JW Marriott Austin Announces New Opening Date

AUSTIN, Texas, April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- White Lodging announced today that the JW Marriott Austin is ahead of schedule and will now open on Friday, February 20, 2015. The hotel was originally slated to open March 1, 2015. More than 310,000 room nights have already been contracted, with the first groups arriving the day the hotel opens. Tweet: The @JWMarriottATX will now open ahead of schedule on February 20, 2015. More than 310,000 room nights have already been booked.

For an inside look at the hotel and its current progress, http://youtu.be/8q6WDavkego

Construction began on the 34-story hotel in August 2012, and a groundbreaking ceremony took place in October of 2012. The hotel reached its final construction height or "topped out" in January 2014. When the JW Marriott Austin opens, it will be the largest hotel in Austin, the largest JW Marriott in the U.S. and the second largest JW Marriott in the world. The hotel is designed to host large conventions and meetings, with more than 112,000 square feet of event space, 42 meeting rooms and 1,012 guest rooms.

"The City of Austin is excited to showcase our city to many new people, businesses and organizations from around the world," Bob Lander, president and CEO of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, said. "To have already booked more than 300,000 rooms illustrates the interest in Austin as not only a tourist destination, but also as a key hub for many different industries and businesses.

The JW Marriott Austin recently added two new hires to the staff—Director of Event Planning, Jeff Stutts, and Director of Catering, Linda Poole. Stutts previously held positions as the director of event management at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter and director of event planning at the JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton at the LA LIVE center. Poole previously worked as the director of catering and conference services at the Driskill Hotel in Austin.

"We are excited about these very talented new additions to our team," Jay Spurr, director of sales and marketing for the JW Marriott Austin, said. "Jeff and Linda have a successful track record with hotel event planning and catering, and we know they will bring that same level of success and commitment to the JW Marriott Austin."

The JW Marriott Austin will feature three restaurants including a full-service regional Italian restaurant, a restaurant highlighting local Texas cuisine and a restaurant with a walk-up food truck-style window on Congress Ave. The hotel will also achieve a LEED Silver certification and two-star Austin Energy Green Building rating.

White Lodging, which currently manages 19 other properties in Austin and Round Rock and has three additional hotels in its pipeline for Austin, will manage the JW Marriott. The company will employ more than 1,700 people in the greater Austin area when the JW Marriott opens, making it one of the area's largest private employers.

About JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts
JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio and consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today's sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering them the quiet luxury they seek in a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere lacking in pretense. JW Marriott properties artfully provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that are reflective of their locale so that their guests have the time to focus on what is most important to them. Currently, there are 63 JW Marriott hotels in 25 countries; by 2016 the portfolio is expected to encompass more than 90 properties over 30 countries. Visit us online, jwmarriott.com, @jwmarriott and facebook.com/JWMarriott.

About White Lodging - Established in 1985 and headquartered in Merrillville, IN, White Lodging is a fully integrated developer, owner and manager of premium brand hotels – a recognized leader that consistently delivers superior, leading-brand hotel experiences and premium returns on investment among mid- to-large scale hotels across the country. With over 25 years of expertise, White Lodging continues to break ground as one of the fastest-growing independent hospitality companies in the country. Their managed portfolio of more than 160 hotels in 21 states encompasses representation of the following leading brand affiliations: Marriott International, Hyatt Global, Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Intercontinental Hotel Group. www.whitelodging.com

Media Contact:
Lindsay Ketchum or Lia Pette
Elizabeth Christian & Associates Public Relations
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Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120210/DE51498LOGO

SOURCE White Lodging