Statler Undertaking Renovation of Storied Cornell Campus Hotel

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. October 14, 2008

ITHACA, NY, April 4, 2008. The Statler Hotel has joined forces with leading hospitality design firm WATG to undertake a bold renovation of this storied property at the center of the Cornell University campus.

"We are very pleased to have WATG as our lead partner on a project that will help us provide a truly distinctive experience for our guests," said Rick Adie '75, general manager of the Statler Hotel, an operating unit of Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. "Our aim is to create a unique blend of service and amenities that guests will want to enjoy time and again."

WATG's Susan Bruce, senior associate, shares design concepts for the rooms renovation project at Cornell's Statler Hotel with student leader Geoff Gray '08 and Stephani Robson, senior lecturer in Facilities Management,

Adie, his team and school faculty are working closely with WATG leaders to lay the blueprint for what will be the most ambitious refurbishment in the hotel's 20-year history. One priority is to develop a guest room that satisfies the needs of the most discerning visitor.

"We will bring to bear the full expertise of our faculty, our hotel management team and our partners at WATG to develop a new vision for our guest rooms," said Michael Johnson, dean and E.M. Statler Professor at the school. "Our mission is to create a prototype that offers the best in comfort, technology and amenities, while also meeting the highest standards for sustainability."

As part of that commitment, the hotel plans to partner with leading hospitality brands whose products will be featured in the property's guest rooms and public spaces. WATG's design team will play a lead role integrating those products into a coherent whole.

"We look forward to helping Cornell create an innovative design solution for the industry," said Raj Chandnani '95, director of Strategic Planning at WATG, recently named the world's top hospitality design firm by Hotel and Motel Management. "We will do that by aligning with brands that share our commitment in creating a unique guest experience."

The Statler Hotel is both a first-class property and a teaching hotel where students at the school apply their classroom learning to practical experience. Each year some 200 students work alongside seasoned professionals across all hotel and restaurant operations. A select group of students work along chosen career tracks, rising into management positions through participation in the school's Statler Leadership Development Program. Additionally, many faculty members work closely with hotel leadership to integrate hotel operations into the curriculum. The hotel serves not only the school's undergraduate and graduate students, but also industry professionals from around the world who visit campus to take advanced hospitality service and management courses through the school's Office of Executive Education.

The property features 153 rooms, a conference center, three restaurants, and abundant meeting and banquet facilities. As the gateway to the university and the surrounding Finger Lakes region, the Statler plays host to a sophisticated clientele that regularly includes global leaders in government, business, and academia. Among the property's guests have been heads of state, Supreme Court Justices, U.S. senators, world-renowned entertainers and CEOs of leading hotel organizations such as Fairmont, Hilton, Marriott and Four Seasons.

"Companies that join in this effort will receive tremendous visibility at the property and through a multifaceted outreach program," Adie commented. "This will be a partnership that delivers positive results for all parties."

For more information about participating in the Statler Hotel renovation project, please contact Meg Keilbach '88, interim director of Alumni Affairs and Development at [email protected] or Joe Strodel, director of Corporate Relations at [email protected]