Gretchen Hall |
LITTLE ROCK, AR, Oct. 2, 2014—Hotel officials celebrated the
grand opening of the 418-room Little Rock Marriott in downtown Little
Rock, Ark., with a spectacular gala highlighting the hotel’s prominent place in
the community.
Headlined by the
Arkansas Symphony with performances by local school bands, the Razorbacks
tailgate themed event was hosted by Davidson Hotels & Resorts, which
operates the hotel, and officials from Fairwood Capital, the hotel's owner.
The hotel also announced a charitable partnership with the
Easter Seals. With funds provided by
the Marriott Little Rock and Fairwood Capital, Easter Seals will facilitate an
in-state college scholarship program.
On July 4, 2015, the hotel will host the first of a series
of events with the 2nd Annual 4th of July Extravaganza with a portion of those
additional proceeds donated to the charity.
Patrick Lupsha |
General admission guests will be provided a “festival-style”
experience that includes dinner, private access to Riverfront Park, the
Riverview Room and Riverview Terrace.
Casual seating is available in the
Riverview Room and Terrace while dining. Admission includes dinner, live
entertainment and fireworks overlooking the river.
“Today marks a new chapter in Arkansas’ lodging history as
we welcome our state’s first and only full-service Marriott hotel to downtown
Little Rock,” said Pat Lupsha, executive vice president and chief
operating officer of Davidson.
“With
the completion of our multi-million renovation, the hotel is perfectly
positioned to meet the growing needs of the area’s business and leisure
travelers.
"The Marriott name is
synonymous with hospitality, making it the perfect choice to usher in a new
high-water mark for hospitality in our community.”
Attendees included Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe; Little
Rock Mayor Mark Stodola; Jim Kauffman, Marriott’s president of North America
full-service hotels; Bob Solmson, CEO Fairwood Capital, John Belden, Davidson’s
president and CEO; and Gretchen Hall, president and CEO of the Little Rock
Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola |
To entertain gala guests, the Arkansas Symphony and
Mabelvale School all gave moving musical performances.
The evening concluded with an old fashioned
“’Backs Tailgate” party, complete with
trucks, photo booths, the Central High School Band and Cheerleaders and
a replay of the “Game of the Century” 1969 Arkansas Razorbacks vs Texas
Longhorns.
Mayor Mark Stodula spoke about the revitalization
efforts of downtown. With the
renovation of the Little Rock Marriott, it is expected that the hotel will
increase traffic to downtown businesses and spur economic activity.
The hotel provides a world class conference
facility and hospitality destination making downtown a place for residents of
Arkansas and others to visit and enjoy.
For a complete
copy of the company’s news release, please contact:
Chris Daly
Daly Gray Public Relations
(703) 435-6293
(703) 435-6293
Cyndi Norwood
(678) 349-0909
Davidson Hotels & Resorts
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