The Mark Antony Hotel, located just adjacent to Oregon's renown Shakespearean festival site, will re-open its doors as a completely renovated property under the management and marketing of Seattle-based WestCoast Hotels. When the refurbishment is complete, the 74-room hotel, owned by Mountain Park Development of Ashland, will offer an afternoon high tea, a formal dining room, a historic grand lobby, a lively Bistro/cafe and fashionably comfortable guest rooms.

"We are working with the community's historical society to restore the property's vintage character. We're eager to create comfortable hospitality which will be centrally located for both visitors and residents of Ashland," says local resident and Mountain Park Development partner Doug Neuman. "I'm confident the property will flourish under WestCoast Hotels' management and widespread affiliations."

Redevelopment of the property, which Mountain Park Development purchased in July 1998, has been extensively planned under the direction of Mountain Park Development Executives Doug Neuman and Reed Slatkin, and local architect Bob Siebert. Currently, all of the property's systems -- heating, electrical, elevator and plumbing -- are being overhauled. Soon structural changes will add space to the ballroom and create nearly 3,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. The property will also offer outdoor meeting space in a Shakespearean garden atmosphere.

The hotel has been closed for the past 12 months and is expected to remain closed until its very tentative target re-opening, in time for the last of the Shakespearean festivals in October 1999.

In addition to the Mark Antony Hotel, Mountain Park Development, L.L.C. owns the Lake of the Woods Resort (Ashland, OR) and several commercial and residential properties in Southern Oregon.

The relationship between WestCoast and Mountain Park Development is a first, but seemingly natural fit. "From even the initial meeting with Doug and Becky Neuman and Reed Slatkin, it was apparent we shared the same vision of restoring this property to its historic past," says WestCoast Hotels' Senior Vice President of Marketing, Matthew Murphy. "We recognize this as an essential redevelopment for Ashland. The refurbishment to such a community icon is reminiscent of our (WestCoast's) redevelopment of The Benson Hotel (Portland, OR) and The Roosevelt Hotel (Seattle, WA). We look forward to expanding our presence in what will be the finest hotel in this culturally vital area. WestCoast's extended hospitality along the I-5 corridor will benefit Ashland travelers as well as the guests of our 27 other properties."

WestCoast Hotels is an affiliation of 28 distinctive hotels throughout 20 cities in the Western United States. In Oregon, WestCoast is currently building the Paramount Hotel (Portland) and manages the Valley River Inn (Eugene), RiverPlace Hotel (Portland) and the Benson Hotel (Portland). WestCoast Hotels has been named among the "Top Ten Management Companies" by several industry publications.