March 28, 2013

150+ Community, Business and Civic Leaders On-Site for Unveiling of Boca Raton Bridge Hotel Transformation Plans


Hotel to Re-Open After Transformation Period in Late Fall 
with New Rooms, Lobby, Waterfront Dock and More, 
Generating New Employment Opportunities 


BOCA RATON, FL (March 25, 2013)— With more than 150 community, business and civic leaders in attendance, the design direction and inspiration for the aesthetic and structural transformation of the Boca Raton Bridge Hotel was revealed during a recent special preview reception at the top of the iconic
boutique hotel. Russ Flicker, managing member of AWH Partners, LLC that in partnership with The Lane Organization purchased the boutique hotel property in September 2012, presented a site plan featuring the extensive property architectural reorientation with a new “sense of arrival” and relocation of hotel’s entrance and restaurants, expansion of indoor and outdoor waterfront public spaces, and renderings of the innovative interior design renovation concepts of the lobby, restaurants, and guest rooms conceived by the commissioned Gensler design firm. Throughout the evening, the captivated guests also enjoyed sampling a culinary “taste” of what is to come at the “newest jewel on the Boca waterfront” designed to meet or exceed the desires and needs of today’s discerning vacationers as well as the community’s social and business guests.

Led by a seasoned team of hotel ownership, management, designers and hospitality, operations, and marketing consultants, the reinvention plans will reposition the hotel into a premier South Florida experience with its own distinctive signature in the destination. The complete transformation to a luxury four-star hotel status will include the introduction of entirely new hospitality and dining concepts, with plans to take optimal advantage of the property’s most distinctive assets: its prime location – on the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Boca with direct access to Atlantic Ocean – and its breathtaking water views. The preliminary phase of the Bridge Hotel’s major “reinvention” was launched in November 2012 with the construction of the hotel’s new dock-to-dine “waterfront promenade” that flanks the property’s entire Lake Boca perimeter to expand hotel guest and community food and beverage enjoyment opportunities.

AWH Partners, LLC, identifies and acquires outstanding assets in key locations that require operational and physical repositioning to achieve their highest and best use. The Bridge is an established community icon in an enviable locale with a longtime history serving as the locals’ favorite “guesthouse” for visiting friends, family, and colleagues. The acquisition afforded the partnership the opportunity to return to South Florida to expand its presence add another “hotel repositioning success story” to its burgeoning portfolio. The Lane Organization LLC enters into cities to reposition assets and team up with management firms who can assimilate to their locations while standing out amongst the competition.  Lane Hospitality, the management firm for the Boca Raton Bridge Hotel and unrelated to The Lane Organization LLC, is committed to preserving, protecting and enhancing the value of hotel real estate, and provides expertise in all facets of hospitality management and brand marketing.

The Boca Raton Bridge Hotel, one of Palm Beach County’s boutique icon hotels with panoramic water
views from every guest room, is located where the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Boca Raton meet at
999 East Camino Real in Boca Raton. Hotel reservations are available until April 28th, visit www.bocaratonbridgehotel.com or call (561) 368-9500. For dining updates at WaterColors or reservations for Carmen’s award-winning Sunday Brunch, call (561) 886-4570 or visit www.opentable.com.

About AWH Partners, LLC
AWH Partners, LLC, a joint venture between August Group Ventures, LLC and Winston Harton Holdings, LLC, offers an experienced institutional investment and management platform with dedicated capital. For more information, visit www.awhpartners.com.

About August Group Ventures, LLC
August Group Ventures is a privately held real estate investment, development and management firm founded in 2009 by New York-based Related Companies veteran Chad Cooley to pursue opportunities in the ailing hospitality market.  August Group owns and manages hotels around the United States and seeks opportunities to invest in and manage assets requiring capital, repositioning and turn-around expertise. For more information, visit www.augustgroupventures.com.

About Winston Harton Holdings, LLC
Winston Harton Holdings, LLC (WHH) was established by Russell Flicker and Jonathan Rosenfeld to acquire distressed, value-added and operationally intensive real estate assets through equity and debt. Its principals have extensive experience and complementary skill sets in the real estate sector, including acquisitions (private transactions and public securities), capital markets and asset management and asset repositioning. WHH will partner with both traditional institutional capital as well as private pools of capital to pursue transactions ranging from $10 - $250 mm.  For more information, visit www.whhllc.com.

About The Lane Organization LLC
The Lane Organization LLC (“Lane Organization”) was founded by Clifford P. Lane and his son Matthew in 2011. Focusing on luxury hotels, the Lane Organization enters into cities to reposition assets and team up with management firms who can assimilate to their locations while standing out amongst the competition. The Lane Organization emphasizes building strong partnerships while maintaining the company’s core ideas, beliefs, and values to ensure the success of all of its properties. For more information please visit www.thelaneorganization.com.

About Lane Hospitality
Lane Hospitality offers expertise in all facets of hospitality management and is committed to preserving, protecting and enhancing the value of hotel real estate. For more information, visit www.lanehospitality.com.

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