Portland Boutique Hotel, The Press Hotel, to Open 2015

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. February 17, 2014

PORTLAND, Maine - February 17, 2014 - The 90-year-old former Portland Press Herald building in Portland, Maine's Old Port District will soon be transformed into the first boutique hotel of its kind in Maine. Located at the top of Exchange Street, known for its specialty shops and restaurants, and across the street from the nationally renowned performance hall Merrill Auditorium, The Press Hotel's contemporary style, modern decor and centralized location will draw area residents and out of town visitors to the property.

Originally built in 1923, the building will reopen as a 110-room hotel with a 100-seat restaurant in early 2015, taking full advantage of the building's historic architectural features. Construction commenced last month to transform the building into a unique and authentic boutique hotel. Local contractor Wright-Ryan Construction is well on its way to execute the vision of design teams involved - local firm Archetype as Architect of Record, Stonehill & Taylor for interiors, Big Time Design for the restaurant design. With an eye to the future, The Press Hotel has registered as a LEED project, promoting environmental sustainability.

Jim Brady, developer of The Press Hotel, has searched the globe to assemble a highly talented team to design and manage the project. “As a frequent traveler who lives in Maine, I wanted to create the type of property that locals would embrace and that visitors would seek out. We want to connect with the history of the building, the talent of the region, and the skills of Maine's craftsmen and artists. A stay at The Press Hotel will enable guests to see, hear, taste and experience all that is special to our city. This hotel will be connected to where the local scene is going while being rooted in its past.” Brady added, “In particular, I'm excited to share the news that the property will be part of the Autograph Collection, a group of more than fifty unique luxury hotels around the world. The Autograph Collection is known for its distinct properties, each selected for its bold originality, rich character and uncommon details.”

About the team:

Brady is the former president of Olympia Development, a Portland based real estate development firm that completed more than $200 million in projects, including five successful hotels in addition to office buildings and mixed-use projects.

Design:

Stonehill & Taylor, known for its work providing some of New York City's top boutique properties with bold identities, such as The Refinery, Ace, and NoMad, has designed the interiors for the Press Hotel. The end result will be a modern interpretation of Portland's history of news and information, the long history of Maine's appeal to artists and the building's printing history, resulting in a property with a truly unique sense of place.

Big Time Design, a Florida-based design studio specializing in high style public space environments, such as Watusi and Angelina in Chicago, and B Bar in Miami Beach, will design the hotel's restaurant. Big Time Design's team focuses on creating memorable and inviting spaces; previous projects have received awards for club design, hotel lounge design, and renovation.

Based in Maine, David Lloyd, a founder of Archetype Architects, is the Architect of Record for the project to transform the Portland Press Herald Building into The Press Hotel. Archetype has built its reputation on renovation projects, primarily in New England, including work on several hotels and a number of historic renovation projects.

Management:

The Press Hotel will be managed by Trust Hospitality, a global hotel management company operated by industry veterans. Trust Hospitality is an award-winning third party hotel management company offering services to branded and independent hotels worldwide. With operations and infrastructure in the USA, Caribbean, Latin America, and Europe, Trust Hospitality hotels are consistently in the elite Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List and have received AAA Four Diamond awards as well as top recognition from Trip Advisor.

LEED certification:

Portland-based Thornton Tomasetti's Gunnar Hubbard will ensure sustainable measures are taken in the design and construction of the hotel and manage the LEED certification. Hubbard has over 23 years of experience as a green consultant and has been involved in green building efforts throughout the United States and in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He is a 2012 LEED Fellow and actively teaches various courses on green building.

The Autograph Collection:

The Autograph Collection is an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels. Each destination has been selected for its quality, bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. From near to far, iconic to historic, the result is an array of properties that is nothing less than unique, nothing short of collectively exceptional.

For more information about The Press Hotel and to stay informed on the latest updates and news, please visit www.thepresshotel.com.