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THE NINES, A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL PROUDLY DEBUTS IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND, OREGON THIS FALL
Offering an Unrivaled Dimension of Eco-Luxury and Elegance, the Nines will Feature World-Class Cuisine, Indigenous Artwork and an Anticipated LEED Silver Certification Occupying the Top Nine Floors of the Historic Meier & Frank Building
August 13, 2008 (Portland, Ore.) – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. proudly announces the opening of the Nines, A Luxury Collection Hotel, unveiling a new level of elegance and eco-luxury to the Pacific Northwest this fall. A vital part of the exciting revitalization of downtown Portland, the Nines will feature the exceptional level of service for which The Luxury Collection brand is renowned, a perfect location and indigenous personal offerings, including 331 luxurious guest rooms and suites, an extensive art collection featuring rotating installations and artwork by local artists, world-class cuisine at Urban Farmer, the property’s signature restaurant, and an anticipated LEED Silver Certification.
Occupying the top nine floors of the historic Meier & Frank Building, the Nines welcomes hotel guests and local revelers with a soaring seven-story atrium providing natural light and views for all accommodations. The Library at the Nines offers an inviting respite, with a custom pool table and a floor-to-ceiling library with an impressive selection of books provided by Powell’s Books in Portland, the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world.
An ideal choice for business travelers, the Nines features an on-site business center, an exclusive Club Floor and lounge, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The hotel also features 14,000 square feet of green conferencing and event space, including a 7,200 square-foot ballroom, all outfitted with the latest audio-visual and communications technologies.
Developed by the successful Denver-based Sage Restaurant Group, the Nines will introduce a new restaurant to Portland’s dynamic dining scene. Urban Farmer, set within the atrium of the hotel’s lobby level, is a modern steakhouse with an emphasis on simple, straightforward preparations of meats, poultry, seafood and produce garnered from the efforts of local ranchers, farmers and fishermen.
Eco-consciousness has been a key element to the development of the Nines, which anticipates LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. To achieve this prestigious designation, conservation-focused plumbing, including low-flow faucets, have been put in place in order to save 400,000 gallons of water each year. All products used in daily housekeeping are “Green Sealed,” and the hotel retains 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources including wind power and carbon offsets. Low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and carpets were used during the renovation to secure optimum air quality. Throughout the building process, 24 million pounds of material was removed and 90 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills for reuse or recycling.
In support of the local art community, the Nines has partnered with Art Consultant Paige Powell, long time friend and confidante of Andy Warhol, who has commissioned Portland artists to create bold sculptures, paintings and installations that will be featured in the atrium, signature restaurants and lobby of the hotel. The Nines will also feature exhibits of regularly rotating original artwork on the street level windows to welcome guests and local loyalists.
Each guestroom will feature striking original artworks created by way of a partnership between the Nines and the Pacific Northwest College of Art. As part of its commitment to Portland’s thriving artistic community, the hotel tapped a team of seven faculty and master printers, along with student assistants, to create abstract monotype and silkscreen images of varying sizes, textures and elements. Further supporting this commitment, the Nines will fund an annual scholarship at PNCA of $10,000 for the next five years.
For more information or to make reservations for the Nines in Portland, please phone 503.222.9996 or visit www.thenines.com
The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts The Luxury Collection® is a selection of hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world’s most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination’s indigenous charms and treasures. Magnificent décor, spectacular settings, impeccable service and the latest modern conveniences combine to provide a uniquely enriching experience. Today, The Luxury Collection is a glittering ensemble of more than 65 of the world’s finest hotels and resorts in more than 26 countries in bustling cities and spectacular destinations around the world. The Luxury Collection includes award-winning hotels that continuously exceed guest expectations by offering unparalleled service, style and class in some of the most desired destinations in the world. Most recently, Mystique, a Luxury Collection Resort, was honored with the 2008 Travel + Leisure Design Award for Best Small Resort in the world. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as being among the world’s finest. For more information, please visit www.luxurycollection.com
About the Nines, A Luxury Collection Hotel One of the Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts and owned and managed by Sage Hospitality, the Nines is set to be an important element in the revitalization of downtown Portland, Oregon. Opening in September 2008, the Nines will set a new hospitality standard by pursuing LEED Silver Certification from the Green Building Council, one of only a handful of hotels in the U.S. to receive this distinction. The hotel is situated within the top nine stories of the historic Meier & Frank building, and has original, commissioned art in every room and throughout the hotel. Beyond the atrium lobby lie 331-guest rooms, 14,000 square-feet of meeting space and a new restaurant: Urban Farmer, a modern steakhouse. www.thenines.com
About Sage Hospitality Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality has strategically grown into one of the largest privately held hotel management and development companies 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, including the Oxford Hotel in Denver.
In 1997, Sage Hospitality pioneered the company's urban redevelopment initiative converting the blighted Joslin's department store in downtown Denver into a showplace Courtyard by Marriott. Since then, Sage Hospitality has preserved and transformed five additional, underused national landmark buildings into award-winning hotel properties that serve as important catalysts for downtown revitalization. Projects include the historic Blackstone hotel in Chicago and the upcoming Portland hotel the Nines in the historic Meier & Frank building. For more information, please visit www.sagehospitality.com
About Sage Restaurant Group Sage Restaurant Group sets out to create experiences where food, drink and inspired design meet and mix. In addition to Urban Farmer opening soon at the Nines, Sage has opened four concept restaurants over the past two years in cities across the United States – The Corner Office and Second Home in Denver, CO, Temple Downtown in Providence, RI and Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago, IL. Sage Restaurant Group is redefining the standards by which new restaurants enter the marketplace and equal parts ingenuity and careful observation make each of their locations custom-designed expressions of the social needs of the communities in which they reside. For more information about Sage Restaurant Group, visit www.sagerestaurantgroup.com
For more information, contact:
Ashley Bleimes
Hawkins International PR
(212) 255-6541
ashley@hawkpr.com
Daniella Weinberg
The Luxury Collection
(212) 380-4005
daniella.weinberg@starwoodhotels.com