Morgans Hotel Group Comments on Strategic Alternatives Process

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) ("Morgans" or the "Company") today commented on the Company's ongoing review of strategic alternatives.

The special transaction committee of the Morgans Board of Directors, formed at the beginning of 2014, retained Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC in May of 2014 to assist the Company in evaluating a full range of strategic alternatives.  The Company today disclosed that the special transaction committee has directed Morgan Stanley to reach out to possible counterparties regarding their interest in potential transactions that could provide Morgans an opportunity to maximize value for its stockholders. 

The special transaction committee is committed to exploring all potential strategic alternatives, including capital raising, asset sales, strategic partnerships, a sale of the entire Company, a sale of component parts of the Company, acquisitions and other alternatives.  

There can be no assurance that the special transaction committee's review of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction.

The special transaction committee will update stockholders once the special transaction committee approves a specific transaction or otherwise concludes its strategic review.

About Morgans Hotel Group

Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) is widely credited as the creator of the first "boutique" hotel and a continuing leader of the hotel industry's boutique sector. Morgans Hotel Group operates Delano in South Beach, Mondrian in Los Angeles, New York and South Beach, Hudson in New York, Morgans and Royalton in New York, Clift in San Francisco, Shore Club in South Beach and Sanderson and St Martins Lane in London.  Morgans Hotel Group has ownership interests or owns several of these hotels. Morgans Hotel Group also licenses a Delano in Las Vegas. Morgans Hotel Group has other hotels in various stages of development to be operated under management or franchise agreements.  These include Delano in Moscow, Russia; Mondrian properties in London, England, and Doha, Qatar; and a Morgans Original in Istanbul, Turkey. Morgans Hotel Group also owns a 90% controlling interest in The Light Group, a leading lifestyle food and beverage company. For more information please visit www.morganshotelgroup.com.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements 

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the operating performance of our investments and financing needs. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "potential," "intend," "expect," "endeavor," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "overestimate," "underestimate," "believe," "could," "project," "predict," "continue" or other similar words or expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's expectation related to its development efforts, including the opening of new hotels in the future and renovations at Hudson.

Important risks and factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: economic, business, competitive market and regulatory conditions such as a downturn in economic and market conditions, both in the U.S. and internationally, particularly as it impacts demand for travel, hotels, dining and entertainment; the Company's levels of debt, its ability to refinance its current outstanding debt, repay outstanding debt or make payments on guaranties as they may become due, general volatility of the capital markets and the Company's ability to access the capital markets and the ability of our joint ventures to do the foregoing; the impact of financial and other covenants in the Company's loan agreements and other debt instruments that limit the Company's ability to borrow and restrict its operations; the Company's history of losses; the Company's ability to compete in the "boutique" or "lifestyle" hotel segments of the hospitality industry and changes in the competitive environment in the Company's industry and the markets where it invests; the Company's ability to protect the value of its name, image and brands and its intellectual property; risks related to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, the threat of terrorist attacks and similar disasters; risks related to the Company's international operations, such as global economic conditions, political or economic instability, compliance with foreign regulations and satisfaction of international business and workplace requirements; the Company's ability to timely fund the renovations and capital improvements necessary to maintain its properties at the quality of the Morgans Hotel Group and associated brands; risks associated with the acquisition, development and integration of properties and businesses; the risks of conducting business through joint venture entities over which the Company may not have full control; the Company's ability to perform under management agreements and to resolve any disputes with owners of properties that the Company manages but does not wholly own; potential terminations of management agreements; the impact of any material litigation, claims or disputes, including labor disputes; the seasonal nature of the hospitality business and other aspects of the hospitality industry that are beyond the Company's; our ability to comply with complex U.S. and international regulations, including regulations related to the environment, labor, food and beverage operations and data privacy; ownership of a substantial block of our common stock by a small number of investors and the ability of such investors to influence key decisions; the impact of any dividend payments or accruals on our preferred securities on our cash flow and the value of our common stock; our ability to identify and evaluate strategic alternatives; a reassessment by the special transaction committee of the advisability of investigating strategic alternatives at this time; the risks and uncertainties of any strategic alternative that is identified, including our ability to accurately assess risk and alternatives; whether any identified alternative is pursued and consummated; whether any consummated alternative ultimately enhances stockholder value; and other risk factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 13, 2014, and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC from time to time. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, based upon information known to management as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligations to update or revise any of its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes show that indicated results or events will not be realized.

Contacts:
Investors
Richard Szymanski
Morgans Hotel Group Co.
212.277.4188

Media
Daniel Gagnier/
Nathaniel Garnick
Sard Verbinnen & Co
212.687.8080

SOURCE Morgans Hotel Group Co.