The Frank Lloyd-Wright designed Monona Terrace Convention Center attracted nationwide attention when it opened in July 1997. The City of Madison decided to establish a headquarters hotel for the facility to make it more marketable to meeting planners throughout the country.

The hotel, which Marcus intends to operate under a Hilton franchise, will be built at 9 East Wilson Street. Its facilities encompass 222 rooms including 37 suites, a restaurant in the contiguous Chancery building, five 600-square foot meeting/board rooms, a lobby lounge, an indoor pool and fitness center, and an underground garage capable of accommodating 213 vehicles. The hotel will be directly connected to the Convention Center by means of an all-weather, climate-controlled connector between the hotel and the Convention Center facility.

According to Lee Berthelsen, president and chief operating officer of Marcus Hotels and Resorts, "We are honored to have been selected for this noteworthy project. We are looking forward to utilizing our 40 years of hospitality expertise to enhance the marketability of the Convention Center and to add to the economic vitality and activity of our capital city."

The $29 million project has been made possible through a public/private endeavor which includes a majority investment by Marcus Hotels and Resorts and tax incremental financing from the City of Madison. It is anticipated that a groundbreaking ceremony will be held in late fall with completion of the project targeted for the fall of 2000.

The headquarters hotel development is the seventh addition for Marcus Hotels and Resorts since 1993. In July 1993, Marcus Hotels acquired Grand Geneva Resort Spa (Lake Geneva, Wis.); in September 1993, Marcus assumed management of the Crowne Plaza Northstar Hotel (Minneapolis, Minn.); in February 1994, Marcus assumed the management of the Mead Inn (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.); in May 1996, Marcus took over management of Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn (North Hollywood, Calif.); in August 1996, Marcus acquired the Miramonte Resort (Indian Wells, Calif.); and in December 1997, Marcus entered into a management agreement with Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island, Mich. Marcus Hotels and Resorts also owns and operates the Milwaukee Hilton and The Pfister Hotel (both in downtown Milwaukee). Marcus Hotels and Resorts is a division of The Marcus Corporation, which also operates and franchises 152 Budgetel Inns and four Budgetel Inn and Suites (106 company-owned and 50 franchised) in 30 states and five Woodfield Suites in Wisconsin, Ohio and Colorado; 361 movie screens in Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Minnesota and one family entertainment center in Wisconsin; and 31 KFC restaurants in Wisconsin.