White Lodging to Upgrade 1,003-room Convention Hotel in Austin, Texas to a JW Marriott

• 
  SAVE
• 
  SHARE
• 
  TEXT SIZE
• 
  PRINT
• 
  COMMENT
• 
  PDF

. December 09, 2011

MERRILLVILLE, IN - December 8, 2011 - White Lodging Services Corporation announced today the 1,003-room, 30-story luxurious convention hotel they are building in Austin downtown will be upgraded to a JW Marriott. With the project's required equity commitment already secured through internal sources, construction is on track and set to begin June 1, 2012 and the JW Marriott is scheduled to open in January 2015. Located in the heart of downtown on Congress Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets, the JW Marriott is two blocks from the Austin Convention Center and poised to take the City of Austin to a new level in the national convention and meeting market. Plans for the hotel include oversized guestrooms and suites, upscale interior design finishes throughout, in excess of 110,000 square feet of flexible meeting, banquet and exhibition space, multiple food and beverage venues, underground parking, and a signature 4,500 square foot fitness center.

"We believe this project will make a very positive statement for the City in the eyes of national meeting planners and, in turn, will induce more incremental group and convention business to downtown Austin," said Deno Yiankes, White Lodging's President and CEO of Investments & Development.

A boost to Austin's economy, construction of the hotel over the next three years will generate over 2,500 construction jobs. Once completed, it is estimated that the property will employ over 750 permanent employees pushing White Lodging's total number of employees in greater Austin to over 1,700. Additionally, the JW Marriott Austin will be LEED Certified and achieve a 2-Star rating from the Austin Energy Green Building Program and will also offer "EcoEvents by Marriott" which incorporates a number of environmentally friendly components to an event.

Already the largest hotelier in the City, White Lodging's managed portfolio in Austin will grow to 22 properties with over 4,200 guestrooms with the opening of the JW Marriott. Most recently, White Lodging opened the 340-unit Westin Hotel at the Domain in March, 2010 and broke ground on the 296-unit Hyatt Place hotel located at 3rd Street and San Jacinto in October of this year.

About JW Marriott - JW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio and consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today's sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering them the quiet luxury they seek in a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere lacking in pretense. JW Marriott properties artfully provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that are reflective of their locale so that their guests have the time to focus on what is most important to them. Currently, there are 51 JW Marriott hotels in 21 countries; by 2014 the portfolio will encompass 77 properties in 28 countries.

About White Lodging - White Lodging Services Corporation was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. 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. Their current portfolio consists of over 157 hotels in 19 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotel Group, Preferred Hotel Group and Carlson Hotels Worldwide.

.