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With work already underway and moving towards an opening in September
1998, the House of Blues Hotel, a
Loews Hotel, will feature a total of 372 rooms, including 30 suites.
Built in the early 1960's by legendary architect Bertram Goldberg, Marina
City consists of 900 condominiums, 900
parking spaces, the only working marina on the Chicago River, and the
largest House of Blues Restaurant.
Other features of the House of Blues, a Loews Hotel will include an
AMF 26-lane bowling center, full service
health club, and four meeting rooms. And, for larger meetings and social
functions, the hotel will have access to
the House of Blues restaurant, which offers 55,000 square feet of space,
a performance hall, and several private
rooms. Dining and entertainment options will include a 20,000-square-foot
Smith
Wollensky restaurant (opening
April 1998); and four additional high energy restaurant/entertainment
venues all located within the Marina City
complex.
The House of Blues, a Loews Hotel, marks the sixth new development project
for the New York City-based chain.
Marking a return to the Windy City after more than 20 years, Loews
Hotels had owned and operated two
Ambassador Hotels in Chicago from 1965-1972.
"This hotel is truly an exciting addition to the chain's growing portfolio
for a variety of reasons," notes Jonathan
Tisch, President and CEO of Loews Hotels. "Not only does it put us
in a major market that we've been wanting to
be in, but it is a unique project that combines the elements of entertainment
and hospitality that make it a perfect
complement to both our existing properties, as well as those under
development."
"We are thrilled to welcome Loews Hotels as the operator of the first
House of Blues Hotel," said Jeff Lapin,
President of House of Blues Hospitality, Inc., and Executive Vice President
of House of Blues Entertainment, Inc.
"The unique characteristics that make each Loews property distinctive
from each other, and the chain's
understanding of combining entertainment and hospitality, make them
an ideal partner."
Under the direction of renowned designer Cheryl
Rowley, the hotel will feature a blend of Gothic, Moroccan and
East Indian styles to create an artistic, unconventional background.
The genesis of the design comes directly
from the club environment, as well as from the vast and diverse architectural
and artifact collection assembled by
the House of Blues and its founder, Isaac Tigrett.
Like the club, the House of Blues, a Loews Hotel, will display original
artwork within each guest room and suite,
with colors and patterns that relate directly to the original artwork
featured throughout the hotel. The public areas
will showcase collected architectural artifacts, including Ancient
blue glass panels from an East Indian temple, to
create a powerful statement and provide a connection to another culture.
Loews Hotels will manage the House of Blues, a Loews Hotel, for its
owners, a partnership between House of
Blues Hospitality, Inc., a subsidiary of Nomura Asset Capital Corporation,
and Mark IV Realty.
Loews Hotels currently owns and/or operates 14 hotels and resorts in
the U.S., Canada and the Principality of
Monaco. In the midst of the largest expansion campaign in its history,
the chain has a total of six hotels under
development. Along with the House of Blues Hotel, these include, the
800-room Loews Miami Beach Hotel
(October 1998); the conversion of the landmark PSFS building in Philadelphia
into the 585-room Loews
Philadelphia Hotel (Spring 1999); and three hotels at Universal Florida
in Orlando. These include the 750-room
Portofino Bay Hotel, a Loews Hotel (Spring 1999); a 650-room Hard Rock
Hotel (Fall 2000); and a third 1,000-room hotel opening in 2001.