Marriott Denver Westminster celebrates groundbreaking of 212-room hotel

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- White Lodging Services, an operator of 17 Colorado hotels, celebrated the groundbreaking today on a 212-room Marriott hotel slated to open in the fall of 2013, a joint venture between affiliates of Etkin Johnson Group and White Lodging.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120210/DE51498LOGO)

"We would like to thank the City of Westminster, our partner Etkin Johnson Group and Marriott as this exciting groundbreaking would not be taking place without their collaboration and ongoing support," said Deno Yiankes, president and CEO of White Lodging's Investment and Development Division.

The six-floor Marriott Denver Westminster is the first newly constructed, full service hotel in the Denver/Boulder corridor to open in more than 10 years.  It will feature 12,000 square-feet of meeting space and is conveniently located northwest of downtown Denver off Highway 36/Boulder Turnpike at 7000 Church Ranch Blvd. The hotel was designed by PFVS Architects, and will feature a full-service restaurant that offers outdoor dining.

"We are happy to build on our successful relationship with the City of Westminster," said Bruce Etkin, chairman of the Etkin Johnson Group. "Our team built the 164-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott in 2002 on an adjacent site to the future full service Marriott, and we plan to start a 115-room Hyatt Place hotel after the full service Marriott opens. Working with the White Lodging team brings national hotel development and management to our projects. Plus, the White Lodging team from Chairman Bruce White down are all first rate people."

The hotel is located in Westminster, Colorado's ninth-largest city, just northwest of Denver. The Marriott Denver Westminster is just a short drive from many of The Centennial State's attractions such as Butterfly Pavilion and Flatiron Crossing Mall. The 1^st Bank Center, a premier, mid-sized event venue is nearby, allowing hotel guests the opportunity to see live music, catch a show or watch a sporting event. Guests may visit the Ice Centre at the Promenade, one of only a few triple ice sheet facilities in North America. Elitch Gardens & Amusement Park and the new Broomfield Event Center are also close by.

For business travelers, the hotel is located a short drive from some of the area's largest employers, including the campuses of Ball Corp., Avaya, McKesson, Trimble. Also nearby is the Interlocken Business Park, which includes the Oracle campus.

"We are so pleased that the Marriott has chosen Westminster as a place to build one of their full-service hotels," said Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally. "With all of the nearby amenities it's sure to attract visitors from all over, and we are happy to welcome them to Westminster."

White Lodging is scheduled to open its 160^th hotel in October in Salt Lake City, and has an ambitious growth plan to add an additional 50 properties to its management portfolio by the end of 2015. The Marriott Denver Westminster will add hundreds of construction jobs and an estimated 100 permanent jobs to the Westminster economy.

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 – a recognized leader that has defined and cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid-to large-scale hotels across the country. Its current portfolio consists of more than 159 hotels in 20 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Preferred Hotels, Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

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

Etkin Johnson Group - Etkin Johnson Group is actively engaged in the development, acquisition, ownership and management of income producing real estate across Colorado's Front Range. The company and its affiliates' portfolio of office, retail, hotel and industrial holdings totals more than 6 million square feet nationwide with values in excess of one-half billion dollars.

SOURCE White Lodging