FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A beloved piece of Seattle history is embracing a very promising future as one of the city’s most unique luxury hotels. Arctic Club Hotel Seattle will open in May 2008 at the Arctic Building at 700 3rd Avenue at Cherry, where urban Seattle meets city history. The property was purchased in spring 2006 by owners Arctic Club Hotel LLC, a Spokane-based partnership between developers Bill Lawson, Chris Ashenbrener and Rob Brewster. The ownership set into motion a delicate and thorough interior reorganization, recruiting an A-list of partners, from construction and interior notables to an experienced local hotel management company, The Hotel Group of Edmonds, Wash. Leading the interior design effort is Candra Scott & Anderson, a San Francisco-based design firm, known for its reinvention of landmark hotels, wineries and residential properties for clients all over the country. Award-winning properties include Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Far Niente/Nickel & Nickel Winery and Joie de Vivre Hotels. Burgess Weaver Design Group of Seattle, already several months into hotel construction, is overseeing the structural and seismic components of the build-out. Arctic Club Hotel Seattle will be a luxurious and authentic 120-room hotel that combines the history and grandeur of an early 20th century men’s club with contemporary design and first-class amenities for discerning business and leisure travelers. This property, which will incorporate elements of the building’s former life, is a historic landmark that celebrates Seattle’s history and captures its spirit. The building is rich with treasures that include: foyer and stairwells lined with Alaskan marble; twenty-seven molded walrus heads wrapping around the third floor exterior; the historic Northern Lights Dome Room, one of Seattle’s grandest event facilities featuring Rococo gilding and original artistic frescos; ornamental cornices; and stained glass dome. The public areas of Arctic Club Hotel will offer a rich blend of early 1900s architecture, artifacts inspired by the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition, and original art and amenities that nod to the building’s former entity. The Arctic Club was established in 1908, by the few adventurers who found their fortune in the Klondike gold rush. It was a social community for some of the city’s most prominent founding businessmen with Alaska ties, former Alaska residents, travelers, miners and wealthy eccentrics who returned to Seattle with money and stories of adventure. In 1916, they moved into the Arctic Club Building. Photos of original members will be prominently displayed throughout the hotel as a nod to the property’s roots. Arctic Club Hotel Seattle is affiliated with Summit Hotels & Resorts, a select group of properties characterized by individual design and welcoming service. Summit Hotels & Resorts is a member of the Preferred Hotel Group family of brands. www.summithotels.com The Hotel Group, with 22 years in the industry, manages a diverse portfolio of properties and has a reputation for turning unique properties into industry-leading revenue and customer service award winning properties. The current portfolio includes 26 properties in 10 states such as Alaska, Wash., Ohio, and Missouri www.thehotelgroup.com

###