Omni Hotels to Manage Mount Washington Resort

IRVING, Texas .- Omni Hotels announces today it has partnered with CNL Lifestyle Properties, Inc., to become the long-term operator of the storied Mount Washington Resort located in Bretton Woods, NH, at the base of beautiful Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. Opened in 1902, the resort is home to 365 guest rooms in three lodging facilities -- The Mount Washington Hotel, the Bretton Arms Inn and The Lodge -- and serves as a wonderful setting for leisure guests and meeting professionals alike. Omni Hotels will begin management of the luxury New England resort, which will be flagged as the Omni Mount Washington Resort, on September 1, 2009.

“We are pleased to add this extraordinary property to the Omni Hotels’ portfolio, given its fine heritage, the exceptional destination facilities and broad range of year-round leisure and outdoor activities,” said Mike Deitemeyer, president of Omni Hotels. “The addition of this resort is another tremendous step in our strategic expansion.”

The Mount Washington Resort serves as a natural haven for visitors, offering an array of seasonal activities. During the winter months, guests can enjoy skiing and snowboarding at nationally acclaimed Bretton Woods, as well as sleigh rides, dog-sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing and ice climbing. In the summer, guests can enjoy two championship golf courses, tennis, horseback riding, hiking, and fly fishing on the Ammonoosuc River. The resort is also home to the world-class Bretton Woods Canopy Tour, featuring a one-of-a-kind 3.5-hour zip line adventure from treetop to treetop through the beautiful ancient forest of Rosebrook Canyon.

The resort recently completed a multimillion restoration and renovation project that includes a new 25,000-square-foot state-of-the-art spa, a 20,000-square-foot conference center, an outdoor swimming pool complex and guest rooms at the Mount Washington Hotel. CNL Lifestyle Properties has committed to invest an additional $10 million in future renovations, including additional guest rooms, plus food and beverage venues and public areas. Other improvements include the restoration of the 18-hole Mount Washington Course -- owned and operated by Crosland/Celebration Associates -- based on the original 1915 Donald Ross design.

“As we complete the renovation and expansion, we are pleased to transition to Omni Hotels, a respected operator with national sales distribution channels and experience in marketing historic properties,” said R. Byron Carlock, Jr., CEO and president of CNL Lifestyle Properties, Inc.

The resort is surrounded by nearly 800,000 acres of the White Mountain National Forest. It is a two-and-a-half hour drive from Boston and Portland, three hours from Montreal and Providence, six hours from New York and is within two hours of the Manchester, NH airport.

The historic resort is renowned for hosting the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference in 1944 where delegates established the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, the gold standard was set at $35 an ounce and the American dollar became the benchmark for international exchange. Past guests include Thomas Edison, Babe Ruth and three US Presidents.