Renaissance Hotels Announces New, Innovative Flagship for New York City

Renaissance Hotels, the brand known around the world for helping the next generation of business travelers discover unexpected cultural experiences, expects to open New York City’s first digitally enhanced hotel in the heart of the garment district in the spring of 2016. Designed by award-winning Jeffrey Beers International, the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will capture the spirit of Wanderlust, the brand’s new global design philosophy reflecting a contemporary transformation to appeal to the next gen business traveler who seeks adventure with every business trip. The hotel will feature a mixture of high-low design elements celebrating the industrial grit and glamour of the city, and sensational, ever-changing digital experiences that will undeniably change the hotel scene in New York.

According to Tina Edmundson, Global Officer, Luxury and Lifestyle Brands, “The Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will be our flagship property and truly bring a ‘renaissance’ to the brand, melding the best of New York’s art, music and fashion into a creative and authentic experience for our guests.”

This new-build, 348-room hotel, part of the Garment District community, will celebrate the energy of the neighborhood and the spirited creative industries that continue to thrive there, offering hyper-local insider information through the renowned Renaissance Navigator program.

“Today, pioneering business travelers enjoy a ‘work hard, play hard’ mindset and want to discover the hidden gems in the personality-packed neighborhoods where they stay. We designed every aspect of the new Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel to make it easy for guests to unwind, explore and embrace the history and vitality within the hotel and all around us,” explains David DiFalco, General Manager, Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel.

Highlights of the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel include:

Digital Experience:
Utilizing technology not seen in any other New York hotel, guests and visitors entering the property from either 34th or 35th Streets will interact with stunning digital displays projected along the corridor, a passage which spans the length of the block, creating a visual tapestry by responding to human motion through subtle, organic movements and graphic patterns. This “living” wall will interact with guests as they journey through the entrance hall, featuring specially curated digital imagery showcasing local artists and neighborhood experiences, providing ever changing entertainment waiting to be discovered.

The highlight of the digital experience will be an alcove located near the 34 ^th street entrance that will act as a virtual concierge. Tied to the hotel’s Navigator program and tapping into the pulse of the city, this futuristic technology will allow guests and visitors to explore points of interests throughout the neighborhood with just the point of a finger and tap of the foot.

At the top of the hotel, four-story LED screens will illuminate the skyline with a digital clock, acting as a beacon within the city. Changing designs every hour of the day, this dynamic timepiece will enhance the New York City skyline and bring the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel to life for all to enjoy.

Renaissance Navigator:
The hotel Navigator, the brand’s lifestyle concierge, is an integral part of the hotel experience offering personalized hyper-local suggestions on the area’s offerings. Guests are encouraged to visit the “Navigator Table” located in the lobby, where these local experts will be ready to help guests unlock micro local, indigenous experiences.

The Lobby:
Guests checking in will travel to the sixth floor hotel lobby, a destination in its own right. The Navigator on one side, visitors will also find a Library Lounge, Lobby Bar, a hidden DJ booth, and an intimate balcony that overlooks the expansive fifth-floor terrace below. From Renaissance Hotel’s famed Bar Rituals, to guest performances by local musicians or round-table conversations, guests will find communal, personal and authentic experiences at their fingertips.

Club Lounge:
Also on the sixth floor will be the Club Lounge, a special haven reserved for Elite Marriot Rewards members and preferred guests. The design will combine contemporary furniture, modern high-tech amenities and feature wall art that transforms functional components of the fashion trade such as push pins and high heels into complex masterpieces.

Outdoor Space:
The Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will offer the largest outdoor space in all of Manhattan. At 8,000 square-feet, the fifth floor terrace will boast a retractable roof, private cabanas, comfortable seating and two fully-stocked bars. The hotel will also offer a number of terrace suites with abundant outdoor space. Guests and New Yorkers alike will have a new place to see and be seen.

Guest Rooms:
The 348 individual guest rooms (including seven Executive Suites and one Celebrity Suite) will feature signature Wanderlust design accents, including floor-to-ceiling windows and the juxtaposition of concrete to wood in the décor, as well as a mixture of sophisticated neutral colors with pops of purple or grey throughout the bedding and upholstery. The spacious rooms use pale finishes, maximize natural light, and adhere to an uncluttered aesthetic. A gradient frosted-glass shower wall will separate the all-white Italian marble en-suite bathroom from the sleeping area.

Meeting Space:
The hotel will offer 4,500 square-feet of meeting and lounge space that can accommodate up to 250 attendees and which can be converted into multiple, separate conference rooms with glass air walls. Located on the seventh floor, floor-to-ceiling windows will offer magnificent views of the city, while stylized inspirational quotes from fashion greats such as Coco Chanel and Oscar de la Renta painted onto the raw concrete back wall, pay homage to the neighborhood.

Business Unusual:
As with every Renaissance stay, the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will go beyond the ordinary. From hidden local gems recommended by Navigators, surprising live entertainment, or unusual culinary adventures, the flagship Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will offer business unusual.

Guests can book a reservation at www.renhotels.com and check out the full lineup of performances and events planned throughout the year happening at any of the 160 Renaissance hotels by visiting www.renhotels.com/events, www.facebook.com/renhotels and AXS.com.

Guests of the hotel who are enrolled in Marriott Rewards ^®, the brand’s award-winning guest loyalty program, are able to earn points during their hotel stays that can be redeemed for free holidays, flights, hotel rooms and merchandise.

Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel
Designed by award-winning Jeffrey Beers International, the 348-room Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel is New York City’s first digitally enhanced hotel. Located in the heart of the Garment District at 35 ^th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, the hotel will offer hyper-local insider information through the renowned Renaissance Navigator program and combine groundbreaking digital guest experiences with a mix of high-low design elements, celebrating the industrial grit and glamour of the city. Digital highlights of the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel include a “living” digital tapestry projected along the entrance corridor wall that responds to human motion, a user-friendly digital alcove connected to the hotel’s Navigator program, and a four-story LED clock on the hotel roof, which will be a new fixture of the New York City skyline. The hotel also boasts The Lobby Bar, Club Lounge for Elite Marriot Rewards members and preferred guests, 4,500 square-feet of meeting space, and Rock and Reilly’s gourmet gastropub with an 8,000 square-foot fifth floor terrace and retractable roof. Operated by 365 Management Company under license from Marriott International, Inc. or one of its affiliates.

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Renaissance Hotels:
Renaissance Hotels believes in defying business travel conventions for guests who crave unexpected experiences. At Renaissance Hotels, It's Business Unusual. Each of the brand’s 160 hotels, located in over 35 countries around the world, is unique and every stay offers unconventional programs that help business travelers discover rich, local experiences. We promise to feed the curiosity, fuel the imagination and excite the senses of our guests, who see their business trip as an exciting opportunity for new, interesting and sharable experiences. We understand their desire to make the most out of every moment and we offer signature events in our lobbies, bars and lounges designed to showcase emerging talent in music, the arts, mixology, gastronomy and more. Renaissance Navigators are neighborhood experts who are ready to assist guests in discovering true local flavors and activities. R.E.N. Meetings offers groups an experience beyond a traditional meeting, rooted in creative sensory meeting design and custom-curated local Navigator excursions and networking events. At Renaissance Hotels, we work to ensure that every trip is transformed into an eye-opening, unforgettable journey. To discover more visit www.renhotels.com. For upcoming events visit www.renhotels.com/events.

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Note on forward looking statements: The anticipated growth of Marriott International’s luxury and lifestyle brand portfolio and the expected future hotel locations are “forward-looking statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, not historical facts, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including supply and demand changes for hotel rooms; competitive conditions in the lodging industry; relationships with clients and property owners; the availability of capital to finance hotel growth; and other risk factors identified in Marriott International, Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q; any of which could cause the actual numbers or locations of new hotels to be different. These statements are made as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise them or any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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