitious top-to-bottom interior renovation. The first $30-million phase will debut a luxury West Tower in September 2012. Catering to discerning business and leisure travelers as well as the diplomatic community, Millennium UN Plaza Hotel will once again take its place on the international stage as the "hotel to the world."

Since opening its doors in 1976, Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, at East 44th Street between First and Second Avenues, has been known for many things. It is the first choice for dignitaries and heads of state visiting the United Nations. Designed by visionary architect Kevin Roche, the building's stunning gaze-all-day panoramic skyline views over the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, East River, and five bridges are considered amongst the finest in Manhattan. And it boasts such extraordinary facilities as a swimming pool on the 27th floor and the only indoor tennis court in any New York City hotel.

The hotel will become the benchmark for future luxury properties worldwide. "Millennium UN Plaza Hotel is a distinctive landmark located in the city of New York, which is home to the United Nations Headquarters," says Kwek Leng Beng, Chairman of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (LSE: MLC). "Our Hotel overlooks the East River and the UN Building that has been the famous signature for the global community's pursuit of world peace in diversity. The staff of M&C Hotels around the world reflect some of this exciting human diversity. The upgrade of Millennium UN Plaza from the ground up is more than just a physical exercise for us. This will be a transformation that is part of a continuous global process to enhance our hotels internationally to meet the new expectations of our guests."

The West Tower renovation has already begun and when it reopens in the fall, the Tower's 154 fully-renovated, beautifully spacious rooms and suites, and an exclusive Skyline Club on the 30th floor will showcase a signature design scheme by renowned French interior designer Didier Gomez. Featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and elegant, warm interiors, guest accommodations will combine understated luxury with modern features and amenities to ensure a seamless work environment with all the comforts of home, against a spectacular New York City backdrop.

Guests of the West Tower will appreciate the quiet sophistication of the Skyline Club, complemented by panoramic views of Manhattan and the East River. This private retreat will offer exclusive check-in, personalized concierge services, breakfast, all-day refreshments, evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, WiFi, and use of one of the two adjacent boardrooms.

"This iconic structure deserved a transformation of great distinction, far beyond a standard hotel renovation," states Grace Leo, a global hospitality positioning expert who has been a champion for the project, given her visionary design approach and luxury lifestyle expertise. "Millennium UN Plaza will embrace dignity and refinement as distinguished as the guests whom the hotel welcomes from around the world."

The hotel's lobby and public areas will also undergo refurbishment and will feature a new coffee bar. Patrons can enjoy freshly brewed signature coffee and assorted pastries in the morning and an afternoon selection of sandwiches and salads for lunch. Unwind with a glass of wine at the lobby lounge in the evenings.

Scheduled for 2013, Phase II of the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel's renovation will focus on a new restaurant concept, bar and full lobby renovations. Phase III will see the completion of the East Tower renovation; thereby causing no interruption to the hotel's day-to-day operations.

"Few New York hotels can compete with our location – close to the action (just a few minutes from Grand Central Terminal, the Broadway Theater District and Madison Avenue shopping), yet outside the frenetic currents of the city. The Millennium UN Plaza Hotel, New York, is more than a great hotel, it's a sanctuary of style and comfort," says General Manager Wanda Chan.

Once you take a swim in the late afternoon as the sunset is reflected in the glass walls of the U.N., it's hard to disagree.

About Millennium Hotels and Resorts
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc is a dynamic, global hotel company, which owns, asset manages and/or operates over 100 hotels worldwide. Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR) was established as a global brand by Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc to provide a common marketing and operating platform across its entire portfolio. It represents a worldwide community of hotels that provide consistent standards of excellence for business and leisure travelers alike. Established in the United States in 2000, the North American arm of MHR includes a portfolio 14 hotels in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis, St Louis, Cincinnati, Boulder, Durham, Anchorage, Scottsdale and Nashville.
www.millenniumhotels.com

For more information on Millennium UN Plaza Hotel New York, visit http://www.millenniumhotels.com/millenniumunplazanewyork

About Grace Leo and G.L.A. Hotels
As CEO and founder of G.L.A. Hotels, a management and consultancy firm with clients around the world, Grace uses design as a tool for repositioning hotels. A touch of Grace can transform a hotel into a legend. The Montalembert in Paris put Grace on the design map. When she opened it in 1990, the first luxury hotel on the Left Bank with a mix of traditional and contemporary elements, she launched the boutique hotel movement across Europe. On the Right Bank, her exciting re-design of the beloved Hotel Lancaster surprised us again by juxtaposing a Zen garden with Louis XV antiques. She's consulted with rock band U2 on the stylish Irish Clarence hotel in Dublin, brought the century-old Vidago Palace in Portugal back to life, re-positioned two unknown boutique hotels in Paris into neighborhood personalities known as Hotel Jules and Hotel Beauchamps, and just opened Hotel Selman, a petite palace in Marrakech. http://www.glahotels.com/