Historic Urban Hotel is a Unique and Cherished Expression of San Diego and
a Portal to Southern California's Indigenous Charms and Treasures
SAN DIEGO, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- THE US GRANT, a Luxury Collection
Hotel, today announced that it has been awarded "Best Luxury Guestroom
Design" at The HotelWorld Global Hospitality & Design Awards competition in
Las Vegas. Located in the heart of downtown San Diego, the
historically-chic US GRANT hotel reopened in October 2006 after a
meticulous $56 million renovation. More than 3,000 hotels worldwide were
considered for the prestigious design award at HotelWorld's international
design competition that is sponsored by Hotel & Motel Management, Hotel
Design, and Luxury Hotelier.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080325/LATU019)
Owned by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay nation, THE US GRANT was one
of three other illustrious nominees in the Best Guestroom Design category
for the luxury segment, including: the Ritz Carlton Sharq Village & Spa,
Doha Qatar in the Persian Gulf; The Alexis Hotel in downtown Seattle and
The Cove at Atlantis in the Bahamas.
"We define The Luxury Collection by our guests and the experiences and
services they demand and expect. Nothing less than an exceptional level of
service, perfect location and indigenous personal offerings will do," said
Ross Klein, President of Starwood's Luxury Brands Group. "We are honored to
win this prestigious design award on the heels of a remarkable renovation
of this majestic property. This honor is a tribute to our owners and the
incredibly talented team of international designers who worked to
re-imagine the property. THE US GRANT is a jewel in The Luxury Collection
crown."
Unprecedented $56 Million Renovation
Commanding the heart of vibrant and dynamic downtown San Diego, THE US
GRANT retains the region's legendary reign of superior luxury and warm
hospitality. Built circa 1910, an unprecedented $56 million dollar
renovation completed in 2006 has captured the historic ambiance of this
landmark property to create a world-class urban sanctuary. The hotel's
history and ownership's legacy will weave together with its acclaimed
architecture and artistic design to create a timeless masterpiece.
Design Challenges: Retaining the historical ambiance and designations
that placed the hotel on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979
while creating a more timeless and contemporary hospitality environment
that would move THE US GRANT to international recognition and acclaim as a
luxury destination.
Design Resources: Volumes of historical information served as a
foundation for weaving in 21st-century textiles, technology and design with
turn-of-the-century character and nine decades of history. In addition,
this project benefited from a massive renovation and retrofitting in the
early 1980's that gave THE US GRANT a contemporary floor plan of uniform
king- and double-bedded rooms along with a large volume of unique suite
designs.
Design Intention: The ultimate goal was to make each guest's US GRANT
stay truly one-of-a-kind by creating a significant guest room design with
original art that could not be replicated in the industry and would
incorporate the historic architecture of the 11-story Beaux Arts hotel.
Design Team: An international team of architects, artisans, designers,
craftsmen and master builders was assembled to recreate the iconic hotel
over a 21 month period.
THE US GRANT guestrooms were envisioned around a theme of "Sleeping
with Art" originally presented by French interior designer, Frederic Marq.
Local resident Deniece Duscheone was instrumental as the lead renovation
project architect and designer ensuring a timely and successful re-opening
in October 2006.
The hotel's owners commissioned nine noted artists -- of European,
American and Native American descent -- to create a vibrant collection of
new paintings, sculptures, murals and ironwork for the hotel's public and
private spaces that together create a subtle, yet moving, cultural
experience for each visitor.
The headboards of nearly every guestroom are authentic drip paintings
by noted French artist Yves Clement, each painted on property during the
project. The commissioned black oil-on-canvas, avant-garde paintings are
mounted on period piece architectural moldings to create framed headboards
measuring 6 feet x 6 feet for king rooms and mounted as complimenting pairs
for double double rooms. Clement's paintings, under the signature of
Clement LeGrand, lend an unexpected touch of modern elan to THE US GRANT's
historic guestrooms, making them at once a lovely melange of classic and
modern tranquility.
Original works by Native American artist Gene Locklear decorate
guestroom foyers and bathrooms. Locklear's previously commissioned art
clients include The White House, The Pentagon, the National Football
League, the PGA and the History Channel. Locklear was asked to create 300
different representations of Kumeyaay life from the 1700s to the 1900s in a
modern abstract style for the hotel's guestrooms. These finished works are
now some of the few known depictions of the history of California's Native
Americans.
Accomplished mixed media artist and San Diego native, Marie Najera, was
commissioned to create 20 different pieces on wood and canvas for the
hotel's Presidential Suites, Penthouse & Signature Suites. The goal was to
create each guest accommodation as its own destination; in fact each suite
was assigned its own shade of blue for wall coverings, carpets, etc. So
Najera was asked to be sure that her individual pieces used the special
blue of the suite where each would hang.
Luxurious features common to every room and suite include nine-foot
ceilings, extensive crown molding, and hand-loomed wool carpets with
artist-designed patterns intended to reflect a Persian area rug that
compliment custom-designed Empire style furnishings including impressive
marble credenzas with leather inlay doors. Luxury Collection pillow top
beds with rich Italian linens and opulent duvet covers compliment plush
black robes tucked into customized wardrobes. Marble bathrooms with basin
sinks feature imported bath amenities and spacious showers, while modern
technologies include 32" flat screen televisions and wireless internet.
The 11-story, 270-room hotel offers 47 stunning suites that range from
400 to 1,300 square feet among 5 different configurations. Having played
host to 13 different U.S. Presidents since opening in 1910, THE US GRANT
offers three Presidential-caliber suites that were designed to meet the
Secret Service's current standards for hosting U.S. Presidents and
international dignitary.
With the highest ratio of suites to guestrooms in San Diego, THE GRANT
features two magnificent bi-level Presidential Suites that are mirror
images with 20-foot ceilings, suede walls and grand staircases, a Penthouse
Suite's pony-hair headboard and sweeping city views and the Signature suite
series featuring expansive living rooms and 8-foot by 8-foot, six-head rain
showers.
In December 2003, the legendary property was purchased by the Sycuan
Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, the Native American tribe who originally
settled on the land that now includes downtown San Diego where THE US GRANT
resides. Sycuan's purchase of the hotel represents an ancestral tribute to
its local legacy. It was President Ulysses S. Grant who passed an Executive
Order in 1875 that set aside 640 acres of East County land for the Kumeyaay
Tribes and granted them sovereignty. More than 100 years later, the gaming
wealth garnered from that land has allowed the tribe to restore the
historic hotel to its original splendor -- and beyond. Sycuan announced
that in 2008 it will further enhance the property by adding a three-story
spa with an indoor pool, as well as a signature art gallery.
Other accolades garnered by THE US GRANT over the past year include:
-- Robb Report's Winter 2007 issue named THE GRANT one of the "Top 100
Luxury Hotels in the World."
-- With its January 2008 selection as one of just 125 hotels in North
America to receive the Mobil Travel Guide's prestigious Four Star
Award, THE GRANT became downtown San Diego's only Four-Star,
Four-Diamond hotel.
-- Conde Nast Traveler's Hotel Hot List in the May 2007 issue.
-- The hotel's signature Grant Grill Restaurant also received the AAA
Four Diamond Award in 2008.
-- CNN Headline News "Top Hotel" in its "America's Best Beach Cities"
spotlight on May 25, 2007.
-- SELF Magazine's "Best Spa for Lovers of Luxe" in the April 2007 issue.
-- The Los Angeles Times in March 2007 -- Four Star, "Excellent" Rating.
-- Lodging Hospitality's "Design of the Times" Award for US GRANT
interior designer Deniece Duscheone.
The Luxury Collection
The Luxury Collection(R) is a selection of hotels and resorts offering
unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For
the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world's
most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort is a unique
and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination's
indigenous charms and treasures. Magnificent decor, spectacular settings,
impeccable service and the latest modern conveniences combine to provide a
uniquely enriching experience. Today, The Luxury Collection is a glittering
ensemble of more than 69 of the world's finest hotels and resorts in more
than 26 countries in bustling cities and spectacular destinations around
the world. The Luxury Collection includes award-winning hotels that
continuously exceed guest expectations by offering unparalleled service,
style and class in some of the most desired destinations in the world. Most
recently, Mystique, a Luxury Collection Resort, was honored with the 2008
Travel + Leisure Design Award for Best Small Resort in the world. All of
these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as
being among the world's finest. For more information, please visit
http://www.luxurycollection.com.
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