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August 2009

vol. 14, No. 34 Week of August 23, 2009

AK-WA Connection 2009: All-suite hotel offers luxury on a budget

Alaska’s first Embassy Suites celebrates one-year anniversary at serving savvy business and leisure visitors to Anchorage

By Rose Ragsdale

Alaska-Washington Connection

Embassy Suites Anchorage is joining the State of Alaska in achieving milestones this year. While the State is commemorating a venerable 50 years of statehood, the new 169-suite hotel is celebrating its first full year in business.

Located in midtown Anchorage on Benson Boulevard, the hotel is the upscale brand’s first property developed and owned by Colorado-based Stonebridge Companies.

“With such a strong value proposition, and excellent performance and quality standards, Embassy Suites is a winner for both the developer and the consumer,” said Stonebridge Companies President and CEO Navin C. Dimond.

Embassy Suites Anchorage is also the fourth hotel that Stonebridge has developed in Anchorage. The company currently manages the other three Hilton Family hotels in Anchorage: the Hilton Garden Inn® - Anchorage, Homewood Suites by Hilton® - Anchorage and the Hampton Inn® - Anchorage in addition to its own property.

One of a kind

The Embassy Suites’ central location, just one block from the headquarters of BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. and within walking distance of a variety of restaurants and shopping options makes it well-suited to the needs of both business and leisure travelers.

The hotel features an atrium with special touches in its décor to showcase the local flavor of Anchorage, including a variety of stone work and a signature water feature – three brushed steel whales’ tails – as well as other unique Alaska-influenced objects.

“The hotel is a one-of-a-kind product,” said Jeff Gehrman, area director for Stonebridge Gehrman. “We offer four-star quality service, and a four-star designation for the hotel is pending.”

The hotel features spacious, one- and two-room suites as well as whirlpool suites — all offering a separate living area with a sofa bed and desk, private bedroom and bath, two televisions, wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, refrigerator, microwave oven, and coffeemaker.

Budget-conscious pick

Other core amenities such as complimentary, cooked-to-order breakfast and nightly manager’s receptions Mondays-Fridays with appetizers, beer, wine and mixed drinks round out an outstanding selection of services.

“If you are on budget, you can come downstairs (to the manager’s receptions), pick up some food and interact with other business people,” Gehrman said.

The Embassy Suites also boasts a business center, meeting space with onsite catering, indoor pool, whirlpool and Precor® fitness center as well as complimentary shuttle service to and from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport two miles away.

Gehrman told the Alaska-Washington Connection that Embassy Suites Anchorage has reason to celebrate because it had a really good first year, and is holding its own, along with Stonebridge’s other Alaska properties, in an economy that has brought significant challenges to the hotel industry nationwide.

“The oil and gas industry has been very receptive to our services,” he said. “I think that is because we have 5,000 square feet of meeting space and a very fine restaurant.”

In keeping with the Alaska theme throughout the property, the hotel’s full-service restaurant, Pi, offers traditional Alaska cuisine. But the dishes come with a twist. Menu items such as Hawaiian Sliders made with Kalua pork, Crab Mac & Cheese, Russian Perok, Ponzu Lemongrass Scallop & Shrimp Brochette and Halibut BLTs offer diners a taste of Alaska with influences from around the world.

“I call the cuisine ‘nouveau comfort food, with a healthy twist,’ ” said Gehrman. “The chef at Pi works very hard to ensure that people have an opportunity to eat well on the road.”






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