Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC) announces that the Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club and The Reach Resort, both in Florida's Key West, are to join the Waldorf Astoria Collection today, continuing the luxury brand's rapid growth into key leisure destinations.
The Waldorf Astoria Collection Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club and the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort will be the 9th and 10th hotels to join the company's prestigious Waldorf Astoria Collection, reflecting the luxury brand's dynamic expansion into key indigenous destinations. Having collectively undergone $85 million in renovations, which were completed in March 2008, these newest additions to the brand offer guests the flavor of Key West with a newly evolved sense of luxury, exemplifying the Waldorf Astoria Collection's reputation for unique and sophisticated retreats.
First built in 1920, the Waldorf Astoria Collection Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club effortlessly blends Old Key West ambiance and contemporary luxury. Ideally situated along the southern edge of the island, and spanning more than 1,100 feet of secluded beach, this resort offers guests a hideaway nestled in the heart of the vibrant Florida Keys. Within convenient distance of the lively nightlife of nearby Duval Street, or the evocative and vibrant Old Town, guests can choose to sample key ingredients of the local indigenous culture - both inside and outside of the resort.
As part of a $44 million renovation completed in January 08, the Waldorf Astoria Collection Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club offers a new definition of modern luxury to its guests. Including a fully redesigned lobby, pool, terrace, Keys and Grand ballrooms and new Flagler's ballroom, the 311-roomed hotel retains the original legendary grandeur, while introducing more modern, sleek design accents, blending existing architecture with clean, classic lines.
Greeting guests on their entry, the lobby space has been reinvigorated, including a replaced front desk and intricate preservation of the antique wood floors and ceilings - maintaining the classic elegance of Henry Flagler's original design, but providing a modern twist. Guest rooms and suites in the main building offer guests the luxury of outdoor living with the majority featuring large sea-facing windows offering soothing views of the Atlantic ocean. In select oceanfront rooms and suites, windows were enlarged to create greater visual impact of the surrounding seascape and balcony railings have been replaced with glass encasing so as not to obstruct water views.
Continuing the classic Hollywood elegance, the pool oasis' enhancements capture Flagler's admiration for the ocean with a stunning 'Water Walk' pathway, leading guests directly to the ocean. Providing an atmosphere reminiscent of grand Hollywood bungalows, private poolside cabanas are also available for a modern, exclusive luxury experience. Enhanced outdoor terraces provide further event space and fresh, outdoor spaces for exploration and relaxation.
Staying true to the Florida Keys' reputation for legendary entertainment and nightlife, the recently remodelled Grand Ballroom and brand new Flagler's Ballroom offer guests a total of 22,600 square feet of state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor event space. Combining the laid back elegance of historic Key West with the benefits of cutting-edge technology and functionality, the spaces draw from local culture and materials, such as the classic hardwood floors, created from environmentally-friendly, river-reconstituted Florida pine.
Ross Klein, Global Head Luxury & Lifestyle Brands, Hilton Hotels Corporation, said: 'The addition of the Waldorf Astoria Collection Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club and the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort to the Waldorf Astoria Collection further illustrates our goal to provide authentic, indigenous luxury experiences for our guests around the globe. These legendary Florida Keys properties emphasize the blueprint of the Waldorf Astoria Collection perfectly - providing the ideal blend between old-world elegance and modern luxury. We are excited to welcome the Waldorf Astoria Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club and the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort into our growing Waldorf Astoria Collection portfolio.
Offering access to an exclusive Caribbean playground, the 150 roomed the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort sits on the island's only natural beach, boasting unparalleled views of the Atlantic ocean. Combining a tranquil beachside setting with close access to the vibrant nightlife of Old Town Key West, the Reach provides guest-tailored experiences for urban escapees and thrillseekers alike. Following recent renovations, the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort features an updated design palate and intuitive and advanced technology, providing a contemporary new ambiance and boutique sensibility for the modern global traveler to Key West.
Setting the tone for a sleek and elegant guest experience, the recently relocated lobby incorporates touches of the Orient, with a papaya and ebony color palette, sleek metal benches, free-standing check-in pods and authentic Hindu woods. The guestrooms are reflective of the tropics, with every room featuring quirky design touches such as coconut shell headboards, but are firmly rooted in the 21st century with flat-screen TVs, oversized showers and other luxurious amenities. The cool Caribbean-themed color palette continues in the resort's 4,706 square feet of high-tech, functional meeting space, decorated in sand, coconut, gold, papaya and cream.
Giving classic New York cuisine a fresh new twist, the Strip House steak restaurant, which opened in March, is decorated in silk furnishings and vintage Studio Manasse images along the walls. The Strip House offers an eclectic and design-rich fine dining space, designed by celebrated interior architect David Rockwell and featuring cuisine from acclaimed chef John Schenk - formerly of Clementine in the Village, and was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine Magazine in 1995.
As a new destination for the Waldorf Astoria Collection, Hilton Hotels Corporation anticipates the addition of the Waldorf Astoria Collection Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club and the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort to engage a new population of luxury leisure travellers to the region. Continuing to grow in popularity and stature, the Florida Keys has come to represent modern, affluent luxury and an exotic, vibrant locale with a trace of Caribbean flavour.
In addition to the Waldorf Astoria Collection Casa Marina Resort & Beach Club and the Waldorf Astoria Collection The Reach Resort, the Waldorf Astoria Collection also operates eight other properties - five in the United States, comprising the inspiration for the brand, the legendary Waldorf Astoria(R) in New York, Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa in Maui, Hawaii and La Quinta Resort & Club in Southern California. Internationally it operates the 46-suite Qasr Al Sharq or 'Palace of the Orient' in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Rome Cavalieri, and most recently the Triannon Palace in Versailles which joined the collection in December 08.
The company is also developing Waldorf Astoria Collection hotels and residences in key cities around the world and this year expects to launch the Waldorf Astoria Orlando in Florida, Dakota Mountain Lodge in Park City (Utah) and the Bentley Waldorf Astoria Collection in London. The Palace Jerusalem, Israel, the Waldorf Astoria Sarasota in Florida and the proposed the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in California are also scheduled to open in 2010.
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