White Lodging To Build a Dual-Branded AC Hotel and Le Meridien Hotel in the Heart of Downtown Denver

Le Meridien Denver and AC Denver are Slated to Break Ground in Late Spring 2015, Open in early 2017

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Feb 11, 2015, 04:46 ET

MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Feb. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- White Lodging is pleased to announce it will build a dual-branded hotel development in downtown Denver, featuring AC Hotels by Marriott hotel as well as a Starwood-branded Le Meridien Hotel. Construction on the 18-story development will begin in Spring 2015 with an opening scheduled for early 2017.

The two hotels will add 491 rooms to the heart of the city at 15^th Street and California, just one block from the Colorado Convention Center. Le Meridien Denver and AC 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 Meridien will offer more than 8,000 –square-feet of state-of-the-art banquet and meeting space and will be managed by White Lodging Services Corporation.

"Denver continues to experience healthy and measured growth, and we believe these two unique hotels will bring fresh and unique lodging options to the downtown market," said Deno Yiankes, White Lodging's president and CEO of investments and development.

Newly introduced to the U.S., the Denver AC Hotels by Marriott property will be the lifestyle brand's first 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 72 hotels in Spain, Italy, Portugal and France. Growth plans for the brand include more than 50 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 Denver AC will have unique elements, which will embody the character of the city and enhance the guests' experience of the destination.

Le Meridien Denver will feature 272 luxurious rooms, a 24-hour fitness facility, business center, a lobby lounge, and a full-service restaurant. It will also offer the Le Meridien 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 Meridien arrival consists of four elements: large-scale artwork in high impact areas; the sensory experience, illustrated through Le Meridien signature scent, sound and use of light; UNLOCK ART™ programme, featuring artist designed key card collections that offer access to Le Meridien 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 Meridien 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 Meridien to Denver in 2017," said Brian Povinelli, Global Brand Leader, Le Meridien and Westin Hotels. "Since Starwood acquired Le Meridien in 2005, Starwood has made significant investments in redeveloping the brand, which connects with guests through the art, culture and cuisine in key cities around the world."

The hotels will be White Lodging's 27th and 28th managed properties in the state of Colorado, adding to White Lodging's portfolio that includes premium-branded hotels throughout Denver, Boulder and the surrounding communities.

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 21 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 Meridien 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 Meridien provided a strong international complement to Starwood's then primarily North American holdings at the time of purchase. Since then, Le Meridien 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 Meridien has transformed numerous guest touch points, thus bringing unique, interactive and curated experiences to its guests. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts within the next five years, concentrating on markets in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Le Meridien 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.lemeridien.com or www.facebook.com/leMeridien. Follow @LeMeridien Hotels on Instagram and Twitter.