White Lodging Officially Breaks Ground on Dual-Branded AC Hotels by Marriott and Le Meridien Hotel in the Heart of Downtown Denver

Le Meridien Denver and AC Hotel Denver will open in late summer 2017

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Nov 17, 2015, 02:39 ET

Executives had an official groundbreaking Tuesday for the dual-branded AC Hotel Denver and Le Meridien Denver, located in the heart of downtown Denver. The hotel is scheduled to open in late summer 2017. From left to right: Bruce Etkin, Chairman, Etkin Johnson; Chris Anderson, senior vice president and chief revenue officer for White Lodging; David Johnson, President, Etkin Johnson; Chris Stanley, senior director of development for Starwood Hotels & Resort; Deno Yiankes, president and CEO for White Lodging investments and development division; Steve Poe, CEO, Poe Companies; and Mike Wells, President, REI Real Estate Services.

White Lodging Services Corporation logo.

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Construction has begun on a new, dual-branded hotel development in downtown Denver. The development features an AC Hotel by Marriott hotel as well as a Le Méridien Hotel, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. The 18-story development is scheduled to open late summer 2017.

The two hotels will add 495 rooms to the heart of the city at 15^th Street and California, just one block from the Colorado Convention Center. Le Méridien Denver and AC Hotel Denver will be located at the center of the city's business district, steps away from Denver's famed 16th Street entertainment district and Colorado's state capital complex. Also nearby are leading attractions including the LoDo Historic District, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, and sports venues such as Pepsi Center, Coors Field and Sports Authority Field at Mile High – home of the NFL's Denver Broncos. Each hotel will have its own distinct entry, lobby and bar led food and beverage outlets. Le Méridien will offer more than 8,000 –square-feet of state-of-the-art banquet and meeting space, including a 5,000-square-foot ballroom. It will be managed by White Lodging Services Corporation.

"We are thrilled to be bringing two newly constructed unique hotels to the heart of downtown," said Deno Yiankes, White Lodging's president and CEO of investments and development. "Denver's awesome climate and infrastructure continues to attract quality residential and employment growth and we expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future."

Newly introduced to the U.S., the AC Hotels Denver will be the lifestyle brand's first property to open in Denver. The brand originated in Europe in 2011 as a joint venture with Spanish hotelier, Antonio Catalan and currently offers a portfolio of 77 hotels in Spain, Italy, Portugal and France. Growth plans for the brand include more than 80 additional hotels set to open within the next three years throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Inspired by the runways and fashion houses of Milan, the brand features simple, clean and crisp lines, marrying sophisticated European style with approachable design for a distinctly urban feel. The AC Hotel Denver will have unique elements, which will embody the character of the city and enhance the guests' experience of the destination.

Le Méridien Denver will feature 272 luxurious rooms and a full-service restaurant as well as a 24-hour fitness facility, business center and meeting space. The design-led hotel will also offer the Le Méridien Hub™, which re-interprets the traditional lobby into a social gathering place and further builds on the brand's award-winning arrival experience and coffee culture. Le Méridien arrival consists of four elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas; the sensory experience, illustrated through Le Méridien signature scent, sound and use of light; UNLOCK ART™ programme, featuring artist designed key card collections that offer access to Le Méridien affiliated contemporary cultural centers in the city; and a 24-hour curated soundtrack by French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague. The Hub features the signature Master Barista, a recently launched initiative to meet the growing demands of coffee lovers at every Le Méridien hotel worldwide. Master Baristas lead coffee-related initiatives at each hotel, serve as a coffee cultural ambassador, and maintain knowledge of current coffee trends within the destination.

"We are delighted to expand our partnership with White Lodging to introduce Le Méridien to Denver in 2017," said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts. "Since Starwood acquired Le Méridien ten years ago, the company has made significant investments to develop the brand, which connects with guests through the art, culture and cuisine in key cities around the world. We think these passion points are sure to resonate with Denver visitors and local residents alike."

White Lodging Services Corporation was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Ind. White Lodging is a fully integrated hotel ownership, development and operations company focused on developing and operating premium-branded hotels in growing urban markets across the United States. The company is a recognized leader that has defined and cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid- to large-scale hotels. Its current portfolio consists of more than 160 hotels in 20 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Preferred Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotel Group.

For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com.

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, the Paris-born hotel brand currently represented by nearly 100 properties in more than 40 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) in November 2005. With more than 80 of its properties located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Le Méridien provided a strong international complement to Starwood's then primarily North American holdings at the time of purchase. Since then, Le Méridien has gone through a brand re-launch, which included a large scale hotels product consolidation and redefined brand strategy. Through creation of the LM100 artist community, Le Méridien has transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique, interactive and curated experiences to its guests. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien Hotels and Resorts within the next five years, concentrating on markets in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Le Méridien recently opened new hotels in Columbus (Ohio, USA), Charlotte (North Carolina, USA), Indianapolis (Indiana, USA), New Orleans, Chicago, Tampa (Florida, USA), Cairo, Bahrain, Bali, Atlanta, Oran (Algeria), and Zhengzhou (China), and will open in the next 12 months in Bangkok, Gurgaon (India), Mahabaleshwar (India), Thimphu (Bhutan), Paro (Bhutan), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Qingdao (China), Leshan (China), and Putrajaya (Malaysia). For more information, please visit www.leméridien.com or www.facebook.com/leMéridien. Follow @LeMéridien Hotels on Instagram and Twitter.